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palimpsest

Custom stainless countertops

2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

Does anyone have custom stainless countertops?

My plan is for stainless steel countertops. The issue I am facing is that my kitchen and house are small and the countertop may need to be fabricated in two pieces to get into the house and to be installed in the kitchen. As it is we may need to leave a wall open to get *any* run of counter top in. The depth of the kitchen is slightly shorter than the longer run of counter would be and angling in from a narrow doorway does not appear as if it will work.

Do fabricators do welding and polishing of joints on-site and if so, how do they project the surrounding area?

If you have a hard joint, two pieces with finishes butted together are they joined together mechanically on the bottom in the substrate like pieces of preform laminate countertop are, with those threaded joint connectors?

I know that these are ultimately questions for the fabricators themselves but I would like to get some general information in advance. Thank you.

Comments (17)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    My first thought is do you really want a high maintenace counter that will scratch like crazy in a very short time . They work in commercial kitchens only because they are easy to clean but not for looks . As for getting it in and installed you will need to talk to the person making the counter top. Welding stainless is a art too.There really is no way for us to tell you what is going to be your options but I really will say think hard about this choice .

    palimpsest thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I know this isn't the usual way to deliver large items and it can't be cheap but would the counter fit through a window?. I still remember when Kevin had a window removed on the second floor of his row home so that his Hancock and Moore chair could be delivered, Obviously that impressed me since I can still recall his photos.

    palimpsest thanked maire_cate
  • 2 years ago

    I have thought about the scratching and such but honestly I have worked in a couple enviromments with stainless counters, and the house I grew up in had a large stainless cooktop and a stainless double sink with an extension on one side with a Nutone Food Center set into it, and that sort of wear from use never really bothered me that much (?) I don't like vertical surfaces of stainless like a backsplash that will streak and such, but horizontal I think I will be okay with.


    Honestly if Corning still made the plain white smooth glass countertop inserts (not the textured things they make now), I would probably do that plus laminate.


    I know you like granite but granite is out of the running for this kitchen.

  • 2 years ago

    I thought about the window, but its actually two casements and a fixed window in the middle, so it's not like taking out the sashes in a double hung, which is so commonly done here to get furniture upstairs.


    I put a french casement upstairs for the potential furniture situation, but unfortunately the window solution would not really work in this case without taking the Entire window out, jamb and all.


    There is going to be a potential problem with getting Any sort of countertop in the kitchen but things that can be more easily seamed onsite will not present the problem that stainless would.


  • 2 years ago

    I have no expertise to add but just that I think SS counters would be amazing - family friends have this in their stately older home, it was installed 20+ years ago and it still looks and functions perfectly

    palimpsest thanked la_la Girl
  • 2 years ago

    In stead of a possible seam, would you consider using 2 materials together...combo with butcher block?



    palimpsest thanked lucky998877
  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Think they can - there might be a required piece underneath so ask about clearance required to top of a drawer where the seam occurs.

    palimpsest thanked bmorepanic
  • 2 years ago

    Yes I have thought about a combination of materials, still thinking about it.


    Do you think a hard seam would be problematic? I know it's not ideal, but I am assuming they could get this pretty tight.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    In the "you never know unless you ask" department, would you consider asking a manufacturer of white glass induction cooktops to sell you just the sheet of glass? I think Monogram makes one (without holes for knobs), and you could remove the printed/painted images of the hobs. Your stainless steel fabricator could construct a mounting frame to set into whatever countertop you chose. Crazy idea, I admit, but your comment about the Corning insert got me thinking.

    palimpsest thanked smiling
  • 2 years ago

    That's actually not a bad idea.

    This is what my parents had:

    matte white Corning counter savers. This is at 45 years.


  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I'd find a restaurant supply house that deals in used equipment and see if they've got a guy they can recommend. May get your materials and labor from the same place.

    palimpsest thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
  • 2 years ago

    below: / concrete/ copper/ large format tiles...... I've also seen very large format granite tile counters. the grout lines are so few and so tiny they actually look good. I think you could come up with something other than stainless counters. theres always lower priced ikea butch block so if you are giving it very hard wear and tear you wont feel bad replacing.


    North Portland Contemporary · More Info


    Heights Residence · More Info


    Kitchen · More Info


    Large transitional multi-room project · More Info

    Deal/Rhoads · More Info

    .

    palimpsest thanked herbflavor
  • 2 years ago

    I'm on my 3rd set of SS counters. Somehow they've always managed to get them inside...


    Aside from drilling for sink stuff, no serious work has been done on site except my current kitchen has a 6" seam behind the range. (My range is set in a 30" deep counter so I needed 6" of counter behind it.) I don't remember why it was brought in two pieces. Maybe they thought it would bend in transit. (This job was kind of half assed because the designer got sick.) Anyway, this seam was welded and polished on site. There's no substrate behind my range--just on the cabinets--so it was just arms of metal and with the range pulled out, easy to access without scorching anything.


    (PS--I really like stainless counters. I love the brushed patina and I really love how I can't bust them. I can't stain them. I can't DENT them. The sink is super seamless and then some. And I can jump in the sink! And I can stand on the counters. I can't imagine someone thinking that SS countertops are high maintenance when I love them for being low maintenance. Trust me. I know low maintenance.)



    palimpsest thanked Fori
  • 2 years ago

    Commenting to follow mainly, but will add that I am considering a SS custom integrated sink and counter for the whole of the short leg of my L shaped kitchen (8 feet total) and then some other material for the rest... I figure it will be where one leg meets the other so should not look weird, and will not need seams. Also, FWIW, I'm kind of with you on laminate... I have only had laminate counters and even though I don't love my current laminate (has a weird texture with some high/low spots- previous owners choice) I do love that I don't have to baby it and despite it being white I have not encountered a stain that won't come out with vinegar or alcohol or a quick swipe of bleach!

    palimpsest thanked Hope Stewart
  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @blueskyquilts, were the countertops fabricated by a local company? When the fabricated and polished onsite was the kitchen close to being finished otherwise?

  • 2 years ago

    Our countertop was fabricated by a local guy here on the CA Central Coast. i think most medium and up sized areas have stainless steel people who do commercial installations. The counter was installed after the cabinets were done and plywood underlay was installed. i didn’t actally see them installed but my husband did. They did a wonderful job and there was no damage to anything.


    we have 26 linear feet of counter plus 2 corners and the cost was $10,000 4 years ago in a high cost area. Our counters do not have a brushed finish like fori has. They started out shiny.