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Does a countertop immediately behind hot range vents crack over time?

10 days ago

If anyone has quartz, quartzite or Dekton countertops that are within an inch of the heat vents on the top of a slide-in gas range, I wonder how they have held up over time?
My LG slide-in gas range (photo attached) will be on a kitchen island, with 16 inches of countertop behind it. I realize that the heat vents are located at the top of the range, in the rear, and would be within an inch of the countertop. The heat coming out of these black vents on the top of the range is hot enough to give you a steam burn, and certainly greater than the 250° that I've read it takes to crack quartz. There is an option to install island trim (photo attached), which is about an inch and a half wide, but it's made of metal which of course conducts heat.
Reading all of the posts about quartz backsplashes cracking has alerted me to the concern of quartz cracking from heat, although my island countertop would of course be on a horizontal plane, not vertical like a backsplash. I'm confused because installers are telling me to bring the quartz right up to the vents, so is there something that I'm not understanding? Or is there something that I can do to reduce the concern of quartz cracking?
I would prefer to use quartz if possible because it is the strongest material for my large counter overhangs.

However, due to my concerns about the range vent, I’m now considering quartzite or Dekton. I'm wondering if a quartzite or Dekton countertop would be fine next to these heat vents, or if there would be a concern with thermal shock, where fluctuations in temperature over time create fissures and cracks. I would greatly appreciate hearing people's experiences with countertop immediately behind the hot vents of a gas range, what materials are best and what protections, if any, to put in place.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Comments (8)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 days ago
Folllow the appliance manufacturer's instructions please, not online anecdotes.
vinmarks
9 days ago
What Joseph said. Get out the installation instructions and follow them. The reason people have issues is due to not following installation instructions and adhering to clearances.
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I’ve only skimmed the comments, but I was just about to say the same thing as Chessie—that the range you’re describing where the sides of cooktop sit on top of the countertops next to them used to be known as drop-in style, but nowadays some slide-ins—like the dual-fuel Bosch mentioned above—also have cooktops that sit on top of the countertops, so the verbiage is a bit muddled these days...or maybe it’s my brain that’s muddled. :) Edited to add that as far as cleanability (Apple is telling me that’s not a word because it’s underlined in red dots & is suggesting it be changed to “clean ability,” but, whatever) goes, a conventional slide-in (i.e., the sides are unfinished, controls are in the front and the cooktop sides do not sit on top of the countertop) or freestanding range is about the same or maybe even better in that department: With a slide-in or freestanding, crud goes into the crevice and you do your best to keep it kinda clean until you slide it out during your annual or semi-annual deep cleaning. With a drop-in, crud goes underneath the overlying cooktop sides and then gets pushed into that crevice while you’re doing your best to keep it kinda clean until—wait!: You can’t slide it out; it’s on a freaking platform—well, mine is, anyway. :/ P.S. If anyone was able to pick up what I was laying down in the preceding gobbledygook, I’m impressed.
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@live_wire_oak and @weedmeister thanks for the tip. Looks like the Costco installer was an amateur. I asked him the exact same question and he mentioned the grates will be aligned and not the top of the stove. He also never checked the level. I guess I will call them and ask if they can send someone more knowledgeable over. For the back it says 1inch gap is enough but who knows, looks like no one knows what they are doing anymore. Also, I am hoping that once I install the microwave on top the vent will be pretty good and quickly remove any heat. @wacokid yeah I wish I never asked the question about cooktop + wall oven below the cooktop (instead of raised in the wall) on Houzz. After hearing it is not a popular combo in the US, I decided to demolish my current setup and change. Big mistake! Thanks for the filler options @Shannon_WI.
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beesneeds
9 days ago
I third on the read and follow the appliance install instructions. Also, curious about needing a strong material for large overhangs- you want to make sure you have a very strong support base for your countertop, regardless of the material it's made of. If your support is inadequate, even really strong materials can fail. Especially if you know it's on a very large overhang.
Amy L
Original Author
9 days ago
Millwork Man, thank you for your question. I would need to install countertop behind the range because it would be placed on a kitchen island, with 16 and 1/2 inches of counter depth behind it.

Thank you, Joseph, Vinmarks and Beesneeds, for the feedback to refer to clearances from the LG range manual. I should have mentioned in my post that I have not been able to get information from LG about clearances to combustible materials behind the range, at and below counter height.

Their manual simply states, zero clearance to the wall, and wall coverings must be able to tolerate an ambient temperature of up to 196°. When I called technical support they only read from the manual, and even the supervisor could not give me clearance guidelines behind the range at, or below, counter height.

I am attaching the clearance guidelines that LG lists in their manual, and linking their manual here: https://www.manua.ls/lg/lsgl6335f/manual

Technical support also told me the heat that is vented out of the range can be the same temperature of the heat in the oven, so way above 250°. I'm not sure if this is accurate information because it sounded like she was guessing.

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts about whether quartz would be fine behind the range and whether I should use island trim, or something else to protect the quartz. (I would like to use Cambria if it seems appropriate for this application.) I wonder whether a different material such as quartzite or Dekton would hold up to the heat from the range vents, or if thermal shock over time would be a concern. Thank you again for your advice!
PRO
Minardi
9 days ago
last modified: 9 days ago
As long as the range back/sides areabove the counter height, (measurement D) it complies with the specs. The legs are adjustable, so adjust the whole to be about 1/4" above the counter height. And never use a pan larger than the burner, than hangs out over the counter. That will direct heat to the counter.
chispa
9 days ago
last modified: 8 days ago
I have Taj Mahal quartzite slab backsplash behind an outdoor gas grill and it gets hit with high heat, grease and smoke. The Taj Mahal is doing fine, but it does get dirty really quickly due to grease and smoke. I also have a large vent hood over the grill.

Not all quartzites are the same, so buyer beware!
wdccruise
7 days ago
You do understand that heat expelled at the back of the range is routed through the black vent trim which is higher than the countertop behind the range, correct? The range is designed to be installed in a cutout whose countertop is 36" high. The vent trim is about 1" higher; heat does not come in direct contact with the countertop or anything below it.

That "Decor Guard" is not for this LSGL6335F range.
rebunky
7 days ago
The heat coming out of these black vents on the top of the range is hot enough to give you a steam burn…

I assume the 16.5” overhang is for bar stools? Yikes! 😳 🥵😭

I believe that even a Quartz overhang cannot be more then 1/3 of the depth and no deeper then 15”. You can ask your contractor.

Sorry, I am no help on which countertop material would be best. If it matched your kitchen colors and style, the Taj Mahal recommended by Chipsa would be my choice.

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