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Is 1' too thin for a stainless countertop? Standard =1.5

13 years ago

Hiya -

I'm getting a stainless countertop but since it's for a period kitchen, I'm worried that the standard thickness for countertops - 1.5" - makes the stainless look too modern for my kitchen. When I've looked at pics of people's kitchens online, the countertops that are thinner look more accurate for period kitchens, to my eye. But I don't know why I necessarily think that! I think it's cause I've seen old original zinc countertops in buttler's pantries, for example, and they weren't as thick as 1.5". I'm also wondering if stainless can even be that thin? I would think so (?).

Here are some zinc examples (the stainless of yesteryear - haha), extremely hard to find as they are:

See pics #3 and 5...

http://www.fromtimespast.com/RestorationJournalTheKitchen.htm

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-hoosier-cabinet-zinc-top-vintage-kitchen

And here are other thin looking countertops - though not stainless or zinc but still it shows what I mean. If nothing else, you might enjoy the pics... :)

http://www.cascadecontracting.com/kitchens/chiangswank/index.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FfgGLTCpfMQ/SwV9zDbHwZI/AAAAAAAADgs/XBHQ2bEYreY/s1600/subway+tile+backsplash.jpg

See close-up of kitchen counter in here...

http://www.countryliving.com/homes/house-tours/marthas-vineyard-cottage-0510?click=main_sr

Here's stainless steel but it seems somewhere between 1" and 1.5":

http://www.bostondesignmfg.com/storage/stainless_steel_countertop-full.jpg

Oh boy - here's some fun!:

http://www.shorpy.com/Mildred-Pepper

Do you guys/gals have any opinions on the matter?

Thank you, as always!!

Here is a link that might be useful: A-ha! Here's an old 1911 original pic!

Comments (7)

theresse
Original Author
13 years ago
(Ugh - I changed it to 1" but when I posted it, it went back to 1' for some reason. Sigh...)
rhome410
13 years ago
If that's what you want, I don't know why it wouldn't be fine. Seems about the same as 2 cm stone?..Which people do all the time.
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Thanks again everyone. firsthouse_mp and rhome, your kitchens have long been in my inspiration notebook and I think your thick countertops are awesome! firsthouse, may I ask how tall you are? I'm 5'7. My mom is 5'11", and designed her kitchen to have a finished counter height of 37 1/2" because standard feels too short for her. For me, 37 1/2" feels on the edge of uncomfortably high. rhome, may I ask what the floor to countertop height of your cabinets ended up being? Is it comfortable for you? Unfortunately, working with the cabinet guy isn't an option yet, since I don't have one thus far. My place is just being framed now, so cabinets won't be happening for a while. I wouldn't even have to be thinking about this yet, if it weren't for the window issue. I'm going with an induction cooktop and wall ovens, so unless there's something I'm forgetting, I mainly have to worry about the dishwasher height here. Sorry for the dense question, but is a "Euro model" one that's actually imported from overseas, or just a European brand, like Miele? (I'm guessing brands like Miele market larger units to the US market but I don't know)
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We did layers of MDF, but plywood would've worked. We did 3, because our counters are 2 1/4". They are screwed together. I'd think if you did furring on the top, you'd lack support for the surface and allow denting/bending? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. We didn't leave any allowance for expansion,and the stainless is just wrapped over the substrate, then the counter pieces (2 straight sections that span over cabs between rangetop and sections of wall) were just dropped (snugly) into place. They're not attached in any other way. They're not going any where. ;-) I would stagger the joints if you want to move the piece without bending. That's what we did with the 2 layers of plywood we used for our 10 ft table top, which has a laminate surface. The previous advice is right, though... The best person to ask is the fabricator/sheet metal guy.
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I've been wondering about this as well. I have two parts to this post. An experiment and a question. Pardon my ignorance, but I'm still learning a lot of this stuff. Nothing in my current kitchen is even close to what I'm slowly learning is considered standard. Experiment: I've owned and lived with my current kitchen for 20 years. Reading the above post and considering my renovation, I had to go and check my current kitchen and test the things stated above. I have 22 inch countertop depth (yes, that is correct). The tile border extends 1/2 inch beyond the base cabinets, and the drawers are 1/2 inch as well so they are flush give or take a 1/32. The pulls on the drawers stick out 1 1/4 inch. I have had issues with spills that drip into the lip of the drawer and occasionally I have to wipe the sides down, but nothing that is hard to cleanup, and they are white painted drawers. After reading this post I leaned into my countertop/cabinet to test out the theory that you will feel the pulls if you lean into it. If I purposely lean into the cabinet, I do feel the pulls on my legs. But I have to make a real effort to do that and in 20 years this has never ever even occurred to me as an issue. Maybe I'm just not the type that hugs up close to my countertop. So I doubt this will be an issue I obsess about. There are too many others... I found this a fascinating experiment. My question: So what is considered a standard countertop depth? It seems like the 24 inch cabinets are the base cabinets. A 3/4 in door makes the total cabinet depth without the handle 24 3/4. So what is considered standard? 26? 27?
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bayareafrancy
13 years ago
It seems like you can have a wide range of lip-thicknesses with steel, because, I assume, the metal sheets themselves are a standard thickness (which is measured in tiny increments like milimeters). So, given that you have the work surface at at sturdy, recommended thickness for stainless steel, you can probably do anything you want with the lip.

In working on my 1928 kitchen, it has been sometimes hard for me to let go of what is "standard" in kitchens. What is standard now wasn't standard them. With a lot of things, we can do whatever the heck we want in our kitchens!

I recall agonizing over the finish of my faucet, and pendants, in relation to the finish on my 1955 stove and antique cabinet hardware. It somehow got past just being what looks nice to my eye, to "But the faucet has to match the pendants have to match the stove have to match the 1928 latches have to match etc.?" Rightt?? Um...No. Unless you want it to. The kitchen won't implode because the counters aren't standard, or the finishes are different. How liberating!!

I can't wait to see your counters! I don't think I've ever seen stainless with a farm sink before. How awesome it sounds!

:-)

francy
bayareafrancy
13 years ago
Silly me: Circus Peanut has the gorgeous copper counters and the undermount fireclay sink! (Rococogirl also has metal counters, tho her sink is upmounted). So I have seen it. It is a fantastic look!

:-)

francy
rhome410
13 years ago
The gauge determines the thickness of the sheet, and the underlayment will determine the thickness of the counter, as the steel is wrapped over it...At least that's how ours is.
brickeyee
13 years ago
"Seems about the same as 2 cm stone?..Which people do all the time."

And it is very common to glue up two layers at the edges to increase the thickness.

As long as the underlayment is stiff enough you would be fine with a smaller apparent thickness.
theresse
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks so much Rhome, Francy and Brickeyee! I'm doing 1".

(If you can't tell, I'm only now putting up a couple of new posts and responding to old ones...so I'm kind of dominating the kitchen forum at the moment - ack!)

I know...we can do WHATEVER WE WANT! Isn't it funny though, how often in life we have to remind ourselves of that? ;) I swear, this could be its own new topic. It's also funny to note the OCD people like me who fret over every little tiny detail vs. the laid-back people who just enjoy the ride and know it will all work out and/or be good enough in the end.

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