The invisible bars are the best option. your fabricator should be able to supply you with them at a cost.. they are perfect if you plan to have people eat at the bar. L brackets or corbels are great and decorative but will hit peoples knees. When it comes to how many... the more the merrier. I would recommend one every 12-18 inches.

Ours were $45 each from the fabricator & they were installed every 18".

ouch.. I am a fabricator and we charge $25 a bracket for 10" brackets.

I am a fabricator. The shallow profile brackets are a great option and don't take away any knee space under the counter. You just want to make sure they are installed properly such that they are securely anchored to a robust part of the cabinet structure. The brackets should be very stiff or they are not going to provide adequate support for the overhang.

I think I should have researched fabricators more thoroughly >.< =(....apparently he will only use wood corbels....he’s already got my slabs and I really don’t feel like having them redelivered elsewhere. I hope I can find streamlined corbels that won’t affect the look too much =(

Wow cat every 12 inchese?!? That means one side of my bar top would need 10 corbels!?

Talk to your fabricator, with corbels it is possible to have them every 18-24" but i would not get your hopes up.

Also, i cant tell by the pictures but is the bar top raised above the regular counter length or all one high? because that could change the amount needed.

Yes it is a raised bar, the wall it’s on is a very sturdy and structured pony/half wall! Thank you all so much for your help!!

so the rule of 2/3 applies to you. at least 2/3 of the stone has to be supported at all time. So you will deff need support. Call your fabricator, if they "only do corbels" then they should know exactly how many you need.

can you also post why they only do corbels. I feel like only doing corbels and not invisible supports could hurt business.

Ok I called and they stated that they only use corbels becaus it’s a) what most people want b) more cost effective and c) better at supporting the stone. He said if I want the steel reinforcements that will push install time out 2 weeks and I’ve already been without counters/sink/dishwasher for 3 weeks so I’m like dying here

most people do not want a corbel every 18".. thats insanity.
i can understand that they are most cost effective.

Did he say how many you need?

Yeah there is a slight language barrier so I didn’t want to push it because I could tell he was frustrated by my 4th call today...the one length of our bar top is 133” and the other length is 94” so he said “at least 8”...I feel like that’s not enough?

depending on the size of the corbels, that could be enough.

I’m about to tell him to do 12 freaking corbels...I really don’t want this Quartzite falling down killing my toddler or maiming one of us >.<

You'll need to weigh the inconvenience of being without a sink for two more weeks (maybe -- unless this is a way your guy is trying to dissuade you from using something other than the wooden corbels) vs being 'stuck' with these corbels for a long time. I'm much more of a minimalist and find the corbels too fussy for my liking. Mind you, this is coming from someone whose reno went more than two years; for me, a two-week delay was worth getting it done how I wanted. (Getting it done 'right', however, was a different matter entirely. Don't beat yourself up too much about not having done more research on a fabricator: we researched ours and still ended up with disastrous results.)

You are so right! Our last renovation lasted almost a year but didn’t feel so bad because we didn’t have a toddler. Washing dishes in our tub is becoming a huge PITA LOL! Last renovation we set up a George foreman and panini maker on a spare door and that was how we cooked =)!

i dont “hate“ the looks of corbels per se...I would just love a streamlined corbel look I guess. I just hope this guy is good on the other aspects like his work reflects in previous jobs. I guess I should have asked about the corbel thing wayyyy sooner

I understand, OP. We're empty nesters and couldn't have imagined enduring what we did with kids in the house! That said, DH quickly tired of using the powder room sink to do dishes (lotsa broken glasses and bowls!). "Let's make this an adventure and pretend we're camping out" didn't hold him over very long. :/

Hahahah I totally understand! It makes me not want to feed my toddler some days!! It’s brutal!

How is the counter top stopping you from using your dishwasher? Is there no water at the sink because of no faucet? That's pretty easy to get around.

Paper plates & bowls :)

I’d wait for the steel.

Weedmeister my husband doesn’t want to complete the plumbing until the countertops are in...

When we renovated our cottage they put a temp. plywood top down and we used our dishwasher. That many corbels sounds miserable

The brackets in mark rachel's second picture only work when the top plate is connected to the studs with metal connectors. Screws/nails into end grain won't get it. I fix this all the time.

