Can't answer your question but have you spoken to the salesperson & installer where you are purchasing the granite?

Yes and the salesman was very evasive. He said he wasn't sure if they could get it out without damaging the cabinets..so I don't want to order it until I know it can be done safely. I'm hoping someone on Houzz has had the same problem and can offer insight as to how they handled it.

Did you have the cabinets installed? I would ask the installer for help. It looks like the sides of the appliance garage and upper cabinet are I piece so maybe be difficult to do. Why are you replacing the granite?

You're right..The appliance garage looks like it's connected to the cabinet in a way to make it one piece. I think the cabinet would have to be removed along with the side cabinets. Then I have the other problem on the other side of the kitchen with the glass cabinet. This is my second house so I'm happy to just leave the cabinets I inherited when I bought the house..but I don't like the countertops. They have major chips in them even after having a ton of them repaired. I like the kitchen because it's very different then my other house and is very cozy.. I thought I could live with the countertops but I keep saying I hate them in my mind every time I'm in there.

Thanks Carol..I think so too..I feel like I'm opening a can of worms but I will get one out to look at it.

I agree with Carol, those two cabinets will need to be uninstalled in order to replace the granite. At least one cabinet around the corner wall cabinet will also likely need to be uninstalled to free up space for the corner to be removed. I don't think that any carpenter or counter top fabricator will guarantee that nothing will be damaged in the process. Make sure you ask anyone you hire what you can expect from the project, and what you can expect the end product to look like. Good luck!

The appliance garage does not look like it is part of the cabinet above. There is a seam visible on the garage walls that lines up with the bottom of the doors. It may be screwed to the top cab, so unscrewing those will free it from above. It is locked in by the aprons on the cabs next to it, so at the least the aprons would need to come off as well. Can you take the same picture, but with the corner cab door open and nothing on the counter? I'd like to see the garage/splash joint and the apron/garage joint. It looks like a L shaped counter piece, so the potential lack of maneuvering ability/space may preclude it from being slid out.

For the other cab, if the cabinet installers came in after the granite and just set that cab on the counter, then it will need to be removed as the granite is bearing its weight. If it is floating just above the counter, held by the wall and cab next to it, the counter could just slide out.

I'm not at that house now and won't be back until August 1st. I'll take a pic of it with the door open then. I appreciate all your opinions..

Oh no! I can't move away...lol

It is safest to de-install the cabinets. Corners go in first, so everything is connected. You cannot simply "lift" the cabinets -- you have to remove them. :-(

Do you need/want the appliance garage? You could have it cut off from the cabinet. It should not be bearing the weight of the corner cabinet.

I would like to have it cut out but am afraid because the bottom of the door above the garage doesn't exactly line up.

If you want it to come out, that should be easy enough. You'd have to replace those aprons I mentioned as they are cut to end at the garage wall, but other than that, it shouldn't be hard. And you'd have to add an apron on the corner cab.

Most modern hinges have adjustments on them to move the door around a little, maybe the corner cab door just needs an adjustment.

Appliance garages are typically separate from the cabinet above, and from the picture yours appears to be. Easy enough to remove.

Looks like there are under cabinet lighting valances on the cabinets next to the appliance garage -- if the garage is removed, then it will probably be necessary to install a new trim piece beneath the corner cabinet to make that valance look right. Is there a power outlet inside the appliance garage, or is it designed to have you just store appliances in there & plug them in when/where they are put to use?

I'm hoping you are all right. I made an appointment with a handyman that does cabinets on August 1st. That's the earliest I can get to the house.

There's an electric box in there which I think feeds the under cabinet lights. It's mounted on the back panel of the garage. There's also a four plug electrical outlet in there which is where I keep my toaster plugged in. I don't like my accordion style garage or I would keep it. I have a new kitchen in my other house that was put in two years ago that has a place for appliances...but it's just a cabinet door and looks exactly like the cabinets. I love it. It hides and stores a lot of stuff. I have a lot of counterspace here so I wasn't worried about it eating up counter space.

You have all been so helpful. I will post back with pictures of my progress. Thanks again...

I'm going to do just that...I just am worried about the bottom of the cabinets matching. They won't..so I'm going to see if he has any suggestions..I'm hoping he can..Do you just keep your toaster in a cabinet? I wouldn't want it to be on the counter.

I would need to see a picture of it open, but there should be nothing on the cabinet to cut. If the floor levels don't match, that may be able to be addressed with the aprons. From the first picture, it appears the corner cab door hangs about 1/16" to 1/8" from the bottom of the cab floor. It appears there is then a trim piece that is either attached to both the cab floor and the face of the garage, or just one of them.

To remove the garage, it should go - remove aprons. Detach screws from corner cab to garage if existing. Remove trim piece across cab floor/garage face. Cut an apron for the corner cab, and new aprons for the side cabs. Adjust door, or if necessary, remove door and re hang.

If you just want to put a different door on there, that should also be do-able.

You have been so helpful. I'm going to show the handyman your post!

Whatever happened with this? I have the same problem, except mine is built into a corner cabinet.

I have the exact same problem. Did you remove the cabinets or have it cut?

I have the same problem too, haven't discussed it with my contractor yet but my granite people noticed the issue and are willing to work with me for a solution. My corner isn't an appliance garage, it's actually for my microwave and the cabinet goes to the ceiling. Would love to know how you resolve this.

Yes, cut it off. You granite installer will not remove it for you. Hire a good cabinet maker or carpenter. I'm a residential project manager for a granite fabricator and I'm dealing with this right now. My client was told by a handyman that it couldn't be removed because it was load bearing and he suggested to seam the stone! A good fabricator will not do this.

Also..3cm stone doesn'the just slide! It's held down by its weight and silicone..guaranteed it's going to break.