Everyone loves granite in their kitchens, and for good reason. It’s durable, comes in countless colors and patterns, and is stunning in appearance.
When designing your counter tops, however, many home owners find themselves asking “How much granite overhang is acceptable?”
If you consult with The Marble Institute, they will recommend no more than twelve inches for granite tops. However, this is assuming that 2/3’s or more is cantilevered to offset the dead weight of the overhang. You can’t just have a foot of free hanging granite, that spells disaster for the feet of whomever is unlucky enough to be standing at the counter.
The 2/3’s rule should be applied to all situations, not just the ones in which the maximum amount of overhang is used. For example, if you have six inches of stone atop a wall cap, then using the 2/3’s should tell you its safe to have two inches of unsupported stone. If you want more stone hangover, or maybe you want to take the better-safe-than-sorry route, these pieces of hardware can set your mind at ease;
Corbels
A type of bracket which can be made from stone, used to offset the weight of an overhanging surface. These are highly decorative and practical pieces.
Rods
Rods can be run down the length of your stone counter top. This will help strengthen brittle stones, however it doesn’t pardon you of the 2/3’s rule.
Legs
Ground length support system for bracing counter overhang. Using legs to support your counter top surface can be stylish but it can also limit the amount of furniture which can be placed around the area.
Granite Top Support Brackets
These specially designed brackets are specifically made to support overhang. They are concealed within the counter top itself, and must be installed before the top is placed.
Brackets
Both inexpensive and effective when installed correctly, brackets can be used to support counter tops as well as cabinets themselves.
All of these components can be purchased at your local cabinetry shop. When making the decision of how much stone overhang to have on your counter tops, always stop to ask yourself if your households individual needs will be too much for your current choice size of stone overhang. After all, the needs of a fraternity house would be far different from that of a retirement home. If you would like to know more about supporting stone overhang, cabinets, or other support related questions feel free to contact us at our website.
