We are under contract with Home Depot for Silestone counter tops in our kitchen remodel. The measurer has been here, the template is made, and fabrication is under way. He told us that the counters are askew and it is my responsibility to true them up.
Based on his measurements I thought that 1/4″ laths on top of the low cabinets would true themall up and I bought 1/4 x 3/4 moulding for that purpose but now that I am into it the problem is much more complex. One cabinet is high, one has a belly to the front rail, etc. It looks virtually impossible to get all the surfaces coplanar and level.
It looks like a perfect candidate for 3/4″ plywood with shims but my wife is opposed to that approach (I don’t know why). Questions:
1) Is there any way to true and level the counters other than plywood?
2) Is a plywood underlayment OK with Silestone?
3) Why can’t the installer place shims between the Silestone and counters?
4) If plywood, what spacing is recommended for the shims?
I know that I will need to attach a finish trim beneath the silestone to hide the shims and/or plywood but that would be acceptable
Any thoughts would be very appreciated
john
Replies
My first thought is where do you fit in to the equation, are you the HO or the contractor?
My second thought is I think you mean the cabinets aren't level, not the counter. If its the counter then basically they goofed that up and its their bust, but the cabinets are the responsibility of whoever set them, and while shims could work, you're not providing even bearing under the counter by putting shims on top of the cabinets. The cabinets need to be set correctly and if theres shims under them thats what toekick is for.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
"My first thought is where do you fit in to the equation, are you the HO or the contractor?"I am the home owner and yes, it is the tops of the cabinets which are not level. This is a remodel, the counters have been in place for 30+ years and are not being replaced. What I need to do is provide a level and coplanar surface for the installer hence the thought of a shimmed plywood substrate. Shimming/raising the cabinets is not an optionjohn
well that makes a lot more sense. you said kitchen remo and I assumed new cabs. Well, if moving them isnt an option, then the shims is all you have left really, isnt it.
I can't say I like the idea a whole lot, but then you don't either, so if the end result is one way or another you need to be level, I don't think your 3/4 ply idea is all that lousy. I'd try and shim it about every foot. That might be overkill but for the couple extra spots of shimming safe to me is better than a callback. You'll have to do a little crawling inside to get the back side shimmed but with drawers and such out it shouldnt make your head bleed more than a couple of times.
So my follow on question, to resolve the trim piece that you're proposing, could the fabricators not incorporate a lip into the counter, or even provide strips to be installed on site? I know with cultured marble (thinking manmade products here) you can adhere it on site, fill it with the same product, buff the joint, shoot it with gel cote, and voila, nobody ever knows there was a seam. Silestone is quartz, isn't it? But its still manufactured IIRC. "A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
Have you considered detaching the cabinets from the wall and lifting them? That would place your shims behind a new toekick and make the cabinets look much better in relation to the top than shimming the top.