Cabinet/Countertop Issues

8 years ago

We are renovating an old farm house and are in the process of getting new kitchen cabinets and countertops installed. All of the work is being done by Home Depot (their subs really). We had the cabinets installed a couple of weeks ago, the countertops were supposed to be installed today, but it did not happen for a couple of reasons:

1 The cabinets are 34 1/2 high, the countertop is 3 cm granite. This will make the top a bit less than 36 inches high. The slide in range, also from Home Depot, requires a minimum of 36 3/16 high countertop, so it will stick up above the countertop.

2 The cabinet boxes tops are not real even, less than 1/8 inch variation, but it looks to me like there will be a lot of high points for the granite to sit on. Also we have a farmhouse sink, already installed, that on on one side sits a little bit higher than the adjoining cabinet, again less than 1/8 inches. The countertop installers who were out today said they could shim a lot of this, but that for granite it was not ideal. There is no plan to put plywood under the granite.

I spoke to Home Depot when the installers were here and they decided to stop the installation and try to figure out how to "fix" this. The installers left with the granite, so right now I have no countertops. My question is what are reasonable options and what can I reasonably expect Home Depot to do. I want my kitchen done, and done as soon as possible; however I don't want a substandard job or a granite countertop that is likely to crack.

Any and all advice will be appreciated.

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PRO

Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors

8 years ago

The cabinets get pulled, and reinstalled starting a 1/2" higher at the high point of the floor. Cabinets get leveled. Tops get installed. Stove can now be leveled and installed.

You may need to find the A crew for such work.

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Comments (13)

Milly Rey
8 years ago
It should be completely level.

But most counters are a trifle under 36". Should be able to adjust the feet of the range.
Rob Hinchee
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks, the stove spec says "Adjustable Height 36 3/16 to 37 3/16" and the person I spoke with at Home Depot measured the floor model and confirmed that it was taller than the countertop. He said the slide in thing would stick up.

And how do I get them to make the top "completely level" at this point? I don't see how to lower the farmhouse sink particularly.
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Chessie
8 years ago
Well, good for the installers for stopping work at least. I think raising the cabinets is your best option, especially if the sink is already installed, and sits crooked.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
It is not uncommon for a stone fabricator to have to shim tops even on dead level/flat cabinets. 3cm stone is 3cm +-. Your slide in range is designed to sit on its feet, not on the perimeter flange at the stone. Yours seems a bit higher than ideal, but probably nothing that a topical bead of silicone wouldn't cure. I've inverted the feet on slide ins to get them low enough to fit; a bit of a pain.

Maybe post some pictures with a level, please.
Rob Hinchee
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks, I have posted a few pictures, these are not the only uneven points, just examples. None are worse than these. Note that the farm sink is a bit higher than the adjoining cabinet.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
Your top shouldn't bear on the sink flange, it should bear on the cabinets. The sink should be a little lower than the cabinets to allow the installation of a bead of silicone sealant.
Mattman
8 years ago
If the countertop guys would not install it must be bad, either a bad install or bad boxes.
PRO
User
8 years ago
American Woodmark?
PRO
Design by Christina Marie
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Insist that the cabinets are installed properly and leveled. From your pictures there seems to be different base cabinet heights which is unacceptable. You should not install the granite unless the base cabinets are level and the proper height for your stove and such. You need to talk to the manager at the store to voice your concerns. Don't let up until they get it right. The contractor should have had the dimensions of the stove and installed the cabinets to accommodate it. As well as the granite fabricators. If they don't have the proper dimensions, you could have an open space in the granite to the back of the stove. Keep us posted and send more pictures.
Buehl
8 years ago
Plywood bases are not needed for 3cm stone. Christina, are you on the west coast? 2cm stone, which is more common on the west coast, does need a plywood sub top.
PRO
Design by Christina Marie
8 years ago
I realized they were using 3cm stone after I commented on plywood base. Thanks
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
2cm stone with a 2cm front edge needs to be built up to flush. Many use plywood but the underlayment doesn't have to be that specifically. Probably a leftover from my solid surface days, but I don't like full underlayment. It retains heat and is too dimensionally unstable. There is too much financial incentive for fabricators to use roofing sheathing instead of cabinet grade plywood for underlayment. Cheaper full underlayments do not have the dimensional stability of higher priced ones. Were I installing 2 cm with a front edge build-up, I'd run 1 1/2" strips of cabinet grade plywood or MDF on top of the cabinets. I'd save money and the tops would never heave.