What can be done to repair under countertop? (DW mount)

I noticed tonight that the dishwasher had somehow been pushed ever so slightly so that one side was sticking out further than the other. I'm extremely particular about it being centered in the spot, leveled perfectly, and protruding past the countertop lip half an inch or so for the steam to escape the vent safely. Now that I've noticed it, I also now see that on that one side, the bracket and screw are flexing, which means it's a matter of time before the screw wiggles out. We have a newish roommate that seems to have no conception of treating appliances, or anything in general, with care, and despite getting on to her frequently, the damage of her slamming doors/lids and leaning against the appliances with her body is already showing.

The problem is that we have laminate countertops, so of course there's nothing underneath but compacted particle board, which is clearly terrible for reinforcing a dishwasher in a house with people who can't grasp the concept of NOT kicking or throwing the door shut (it's seriously one of my biggest pet peeves). I attached some pictures to show the set up now. You can see the previous holes from the Maytag, which the installers botched up when the house was being built despite asking them to leave the dishwasher in its box. I'm afraid that if I choose to reinstall it after a while, or if I wanted to switch between the PowerClean and the Maytag every 6 months or so, I'd have no way to anchor them anyway.

I know there are some here that cycle between machines every so often, so I figure this has to be something experienced before. I've even asked at Home Depot, to no avail. We do plan to get higher quality countertops but that may not be for a couple of years. Does anyone know of a solution?

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size


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Post# 792825 11/8/2014 at 23:05 (3,454 days old) by Murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes I noticed tonight that the dishwasher had somehow been pushed ever so slightly so that one side was sticking out further than the other. I'm extremely particular about it being centered in the spot, leveled perfectly, and protruding past the countertop lip half an inch or so for the steam to escape the vent safely. Now that I've noticed it, I also now see that on that one side, the bracket and screw are flexing, which means it's a matter of time before the screw wiggles out. We have a newish roommate that seems to have no conception of treating appliances, or anything in general, with care, and despite getting on to her frequently, the damage of her slamming doors/lids and leaning against the appliances with her body is already showing. The problem is that we have laminate countertops, so of course there's nothing underneath but compacted particle board, which is clearly terrible for reinforcing a dishwasher in a house with people who can't grasp the concept of NOT kicking or throwing the door shut (it's seriously one of my biggest pet peeves). I attached some pictures to show the set up now. You can see the previous holes from the Maytag, which the installers botched up when the house was being built despite asking them to leave the dishwasher in its box. I'm afraid that if I choose to reinstall it after a while, or if I wanted to switch between the PowerClean and the Maytag every 6 months or so, I'd have no way to anchor them anyway. I know there are some here that cycle between machines every so often, so I figure this has to be something experienced before. I've even asked at Home Depot, to no avail. We do plan to get higher quality countertops but that may not be for a couple of years. Does anyone know of a solution? Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 792827 , Reply# 1 11/8/2014 at 23:58 (3,454 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)
Checkrate/Likes 1 One option that is used with granite counter tops is to attach the DW to the side cabinets by drilling a hole or two on each side. Shim and perhaps use a stainless screws and it will not move unless you want it to.

Post# 792852 , Reply# 2 11/9/2014 at 06:05 (3,454 days old) by Magic_Clean (Florida)
Checkrate/Likes *Here* are some mounting solutions on page 25 that may help. Especially p/n W10426979 CLICK HERE TO GO TO Magic_Clean's LINK