Desperately seeking help for Susan. Daughter wants to install a granite countertop as an eating surface about 42 inches off floor, to be supported along edge of existing 36 inch base cabinet, which is going to have a granite top installed on it. This, of course, has to be a cantilever.
There was a thread in last six mo or so discussing cantilevered granite & how much support it needs to keep it from suddenly becoming a heavy lapboard for folks sitting at it. Have tried searching for thread but to no avail. Can one of you tell me where it is? I will humbly accept the flogging I will get for not being able to find it myself.
I told them they will have to get a cabinet maker to remove the current “Formica” top and install corbels along the side that will have the eating surface to support it. Since the granite will be pretty heavy, I suggested that they will have to be good quality plywood and reach all the way to the bottom of the existing cabinet rear face and be screwed to it from the inside of the existing cabinet. The rear of the existing base has doors on it, so there are real wood 1X4’s to screw to/through, as well as a real wood 1X6 along the top. These are pretty good quality cabinets, w/ no particle board in them. To save money, they can use 2 inch wallboard screws. (Got your attention, didn’t I, Piffin?)
Comments/suggestions/etc., please.
Don
Replies
I'd speak to a granite fabrication shop about this.
They cut grooves in the bottom of granite and insert metal rods in fragile areas.
I think along with that and several fancy corbels screwed to a reinforced cabinet wall that there would'nt be much of a problem but I'd speak to the granite shop non the less.
What I did on my last kitchen was to build a frame with sides. 2x4 top and sides but no front. I had bar stools in the front/overhang. I built an edge trim of cherry like the cabs to cover the front 2x4's. The granite laid over the whole thing.
Looked great and was super solid.
Be well
andy
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I recently saw a kitchen renovation with the most outrageous square footage of granite counter top, back splash, above the sink window sill, etc and even cutting boards made from leftover scrap pieces.
One length of the bountertop, about 7.5" long, had approx. 16" of overhang.
They used several 1/4" plate steel that spans the entire witdth of the counter (about 5-1/2"). Each steel plate seemed to be about 12" wide. The granite underside was ground out so the plate is mounted flush.
Short of someone standing on the cantilevered edge and jumping on it, the homeowner is confident the granite will be fine.
We have a very similar situation in our kitchen. We wanted to have an 16" overhang for about 5 feet of countertop on a peninsula - without any blocks to hit our knees on.
Our contractor had a steel shop weld up some "T" shaped supports. Those were attatched to notches in the back of the base cabinets, and the finish panel was put over that. There's a thin (3/4" inch-ish) band of trim underneath the countertop.
I just took a look at the steel. It looks like it's roughly 3" by 5/8", black, with a pebbled finish. It might be tubing.
Up to 12" of overhang you are okay, after that you need some reinforcement. Steel is easier to hide because it can be smaller but wood often works better because it can be made to harmonize with the cabinetry (so it needn't be hidden). Don't choose a heavily veined fracture prone type of stone. 12" is usually enough if you are not dealing with unreasonable designers. I have done some where we installed a plate of 5/16" steel beneath the countertop set back about 6". That worked fine but it's not a cheap solution and you have to account for the thickness of the steel if other countertop surfaces meet with the cantilevered one.
There is one thing that would worry me about using steel to support a granite overhang- under load steel bends, but granite doesn't, it cracks. So, if a heavy weight was placed on the overhang some way would have to be found of ensuring that the whole slab of granite is allowed to move enough until the steel has bent far enough to be able to balance the downward force.
I know I'm not expressing this properly, perhaps there will be some engineers here who can explain this properly
John
Most Quality cabinet makers offer "fancy" angle brackets to match thier cabinets.
If our over handg is not more than 12-13" then putting one every 30" under-neath will be adequate.
Unless you and the DW plan on "Christening" the new kitchen with a little nookie !!! ;oD
DOH!!!
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
I have on several occasions installed a 3/4" plywood with up to 16" overhang. I then
routed out about every 16" oc a 3/8"x 1 1/2" strip as long as the plywood is wide usually
25 - 28" and epoxied in a steel form stake cut to fit. When my granite fabricator installs
granite she epoxies the granite to both ply and steel. I tell my customers it is not to used
as a spot to stand on but it will accept normal kitchen loads such as school books, grocery bags, etc