Help me oh wise ones. Any idea how to fix this without replacing the whole counter? A pan fell out the cupboard and I forsee my deposit going bye-bye.

by GoodEater29

49 comments

  1. YMMV – practice on something else first, may be enough to disguise the damage. It’s not in a area you’re working on so may get away with it. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/SPARES2GO-Piece-Laminate-Furniture-Repair/dp/B071WCQQRP/ref=sr_1_6?crid=QZRFOC36LDEI&keywords=laminate+floor+repair+kit&qid=1704218209&sprefix=laminate+floor+re%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-6](https://www.amazon.co.uk/SPARES2GO-Piece-Laminate-Furniture-Repair/dp/B071WCQQRP/ref=sr_1_6?crid=QZRFOC36LDEI&keywords=laminate+floor+repair+kit&qid=1704218209&sprefix=laminate+floor+re%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-6)

  2. That’s a full new kitchen. New worktops, new carcasses and doors, probably a rewire, new oven hob & fridge. Might need a new washing machine as well, but I have one left over from a previous job and can get that to you at cost.

    Can’t take the job on till March, but I need half the cash up front…. for expenses.

  3. Have a look in the Yellow Pages under “French Polishers”.

  4. You can almost certainly just wood filler that and nobody would notice.

  5. I’m pretty sure the only logical course of action here is to burn the place down the day before you leave and make it look like an accident.

  6. You could put some colourfill worktop joint sealant. Could even try to match up the grain with some acrylic paint if you have the skills.

  7. You’ll struggle getting someone out to look at that (and especially a French polisher, cause that looks like laminate vs real wood), it’s barely 50 quids worth of work – so be careful if someone overcharges you.

    Assuming you’re going for “passable” vs invisible, I’d get wood filler, sandpaper and a range of brown/yellow acrylic paints, where it’s near somewhere that kicks off heat you’ll want advice on the best wood filler to get so it can withstand temp changes and try to colour match acrylic paints to draw in the grain (don’t need to be an artist!) and would focus on the darker grey/black grain vs anything else.

  8. Fill it in with similar coloured wax before ya go.

    Google wood repair wax

  9. Find the bit that fell off and superglue it back in place?

  13. You need a magic man, which is a service builders use to fix their mistakes (usually in new builds).

    Google magic man or surface repair plus your area.

  15. If popular internet videos of yore serve me well, I believe you can fix that up lovely with some superglue and a packet of ramen.

  17. Wood filler or even use a two part epoxy putty like ‘Milliput’ (the Yellowish/Grey one) and gently sand to get the contour. If you know an artist, they can match the colour and paint in the grain.

    I used to do this for a living, working at a cabinet factory. Veneered chipboard speaker cabinets etc that used to get chipped in production or was sanded down too much and the chipboard showed through.

    This is VERY doable.

  19. So according to the youtube algorithm , cheeto dust and superglue…and noodles

  21. That’s an easy bodge. I would get some light brown wood filler, sand it down (gently) when dry and others have suggested using a felt tip, I’d use a little bit of artists acrylic paint.

    Do it just before you leave so you don’t have time to scuff it and I’m sure it won’t even be noticed.

  22. Get some 2 part oak coloured wood filler and you should be fine

  24. Wood filler it in, sand smooth, apply a small amount of finish in a similar color to the rest of the counter.

  25. tiktok has taught me, rice, pasta or any other menial thing crushed into the gap and covered in glue.

  26. I can’t honestly see you losing a deposit over this. I live abroad now so don’t know the rules as too well, but that would be considered wear and tear here. It’s not like you were abusing the place, accidents happen.

    And aren’t deposits held by a third party? Even if it did come up, they could only fairly charge you a small amount of the deposit.

  27. Take a look in the local DIY shops like b&q and Wickes etc to see if they sell the worktop. If you know any joiners theym ay be able to get a new worktop fitted, just that section

  28. As an aside, challenge any deposit deductions through the protection scheme and let them confirm what you owe, not the landlord/letting agency.

  29. Never anything heavy or sharp overhead in the kitchen. Especially over the stove.

  30. Wood filler is the way to go. Get the colour approximately right but don’t worry too much, unless it’s a contrasting colour I doubt that it will be noticeable. The ones I’ve used take at least 24h to set hard, so leave it for at least that long before trying to sand it smooth.

    Years ago one of the kids tripped over a cable and a games console took a dive off a shelf onto a new(ish) laminate floor – left a big crater. I blobbed some wood filler into the damage in what I thought was a temporary repair, but the next day I had trouble finding it, so I gave it a light sanding and it was fine for years.

  32. Try a wet face washer and a hot iron. Place face washer over the chip and iron it. Steam should lift it out if it isn’t too deep

  33. Your best fix is to ignore it and challenge any deductions through the DPS. Looks like fair wear and tear to me. How long have you lived there?

  37. Games workshop green stuff and citadel miniatures paints.

  38. Crushed noodles + superglue then give it a sanding 👍

  39. Carefully drill several one large and small holes over the entire area.

    Insert a 1p coin and fill with sunflower seeds. IF NO SEEDS USE BATCHELORS BBQ BEEF SUPER NOODLES

    Superglue and sand surface flat.

    Paint finish to blend in with existing. IF NO PAINT CALL NICK KNOWLES AND THE GANG, OR FOR QUICKER TURNAROUND THAT SCOTTISH LASS

  40. Your landlord can’t charge you the cost of a new worktop, only the depreciated value of your worktop at its current age. E.g. if the kitchen was fitted 5 years ago, they can charge a fair price for a 5 year old worktop. But the deposit schemes have rules around how often things have to be replaced (e.g. walls need redecorated every 3 years, carpets replaced every 5) so it has to be within the time frame for the kitchen or they can’t claim anything at all!

    In addition, as others have pointed out, this is probably considered fair wear & tear that your landlord should expect.

  43. We had a similar thing. It was with wallpaper. Our kittens tore the wall absolutely to fuck. A shape about the size of A4. They just scratched the wall to pieces in a rental house. I used filler. Sculpted it back onto the same shape as it was before then repainted it. They never even mentioned it. Get some pva glue and some wood shavings. Mix them together and push them into the hole, maybe a little proud. When it dries sand it back a bit. Should be fine. As others have said, maybe give that tint part a paint. You’ll be fine. As long as they don’t have a closeup image of that and it doesn’t draw their eye, you’ll be fine. Fuck landlords.

  45. My neighbour used to have a franchise for a company called ‘Surface Medic’, they repair exactly this type of thing.

    He ended up setting his own business so if there isn’t a local franchise I’m sure you could find something similar.

  47. What happened to that guy who fixes everything with ramen? Just plug it with some ground up noodles. Solid.

  48. If you want tik toks answer, it’s noodles and super glue.

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