Vegas 24.1 Bathroom Sink Bulging

[RichRob]

On the bathroom sink counter of my Vegas 24.1, the part that faces the showers bulging. The material that is beneath the counter top absorbs the water from the shower, and is bulging out. The counter is only touched by water briefly while someone enters the shower. Any suggestions on how to treat this section, to keep it from further absorption problems? Has anyone had tis problem? I have attached the view from the side and underneath counter.

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Chateau_Nomad]

You could give it two to three coats of polyurethane finish, which won't make it waterproof, but VERY water resistant. We always wipe down anything which gets wet immediately after showers, especially water that splashed out onto the cabinet etc.

Don't let water sit and absorb... wipe it up as soon as you notice it. Prevention is key.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by RichRob

On the bathroom sink counter of my Vegas 24.1, the part that faces the showers bulging. The material that is beneath the counter top absorbs the water from the shower, and is bulging out. The counter is only touched by water briefly while someone enters the shower. Any suggestions on how to treat this section, to keep it from further absorption problems? Has anyone had tis problem? I have attached the view from the side and underneath counter.

[ATTACH]Attachment 36059[/ATTACH]

I wonder if you could use that flex seal on it. I haven't used it myself but many people have and it is waterproof

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

I wonder if you could use that flex seal on it. I haven't used it myself but many people have and it is waterproof

You'd want to mask off everywhere you don't want flex-seal. It works but is quite messy (if you use the spray can) and wouldn't look too good (like a spray on truck liner) in the bathroom.

[Grumpy Grampa]

Hard to tell from pics. You might be able to glue if there are openings and clamp it. Use some small boards to make it level.

Just a thought.

Good luck

[TheDustyGeek]

With wood products, swelling due to water exposure usually can’t be fixed without cutting and/or sanding back down to the original profile, which would obviously damage the laminate in the process. The best you can probably hope for at this point would be sealing it against additional swelling or replacing the vanity top. Painting on multiple coats of water-based polyurethane likely would help it from any further damage and is probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to deal with it.

If it were me, I’d probably seal it for now and replace the vanity top once I had the time, space and tools.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Remember... the majority of your motorhome's interior is constructed of engineered wood products (particle board), staples and glue. This keeps motorhomes lighter in weight and lower in cost to build.

The drawback of those advantages are that the "wood" readily absorbs moisture causing swelling, then the staples rust and the glue releases. Its all downhill from there.

Prevention is key. As TheDustyGeek said, once particle board swells from water absorption, it's VERY difficult to repair. IMO, it's easier in the long run to just replace it.

[MJC62]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

You could give it two to three coats of polyurethane finish, which won't make it waterproof, but VERY water resistant. We always wipe down anything which gets wet immediately after showers, especially water that splashed out onto the cabinet etc.

Don't let water sit and absorb... wipe it up as soon as you notice it. Prevention is key.

Only thing if I may add make sure to use SPAR polyurethane. The Spar is exterior poly a better product for wet conditions. We have coated our outdoor wood furniture with the stuff holds up very well.

[ducksface]

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=80

[RichRob]

Thanks for all your responses. Went to a local hardware store and after I explained what I needed to do, was sold a tube of clear Permatex, which is an adhesive sealant that is weather resistant. This may be just a temporary fix, but I am hoping that it will last longer.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by RichRob

Thanks for all your responses. Went to a local hardware store and after I explained what I needed to do, was sold a tube of clear Permatex, which is an adhesive sealant that is weather resistant. This may be just a temporary fix, but I am hoping that it will last longer.

What about having a solid surface counter top made for the bathroom

[RVGeek]

Carefully use a knife to remove just enough expanded particle board to flatten the surface and fill with gap with wood glue. Using wood strips on the top and bottom, C-clamp the countertop and let dry. Now seal around the edge by any of the recommended methods. (I just use waterproof caulk.) Reinstall the trim.

BTW, seal, ALL the countertop AND taillight cutouts, too, before the same happens. You may avoid a lot of aggravation going forward.

This is a common problem, and many folks don't realize the issue until moisture is absorbed in the wood. Apparently, Thor hasn't got the memo yet regarding this weakness in construction, but these problems don't usually occur within the warranty period. In that case, "Not their circus, not their monkeys!"

[DaveDopp]

I had a similar problem in both bathrooms in my Miramar 34.1. Both had counter tops made of MDF covered on the top and side but not on the bottoms. Water dripping over the edges caused the MDF to swell on the bottom.

I used a pocketknife to smooth off the swelling, made sure the MDF was dry, then applied three coats of Minwax Wood Hardener. For the past 5 years, I have had no further problem with water damaging the underside of the countertops.

WARNING: the hardener has an almost watery consistency and will drip, so use rags to protect the surfaces under the countertops!

Also, there is NO cleaning of the brushes. The solvent in the hardener will dissolve most plastic brush fibers. Figure on throwing them away after use. (I used three cheap brushes, one for each coat.)

Finally, use rubber gloves to protect your skin. The solvent is toxic. If any gets on you, wash it off immediately!

[CHS]

First thing I did when we got our unit home was to go around every countertop edge and seal it with clear nail polish and redo every year at least. We are also fanatical about wiping up water on the counters. So far so good, No swelling.
This has been an issue for many decades with those types of counters. Water gets into the edge and swells the particle board materials underneath. Once it swells up there is not much you can do to fix it besides replacing the countertop. For the money they are getting for these units, whether low or high end, you would think they would stop using this crap and install solid counters

[CHS]

You could maybe try something like this. Not sure how thick you counter is but here is a sample. If needed, you could maybe scrap out some of the swollen material to get back to the original thickness to make it fit.

https://smile.amazon.com/Edge-Supply...s%2C108&sr=8-7

[Galobo]

The counter top is engineered wood and is made out of wax and/or resin-like compounds and very susceptible to water. You will most likely have to replace the top.