I have a friend with a seam in a countertop that has misaligned after about 4 years. It's man made stone but I'm not sure what material. I would like to fix it but I'd like to know more before I try. It looks like the two sections are flat and could be removed and reinstalled but that would involve redoing the sink and backsplash. I would like to know if it's a bad idea to simply shim up the low corner 1/16th of an inch. I don't think it's from the weight of water in the sink, but from a poor leveling job from the start.
Can manufactured countertops warp
countertopskitchen-counters
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Best Answer
The difference in height can be from 1) bad initial installation, 2) someone sitting on one of the panels, 3) warping of one panel,
1) Leveling two pieces of plastic laminate (Formica, etc.) is mostly an “art” and patience. Yes, the initial installer could have given up after a few tries.
2) Settlement...ugh...I cringe when my teenagers decide to “help” in the kitchen. An easy test to determine if this is the cause is to pry on the two pieces (gently) and see if they move independently from each other.
3) I’d look under the counter and verify that both panels are particle board. We generally use plywood near sink installations. If it is plywood, it could continue warping with additional water splashed on it, change in humidity, etc.
Here’s an article that explains: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/laminate-countertop-put-over-plywood-particleboard-99004.html
Removing and reinstalling the countertops is difficult because the base will be deformed from prying the tops loose. If the problem is truly just a difference in height, (and not that the two panels have twisted, rotated, moved out of “square”, etc.) then I’d try slowly raising one panel with wedges (shims).