Cooktop cutout and installation in quartz countertop

boone_2009

13 years ago

Hi everyone!

I seem to be asking so many questions lately. This one has to do with the cutout for our (Electrolux gas 5 burner) cooktop in a Silestone countertop.

I am not clear about two issues in particular:

1) The Silestone manual recommends radii at the corners of the cooktop cutout because otherwise the quartz might crack; when I asked my fabricator about it, he first said that Silestone just says that to cover themselves, then he said when straight cuts are made, they may go over each other at the corners and that will cause possible cracking, so he will" do a slight radius". Please give me your feedback. Is a radius an angled cut? What is normally done for cooktop cutouts in quartz counters? What is an 'usual' radius at each corner?

2) He said one just drops the cooktop in, into the cutout, and that's it- connect it to the electrical outlet and we're good to go. Nothing more needs to be done. I can't believe this - is this true? Don't cooktops have to be supported somehow, in the countertop? Forgive me my ignorance :-(.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

Kathy Taylor

5 years ago

Thanks Joseph. The product I selected was quartz with eased edge. I did not like the location of the seam proposed - it was just to the left in parallel to the sink. I asked to have it moved to under the cooktop on the one side of “L” shaped countertop (other side has sink and dishwasher). The updated design was to have cut outs at each side of cooktop - basically a separate piece that would connect the two pieces under the cooktop at top and one at bottom - where cooktop would have lip over counter.

From your comment I’m not sure if you are saying this is “bad”?

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Comments (12)

new-beginning
13 years ago
a radius cut is a curve, not an angled cut
weedmeister
13 years ago
Usually the units do not require any other support. Some have clamps to hold them in place, some dont use them
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User
13 years ago
Why are you having doubts about what your fabricator is telling you? He's 100% correct.
boone_2009
Original Author
13 years ago
new-beginning: yes, of course, I wasn't thinking, duhhh. Sorry - my only excuse is that I'm fatigued.

weedmeister: thank you, reassuring to know.

hollysprings: I guess because I am a stupid over-thinker!
Kathy Taylor
5 years ago
Here it is 2020 ... and your post was exactly the info I wanted to understand today! Those of us not in the business don’t know the lingo ... and dumb us for wanting to understand and get reassurance that what we are being told is “right”. Thanks for asking the questions!!!!
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
Kathy:

There should be no "straight cuts going over each other" on cooktop cutouts. There should be a slight radius in the corner. A good fabricator will knock the meanness off the fresh cut edges, top and bottom. This eliminates stress risers that when heated can become cracks.

The cooktop and countertop should be installed per the manufacturer's instructions. No additional support is necessary.
PRO
Hirschglass
2 years ago
You should also use some kind of heat tape to protect expansion and contraction from heat . This can prevent quartz from cracking .
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 years ago
It's heat conductive tape and it conducts heat away from surfaces. More important is smoothing the cutout and edges and keepin a radius in the corners.
HU-527942990
last year
last modified: last year
My installer has said that to install the new quartz countertop the cutout for the stove top will basically be 4 seperate pieces surrounding it. So, not one solid piece with a cut out. Is this correct?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"My installer has said that to install the new quartz countertop the cutout for the stove top will basically be 4 seperate pieces surrounding it. So, not one solid piece with a cut out. Is this correct?"

No. Your installer is trying to lessen his risk of breakage, although it's already low with engineered stone, and buy less material all at the expense of your having unnecessary seams. Seams that will attract contamination, no matter how well done; particularly at a cooktop. A properly fabricated and installed cutout for heat generating appliances will not fail. Insist, please.
HU-527942990
last year
the counter top is an L shape right now. One long granite piece that has the sink. The length stops just past the sink at the corner of the cabinets. The shorter piece has the stove top cut out and goes all the way along to the wall. So right now, the joint runs parallel with the sink. The installer has said that the gap around the stove top may be too narrow, that the way he is proposing there will only be 2 small joints at each end of the stove top.

And it will be less material.