Dishwasher Steam Damaging Countertop

18 years ago

My dishwasher "exhales" steam from the top of it's front door that rises and is absorbed by my formica / particleboard? countertop. The countertop is starting to swell. I'm worried that if this condition worsens I'll have to replace my countertops. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?

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Comments (6)

mustang_05
18 years ago
The only time I have seen this happen is when the dishwasher is installed to far under the countertop.
Make sure that it is not pushed back to far under the countertop.
Typically the body of the dishwasher, not the door, should be flush with the face of the adjacent cabinet.
rhome410
18 years ago
This happened to us in the mobile home we're living in while we build. We didn't do anything about it (it's a disposable place), but recommend you do, ASAP. The situation got worse until the counter got too soft and let loose of the dishwasher. Of course the countertop doesn't look very good either. We had laminate counters in our last house and had a dishwasher under it for years without a problem. Not sure what makes the difference. DH installed that laminate on MDF, while this one was a preformed counter from Home Depot.

I don't know if you can get the counter to 'unswell,' but if you can save it, I'd take out the dishwasher and somehow finish the underside of the counter to protect it from further moisture.
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Jon1270
18 years ago
There's no way to "unswell" it, but you might reduce the problem with a few coats of polyurethane on the exposed particle board.
oruboris
18 years ago
I second the reccomendation to pull the DW forward a ways: I have wood edged countertops, and haven't had an issue because the steam is realeased forward of the leading edge of the counter.

This should be quite simple: open the door, look for a screw on each side holding the top of the DW to the bottom of the counter. Remove the screws, slide the DW out carefully, make small pilot holes and reattatch the screws. Don't over tighten: if it really is a particle board type material, it could strip easily.
kren_pa
18 years ago
hi there...i have had this issue, twice. the first time we had a prefab formica counter from HD and the formica wound back under the lip of the counter, so although it would get wet, it would not swell. the second time, we have put in a butcher block counter from ikea. ikea sells a strip of flexible shiny metal material (looks like a thick, silver bumper sticker sort of) i think it's called "variabel". you stick it on the underside of the counter lip and the heat then doesn't affect the counter. it's working so far. i agree also with a previous poster that polyurethane (i would use many coats, like 4) would work. good luck! kren
brickeyee
18 years ago
Or a layer of aluminum foil duct tape. The real metal stuff.
Since it is under the counter it will not show anyway.