I don’t think our fabricator is versed in steel supports so we are going to order (from the website suggested above) and install our own...how long should the supports be for a 14” overhang??

Between 10 and 12 inches is fine

dtrivino:

You can't just follow the bracket manufacturer's recommended installation instructions. You must make the vertical studs framing the wall and the top plate monolithic with metal framing brackets as I've linked above. The wall plate and support brackets must be on plane and preferably dead level.

Have your fabricator make the short end of your "L" out of the largest piece possible so you kick the inevitable seam down the long run of the "L" as far as possible. No corner miter, please.

Thank you all for your help! We ordered these

https://originalgranitebracket.com/products/hidden-knee-wall-granite-bracket?variant=1600671875

And we went with 12 of the 12” ones. Our one wall is 134” long and the other is 94” long so we would rather be safe than sorry. We have a toddler/monkey who likes to hang so I really want him safe.

Now I need to know if we really need the metal connectors you suggested Joseph? Where can we find those? I’ll post a picture of our wall so you can see what we are working with

dtrevino:

I watched the video in your link. The guy never grabs the end of the bracket and yanks up and down. Why? Because if he did, the entire top plate to which the bracket is affixed will rock. Why? Because there are no framing connectors between the wall studs and the top plate. Who are you going to believe, the guy who's trying to sell you something, or the guy who has done this repair repeatedly and is making nothing giving out advice?

Yes, you really need the connectors, especially since your electrician has hacked your plate to smithereens. You'll find them at any big box store or here.

That is actually the electrical that was already in place from when the home was built. My husband was shocked at how terrible the cuts were when we removed the old countertops!

Great! I was concerned we’d have to order them online again! Thanks for the help! It is greatly appreciated since our fabricator is totally not familiar with steel supports

That video is really bugging me. He used a multitool to cut the dadoes. What a hack. The floor of that dado will be frighteningly uneven and difficult to adjust. I'd have used a router with a vacuum which would have cut the bottom of the dado perfectly flat and would be microscopically adjustable for depth; critical for shimming that bracket to level.

These guys may manufacture a mean bracket, but they know little about making videos to show their proper installation.

Joseph, I wish you were in the Clermont area and we’d have chatted sooner...maybe then I wouldn’t be freaking out about this install...

Excellent job! Looks like some quality work. Great choice over the wood corbels too.

My husband will be so thrilled to see that comment! He does excellent work and is a perfectionist! I wish he could install granite too because I know it would be beautiful but unfortunately that’s beyond our scope of ability!

Also, just looking at all those steel supports...I can’t imagine having that many corbels...holy crap it would have looked HORRIBLE!

Funny, I just posted this on a thread, someone asking about soapstone.

Here's a thread I started 6 years ago that you might find helpful.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2531645/support-1000lb-soapstone-overhang?n=32

Hi Brent! I wish I could see some of the photos in your thread!! They show as disabled!

Since I have some excellent stone experts here...how do you go about sealing leather finished Quartzite. Best product to use? Also, cleaning? Best product rec for daily cleaning

MORE 20 year warranty sealer.

It warranties your stone for 20 years. no need to seal it every year. if it does stain and they cannot remove the stain they will replace your counter. been selling it here for years and have never had a complaint!

http://www.stonemastersinc.net/services/dupont-stone-tech-professional-warranty

Thanks Catt! My installer (who I am SERIOUSLY regretting) “has no idea what that is”....is it something I could purchase and apply myself??

yes it is!

Thank you so much! You have just been so stinking helpful <3

We applied (and would recommend) Tenax ProSeal to our leathered/honed quartzite as this product resists both water- and oil-based liquids. I ran my tops through some pretty extensive testing with soy sauce, mustard, ketchup and oil. ProSeal was up to the task.

@ dtrivino, I will get my photographer to find those pictures when she gets back from her little trip if she can re-learn putting up pics again (it'll be in a week or so).

Also, just looking at all those steel supports...I can’t imagine having that many corbels...holy crap it would have looked HORRIBLE!

Yeah. :) (Sorry...just couldn't resist.)

Yesssss!! Javiwa that is EXACTLY the look for a HORRIFYING end result under the counter LOL