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weird kitchen dilemma

6 years ago

so we moved into this house couple of years ago. The base cabinets of the kitchen is just weird. The previous owners used the wall cabinets as base cabinets but still had 25inch granite countertops on it. I would like to replace those wall cabinets with base cabinets without removing the replacing the countertop. The countertop is great and in good conditions. Is it possible to replace the those cabinets.


Comments (16)

  • 6 years ago

    I doubt it. When countertops are removed there usually isn't much care in how it comes off. You could spend some time trying to find someone who will remove it carefully so it can be used again.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    if this is your kitchen, sorry, but this just needs to be redone correctly.

    if you want new base cabinets, then get them. sometimes they can pull off the granite countertop IF they didn't use a ton of adhesive on the back. the only way to find out is to try and pry it off the top.

    if for some reason they can't, you'll have to get new countertops.

    This is just so weird that they would do something like that. must be a pain to access those doors.


    btw, how do you plan on matching the base cabinets to the upper cabinets?

  • 6 years ago

    They might have had a family member with mobility issues. A little tall for a wheelchair though--how tall are the cabinets/countertop?


    I confess, I kinda like the look. (Not the function!)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I don't think I would plan on the granite being saved and to be honest I would need to see more of the space to even begin to understand the reason for this. You also should be planning drawers for the base cabinets too. No matter what you do you will need to remove the counter.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I'd get those cabinets out and the new in without pulling the tops and without breaking the stone.

  • 6 years ago

    We just had our black granite counter top removed and then replaced. Our contractor was very careful and patient but he got it done. Good luck!

  • 6 years ago

    Is it possible to replace the those cabinets.

    Yes. And, as is so often the case, I like the approach suggested by @Joseph Corlett, LLC.

  • 6 years ago

    Yes the base cabinets were designed poorly by the previous owners. It only has cabinets and no drawers and overall its been poorly designed. We want to reduce the cost as much as possible and also save the countertop. Countertop is in excellent condition. Just wondering if we can remove those cabinets out without damaging the countertops and replace the cabinets with new one.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Joseph says yes so why not get him. I have never had luck with replacing cabinets and saving the counter there always seems to be some issue . Poat some pics of the whole kitchen that IO is needed for sure.

  • 6 years ago

    Joseph...i think you need to offer more detail on how you would do it....are you saying pull the tops and bottoms out together?...so it would be easier to remove the tops?

  • 6 years ago

    I also hope there is room somewhere to stack those narrow cabinets you are removing to create a pantry...or a mud room?...or really nice garage storage...

  • 6 years ago

    And i agree ...removing the counters is always a risk of damage and breakage...if it happens hopefully they can be re -shaped for use elsewhere

  • 6 years ago

    It looks like all of the base cabinets in that section are wall cabinets, including the peninsula. Honestly, I wouldn't try to replace with base cabinets with the counter top in place. If it was just one cabinet, maybe. Odds are that you will go to a lot of extra work trying to do it your way and end up breaking the counters anyway. Or the counter will break on down the road because one cabinet didn't get leveled properly.


    So, I wouldn't try to make the job harder than it has to be. Get the granite off and out of the way. If it comes off in one piece, so much to the good.


    Joe, about how much would you charge to remove those cabs & replace w/ new ones with the counter left in place? Would it even be cost effective to try?

  • 6 years ago

    I just pulled off my own granite countertop when I redid my own kitchen. I only managed to pull off one 5' piece. luckily there wasn't a lot of adhesive on the plywood substrate. As for the other parts of the kitchen, no such luck. we tried to pull up the island piece and if actually lifted the entire island cabinet off the floor. It just depends on how liberal they were w/the adhesive.


    you need to score any caulking underneath, holding it to the cabinets. razor knife works. once all of those seals are broken, try lifting it. you obviously will need many men to do this. you're looking at 400-600 lbs of stone.

    so can one corner be lifted? if so, you could drag something under that lifted portion to try and break and adhesion along the rest.

    do you know if there is a plywood substrate? If not (if they just sat the granite on top of the cabs themselves, you may luck out and be able to remove it.

    you'll need some type of dolly, or at least 4-5 strong guys if you do get it lifted.

  • 6 years ago

    Just an idea to save some money...


    If there's a Habitat for Humanity Restore near you, check them out to see if they have any base cabinets/cabinet sets (upper & lower). Sometimes, they have some really great stuff.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    More photos would help. It looks to be uba tuba or absolute black which are both very dense which is in your favor- less prone to breakage. I also don't see any cut outs for sinks etc which means the slab will be fairly robust. Really REALLY heavy though.