Hi red eared...

My peninsula has a 12 inch overhang with a granite countertop. My GC said we didn't need any extra support. So far so good.. I have even put all of my weight on it to clean the window and lights above it.

KA:)

Well, all your weight and all *my* weight are probably too different things! :-O But thanks for the feedback!

Actually, it's not really accurate for me to call it a countertop overhang; it is actually a bar that will be 16" wide. (So I doubt it would ever break unless the stone were already damaged, but I could see it toppling over if it wasn't supported properly.)

I love your kitchen, btw! I was thinking of doing a tile backsplash very similar to yours. Is that travertine?

I have a 15 1/2" overhang and am ordering supports from here, in in coldrolled steel 3/4 thick.

http://www.shortrunpro.com/12x_12_granite_counter_top__bracket_lbrkt_357crs_54816_ps_vhv1700ytw_vhv17ytw.aspx

Follow the "6 & 10 Rule"...
If you have 2cm granite, then any overhang > 6" will need support.
If you have 3cm granite, then any overhang > 10" will need support.

How much support? If you have 2cm granite: Overhang" - 6" = the depth of support you need.
If you have 3cm granite: Overhang" - 10" = the depth of support you need.

You do know that skimping on overhang doesn't really help your aisle/space situation when someone is sitting at the counter...right? People will take up the same amount of space regardless of overhang...i.e., even if you have only 9" of overhang at counter-height, people sitting there will take up the same amount of room as if you had the NKBA recommended 15" overhang... People can "squeeze in" only so much...what happens when you skimp is that people now have to sit farther away from the counter edge and lean farther forward to use the counter. It's a lot more uncomfortable to sit that way... (The other thing people may do is sit "sideways"...but that's also uncomfortable for more than a few minutes. If people are forced to sit sideways, then each "seat" will need approx 36" of linear inches rather than 24". So a 6' span could only seat 2 people instead of 3.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Stone Information and Advice (& Checklists)

Hi red eared

FWIW...I weigh in a 135lbs. Ha Ha now the world knows...at least the Kitchen Forum world.

Also FWIW my peninsula is 36 inches wide total...with plywood underneath the entire slab of granite. My GC said if my overhang was any more than 12 inches it would need support.

Thank you for the compliment...My backsplash is Crema Marfil Tumbled Marble.

KA:)

jterrilynn,

Thanks for your reply! Those are the exact supports I was thinking of coupling with decorative wrought iron brackets on either end. I'm not sure if I can do it that way, because I want the vertical side to be hidden. We'll see.

KA, I think I weighed 135 when I was a senior in high school! LOL! I am 5'10", however, and haven't seen the underside of 150 in many, many years! (Nor do I want to....) :-D

Hi, buehl,

Thanks for the info!

While rules-of-thumb are tremendously helpful, they aren't hard-and-fast rules. The overhang required is dependent upon the height of the bar; ours is "bar height", as opposed to "counter height" or "table height", both of which require more knee room. Askthebuilder.com had this to say about the overhang of a 42-inch bar:

"The front overhang for the patron side of the bar should be 12 inches if you intend to have bar stools. If it is just a standing only bar, a 6 or 9 inch overhang will work fine."

So yes, we're still skimping. I don't plan to have full-size bar stools (with backs and armrests, for example), even though I'd like to. I'm trying to keep enough room for my antique kitchen table in the breakfast nook. I really don't want to have to replace it (though it could still happen).

Does anybody out there have a 42" bar with Thanks!

I understand your dilemma, but I wanted to be sure you were aware of the recommended minimums as well as the ramifications of going with less and the fact that "skimping" doesn't do what most people think it will. Sure it helps of no one is at the island/peninsula, but not if there's someone actually sitting there (which is the reason there's an overhang!)

This is what the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) recommends at a minimum:

• Table-height seating (30" high): 18" overhang of "clear knee space"

Counter-height seating (36" high): 15" overhang
Bar-height seating (42"): 12" overhang

In my experience (here and personal), builders (and architects) are notorious for not really knowing the "best practices" for a functional kitchen.

Oh, I meant to mention that shorter people (or shorter-legged people) will be more comfortable than taller (or longer-legged) people with a less than desirable overhang.

Our family ranges from 5'10" (me) to my DS (6'6" and still growing) and I'm fine w/the 15" overhang on our counter-height overhang, but my DH (6'5") and my DS think it would have been nicer with another 3"! That's why it's a minimum, I guess. I would assume if we had bar-height we would feel the same way regarding the minimum overhang (12" would be OK for me, but a tad too little for my DH & DS).

If you're not planning to use it that often for seating and when you do not for any length of time, then 9" will probably be OK for you. It is your kitchen, so it's up to you what you do! Good luck!

[BTW...we recommend one-level counters here to maximize the usefulness of the counter. One-level counters offer a wonderful expanse of workspace for large projects such as baking, crafts, homework, science fair, gift wrapping, etc. But, again, it's up to you. Bi-level counters not only cut into available workspace, but they usually have very little space on the top level (when the top is 42" high). Remember, if you plan to eat at the counter, you need room for a plate...usually they're around 10" in diameter...as well as "wiggle room" so the plate isn't easily knocked off the counter. Then you have drinking glass room...]