How deep and how wide of a span is the overhang? How was it supported (I can't see any supports from this photo, but hopefully you have some)? Was the support supposed to be managed/installed by the counter installer? Or the GC?

Beautiful counter! Such a bummer in a new kitchen to have that happened. Hopefully no one was hurt.

There's no chance that overhang would not snap off. 0% probability it would survive. ANY competent fabricator would know this. 12" is the max unsupported.

The overhang on the side I’m holding is 12”. The overhang on the two ends is 10”. The salesperson said it was because the veins were so big. Both ends broke. Once at our house after the left. The other end was (in my opinion) poorly glued as it snapped on the table being fabricated. No supports. They now want it to sit on plywood. I think that will look terrible. 😞

Totally on your fabricator for not advising properly and the overhang should have had support - and not plywood, either 🙄

"The salesperson said it was because the veins were so big."

Complete BS, totally on fabricator for not refusing to install an unsafe op, the contractor for not providing the proper support and kitchen designer for not designing proper support.

NSI stone industry standards require support for any overhang over 10” in 3cm stone. The design created by your kitchen designer was inherently defective. The designer has to factor in the required stone support and the required electrical into the cabinet design, way back at the beginning of the project.

What does your kitchen designer say about about their failure to design to industry standards? Or was this self designed and GC’d?

People that push on counters or tables to get up from a chair do not do it lightly. I have watched the men in my family do it and I can actually see my very sturdy/solid/heavy round wood breakfast table flex withe the force.

This is one of the reasons I removed unsupported overhangs when I remodeled my last kitchen. The kitchen I just designed has full side panels to support the overhang.

@Joe: thank you. I’m not at all confident they can do this inconspicuously or otherwise. The first and second pic is how they “fixed” what broke on the table. They “lost” the chipped off piece by by cooktop and “forgot” the back strip. 😑 I’m ready to bail and go walnut. 😞

I'm not a pro but chiming in just in case it helps... I know people have said no plywood, but instead of plywood the overhang on the island in my former kitchen had corbels and a maple (I think) board, in the same finish as the cabinets. I liked the board support because it was nicely finished and smoother than the bottom of the stone would have been. Not sure if this would be a good solution for you, but I think it would be better than plywood. See pic.

BTW, I'm so sorry this happened. Your counter is gorgeous and I hope you get a good fix!

Thx, chicagoans!

So I guess the match up is on me but the one piece literally snapped in my hands when I was lifting it up after the photo. How fragile is this?? The fabricator is offering to cut a new piece for the island from a new slab and putting rods in the weak veins and putting it on plywood and paint to match. Is that a decent solution? Pro tips welcome!

Not a pro but have been hanging around here for a while. You need an experienced designer to design the necessary support for your overhang. Google "kitchen island overhang support" - look at images and you can see examples of different ways to do it. But you need an expert to tell you what you need given your own situation (amount of overhang, % of overhang to overall width, type of counter material, thickness of material, etc.).

I strongly recommend getting a second opinion by an experienced fabricator. I would hate the plywood solution and I’m not sure it’s enough to deal with the structural deficit anyway.

Since your installer allowed installation without support and that overhang unquestionably required support, I'd get a second opinion as well. I don't think plywood would be sufficient either, but I'm not an expert.

I am a fabricator... and an engineer. Both the ends and the other overhang should have had a robust support structure. "Robust" means rigid enough to support a couple hundred pounds or more WITHOUT DEFLECTING. A smart fabricator would've done it automatically on a brittle material like yours (and charged for it) to avoid exactly this kind of problem. It's possible the broken pieces could be repaired and reinstalled over a properly constructed support structure. Done properly the support structure can be very inconspicuous and essentially invisible to anyone not specifically looking for it.

@oldrider: thank you! She called and wanted to put 12mm of white porcelain under it. We have navy cabinets. That’s where the plywood/painted came in. I’m not confident plywood can swing the support and I don’t think I’m going to like the look of jt. I mean if the cooktop piece can snap in my hands what are the odds the the island can’t handle a rolling pin and a pie crust?! I feel like if I breathe on it or look at it crosswise it’s going to snap. 😞it is sooo pretty tho!

Consider: quartzite is very popular which has to mean it's durable if properly installed. What you need is for the top to be removed and a properly designed steel structure laid down. This issue has come up many times. Perhaps someone will give you a link to a previous thread (cue Joe here) that has pics of what an adequate support structure looks like.

What do you think of those steel braces every 6”?

I’m assuming you wouldn’t be content with the plywood solution?

plywood does nothing. a rigid structure is needed. lots of ways to do it. your fabricator needs to deliver it.

No! The porcelain isn’t going to give you any more support! Who are these yahoos? Sorry to be so blunt, but there are good and proper support options shared here. The advice should be heeded. You can be firm with your fabricator and still maintain a professional relationship if they care.

This has to be kicked all the way back to the kitchen designer to coordinate a multi trade solution. Its is not ”just” a fabrication issue. Ot is a design issue. What does the KD say about integrating a steel subframe into the cabinet design?