What will the front of the countertop look like? We replaced our laminate with 3cm granite, but we also added a backsplash at that time. Does your laminate have a built in backsplash that is being removed?

We already have tile backsplash and we are planning to keep it, as it would cost more to remove tile backsplash and add a new one.

I don't understand why you'd see this. Isn't he just proposing that you put 1cm plywood under the counter so that the counter surface is same height as before?

Why not just do a liner tile piece or cut tile piece below your current backsplash?

Gauchogordo1993,

If the 1 cm is added on top of the cabinet, then it can seen under the countertop in the front. Was not sure if this will look odd and not have seamless look.

GreenDesigns,

Thanks. That would be an option. I will try to find if the linear tile with similar color is available and also bring it up to the installer.

There's a beveled or lamineted edge on the front of the counter that will cover the plywood and the top of the cabinet. So I maintain that this is a non-issue.

"There's a beveled or lamineted edge on the front of the counter that will cover the plywood and the top of the cabinet. So I maintain that this is a non-issue."

No, not with 3 cm there isn't. 3 cm is installed straight over the cabinets. Only 2 cm needs the plywood subtop.

I'd suggest removing just the last row of whatever backsplash is there and doing a 2" granite backsplash. That's a very current look.

I see, so then there's 3 options:
1) Install a 1cm wood trim piece under the front edge of the counter.
2) Put 1cm beveled edge on the front of the counter.
3) Replace the backsplash.

I'd want more details on the cost and ascetics of each in order to make a decision. That being said, my sense is that #1 will be the cheapest by far and could look plenty good if done.

Many lines of quartz are sold in both 2 cm and 3 cm formats. You might want to consider buying 2 cm slabs of quartz and having the fabricators do a 4 cm thick mitered edge (over a plywood subtop). The mitered edge adds to the labor cost, but the 2 cm material costs less than 3 cm, so the price might be about the same and the 4 cm mitered edge will look nicer than a 1 cm wood strip.

I think kaysd's approach makes sense. This could solve both the backsplash problem of matching the height, and the overhang problem with the laminated (or mitered) edge.

I did a little research and found that Cambria has a 4 CM option. But it is expensive compared to other stones. I guessing getting two 2 cm and additional labor cost might come out to be same as cambria. Does anyone know if any other brands offer 4 cm option?

When you'd have to buy a whole extra slab of counter material ($1300 average) , plus the labor to do the laminated edge (another $500-$900 average), just to do a built up edge, the $150 plywood subtop sounds like a bargain. It can be covered with another $50 of stained molding to match the cabinets if needed. But, the easiest thing is to address the height issue from the top, not the bottom. Tile is relatively cheap and it's easy to do something decorative there under the old tile.

When we did some updating to our house we sold a couple years ago we added some oak plywood just to the top edge of the cabinets and stained it to match the cabinets and had 3 cm granite installed over that. We did this to add a little height to the old bathroom vanities. It was not noticeable at all because the granite overhangs the front of the cabinets 1- 1/4" to 1 - 1/2" depending on what you want. That will usually be about a 1/2 inch overhang of counter top over the cabinet door and drawer front. So unless you have people laying on the floor inspecting you counter overhang you will not see the added wood trim.

If that is what the installer is talking about I think it will look great and solve your problem with keeping the current back splash. After install add new caulk to the back splash and it should look perfect!

Can you post a pic of your current backsplash? Maybe someone can find a piece that would work. I would personally just pay the extra for a new backsplash. What is your new stone color? Does it work with the old backsplash?

You do not need to stack two 2cm slabs on top of each other to make it look like you are using 4cm thick slabs. You only need a small amount of extra material (1-2â inches depending on edge type) to beef up just the outside edges of the counters. Laminated or mitered edges are very common here in So. Cal., where most stone and quartz is sold in 2cm size, rather than 3cm. The fabricator will put a 5/8â thick plywood subtop that is a little narrower than the finished counter size on top of the cabinet. Then the 2cm slab counter is put on top of the plywood. A narrow strip of the quartz is attached just at the edge of the counter to hide the edge of the plywood and make the whole counter look thicker.

For standard 24â deep cabinets, the finished counter width with overhang is typically 25.5.â I donâÂÂt know what brand of quartz you plan to buy, but Caesarstone slabs are 56.5â wide, Hanstone is 55â wide, Silestone is 54âÂÂ, Cambria is 55.â (Some brands sell wider âÂÂjumboâ slabs if you have deeper counters.) Assuming a 55â wide slab, two 25.5â deep counters will use up 51â (plus a small amount of loss in the cutting process), leaving the few inches you need for the edge strips. You should need the same number of slabs whether you use 2cm or 3cm material. The thinner material will cost less, which should offset the increased labor cost for the laminated or mitered edge.

I am going to try to attach pictures that show the different types of edges.

Mitered usually costs a little more than laminated, but is a good choice if the quartz has a lot of movement/veins, so you do not see a change in the pattern on the counter edge. If you pick a quartz with a very uniform pattern, laminated should work fine.

Just so you can see what a mitered edge looks like, this is my island. It is 2cm (3/4") thick natural quartzite with a 2.25" thick mitered edge.

I replaced thick mud set ceramic tile counters with 3 cm soapstone, and simply added a small shoe molding to cover the exposed edge of the plywood sub top.

Thanks for posting the pictures. Both Mitered edge and Shoe molding looks good and nothing stand out of the ordinary. Carpenter coming this weekend to give a quote. I also like the option of adding thin tile under existing backsplash. I will ask for a quote for also.

Here is the picture of the backsplash.