Countertop Support – What You Need To Know

Granite countertops are preferred by homeowners because of its natural beauty and durability. This stone is quite heavy considering that a square foot of granite weighs around 18 pounds. Even a regular sized countertop made with granite would be considerably heavy. For this reason, stone suppliers recommend the use of a countertop support. This becomes a requirement if your countertop has a big overhang. They should be installed to prevent accidental damage to the countertop.

According to the standards set by the Marble Institute of America, you can have an overhang of 11 inches provided that two thirds of the overhang is cantilevered. With this set-up, you can even extend the overhang up to 12 inches. Stability will not be a problem if your granite is of high quality. But if your stone is of a lesser grade and is fractured, you need to strictly follow the standard. You may even have to support every 5 inch of the overhang with brackets to be safe.
  Weight supports are easily available in the market today. Whatever the length and breadth of your countertop, there is a suitable countertop support for it. Hidden countertop brackets can easily support the overhang of your small countertop. They are small steel plates with cross bars and they are typically attached to the countertop base. If you prefer artistic looking weight supports, you can use Corbels. They are aesthetically designed to enhance the looks of your countertop and are available in different sizes and colors.

Island brackets are very popular if yoy have lonnger overhangs, as they will give adequate support. This bracket is usually thicker and stronger than the average bracket and is around 24 inches in length. You need to attach several pieces of these brackets at the base of the countertop and along the length of the overhang, equally spaced, to provide adequate support.

If you have a free-standing countertop such as a breakfast bar or shelves, you can use steel pole legs or wooden legs to support its weight. This type of countertop support is specifically designed for countertops without cabinets or platforms. One advantage of this set-up is that the legroom underneath the countertop is without any obstruction.

One additional thing to consider is the type of granite edges that you choose. Some edges can be more brittle than others and can more easily break if there is a large overhang.