Holy mackerel! I'm sorry that you have to go through all of that.

Is the 36" that you are referring to from the floor to the top of the counters or to the bottom of the counters? Cabinets are 34.5" tall, with the countertop usually 1.5" thick, to bring it all up to 36". Did you have any flooring (tile or hardwoods) under the old cabinets?

I think it will be easier if you get cabinet boxes with out toe kicks, and instead have adjustable legs on each corner. Then lower the legs to the minimum, slide the cabinet under the counter and raise it up into place. It will be much easier than fiddling with shims.

Echoing Bob_cville - it will be much easier with legs instead of shims. Or, cut off 1/2" of the toe-kick and use the EZ Levelers.

Sorry for the huge mess. This is not going to be an easy replacement with the granite already in place, no matter which method you use.

Wow, I've never seen anything like that! I had no idea that removing cabinets while leaving the granite in place was even possible.

I imagine you will have to cut the back of the sink cabinet nearly entirely out to get it around the already-installed sink. Isn't there a lip on the granite edge that you will also have to get around, or is the granite still attached to the plywood sub-top?

The 36" is from the ground to roughly where the plywood ends underneath the granite. I haven't checked, but the counter *may* be propped up a little too high or low right now, so my measurements could be slightly off. We were thinking of purchasing martha stewart cabinets, which don't have the adjustable legs. The only ones I've see with those are ikea. What other kinds have those?

The sink one will be difficult. We'd definitely have to cut out the back of the box to install it. The granite is still attached to the plywood subtop all around.

Can you unmount the sink? I would think that it would be preferable to remove the sink and plumbing so you don't have to hack up the new sink cabinet to install it.

What do you intend to do for flooring? If hardwoods, you can install them under the cabinets and that will help take up some of the slack space that you have under the counters. You'd have to do a lot of shuffling of support legs to do so, though.

I had the same response as Live Wire Oak. My first thought was, holy cow, that just can't be safe!

If you have kids or pets, please be very very careful around there until something else is arranged.

Thank you, live_oak_wire for telling it like it is! I didn't want to say anything because I wasn't sure if that was an acceptable way of doing things in certain areas. If it were me, I would have wanted those countertops removed ASAP before disaster strikes. I do think it is quite an amazing feat that they managed to get those lowers out without removing the granite! It sure does look scary as all get out, though!! And I can't imagine that the new lowers would go in without a great deal of trouble, not to mention the risk of having to climb under those precariously perched countertops to do adjustments, shimming, etc.

I agree that the counter perched up like that is a safety hazard and would have it taken down while the flooring and cabinets are replaced. Since the counter rails around the sink might be vulnerable to breaking while the counter is moved, a brace like this one made by Omni Cubed seems like it would be useful and help to provide support.

Braxton Bragg sells it and the description on their website reads "The Sink Hole Saver by Omni Cubed is an innovative stiffening device that protects finished stone pieces from breakage during lifting, transport and installation. The product is an ideal solution to strengthen countertops and backsplashes, especially fragile stone pieces. The Sink Hole Saver⢠features mechanical clamps, which stay secure around finished edges. Large, easy-grasp clamp knobs make the clamps effortless and quick to tighten. The stiffening rail is very strong, yet light-weight, and features a convenient sliding channel for custom placement of each clamp. etc. .."

Edit: Hmm the picture showed up in my post during the preview but not in the actual post. Please just use the link below to see the brace posted on the Braxton Bragg website.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: sink brace

This post was edited by pentimento on Mon, Oct 21, 13 at 14:18

Regarding the potential safety hazard - are we worried that the granite will crack because it's not supported between the studs? The load carrying capacity of a 3' 2x4 stud is almost 3000 lbs, so there's certainly no risk that the studs themselves will fail.

I can't imagine why they left that granite in place, especially in such a dangerous way. Whenever you do have the cabinets replaced, they are going to need access to move things in place, screwing things together and to the wall, making sure the tops are all level, etc. You can't do that if the granite is in the way. I can see it if they simply moved the granite to another room but this is kind of ridiculous. They haven't even supported the back corner so it's in danger of cracking. I really hope you have no children or pets in the home.

We have two cats -- no kids. You're right in that the back of the counter doesn't look very well supported, if at all. They left part of the old cabinets nailed in apparently.Ideally they'd remove the granite and reinstall it once the new cabinets were here, so I really don't know how they're going to do it. I didn't know it was such a safety hazard since they made it seem like it was common practice.

I had seen one other kitchen where they did that, so maybe it is common practice. I would make sure though that the 2x4's are secured to the floor so they cannot be kicked out accidentally. I would also make sure that the back edge is being supported.

shacklee3:

I'm betting this was left in this condition because the removal company only has to remove without damaging, not consider how cabinets have to be installed.

This is a non-starter. The granite must be removed to set the cabinets and this is now more difficult to do since the old cabinets are gone.

The last time I did this job, I built a temporary table and slid the granite onto it. I'd put the sink base in place, then beat the front off with a block and hammer from the inside. Slide the granite in with the sink attached and reattach the front. It isn't that big a deal.

I'm no expert, but I can't see how in the world you could possibly get cabinets in and leveled. DH and I installed our own cabinets, and leveling them was a trick. How in the world can you level if you can't get to the tops, or see if they are flush against the wall? If it were me, I would call back the company that removed the cabinets and have them remove the granite. I would rather have to pay for new countertops if it ment properly installed cabs. If your cabs are not properly installed, because the granite is in the way it seems your setting yourself up for more problems down the road. Plus it's going to limit your cabinet choices.

Hi shaklee3, I am considering replacing my base cabinets without removing the existing granite in a similar manner shown in your photo. Would you please provide a follow-up as to how the cabinet installation was done, whether the granite was damaged, and any tips/tricks/lessons learned from the installer? Thanks!

Shaklee, what is supporting the rear of that countertop? As best I can see, it's only the backsplash.
At the beginning of the original install process, usually the flooring goes in, then the cabinets with the plywood being attached to the cabinets frames. Then the countertop is glued to the plywood. Then the b/s goes on, with silicone between the countertop and bottom tile.

It seems to me that the only thing supporting the rear of that counter is that silicone and the tiles adhered to the wall. IMHO how this was done in your kitchen is just wrong! It looks like a serious accident just waiting to happen. You could end up losing that stone, along with the whole b/s and the drywall holding it. The b/s can't support that weight.

I'd forgotten about this thread! I'd sure be interested to find out what happened with this.

I was originally trying to replace my cabinets while keeping the existing granite (previous owners put beautiful granite on old particleboard, peeling paint cabinets). Every place I went to said it wasn't possible without damaging the granite.

Then I called a custom cabinetry company that some neighbors recommended. He said he could do it - that he does it all the time in cases of water damage. Only it seemed like he was not going to take out all the cabinets at once. He said he would have adjustable feet on the cabinet bottoms, lower the cabinets, then raise them after they were under the granite. He did show me pictures of the process.

However we have decided to scrap the granite, as we wanted to change out the old scratched double bowl sink with a single bowl, and I would have had a better chance of winning the lottery than finding something that would work in the same space.

I'd like to find out how shaklee3's kitchen came out, too.

My insurance did this same thing to us as in the picture. They are refusing to replace the granite, only the cabinets. No cabinet contractor will touch the job except "their" contractor. How do they level the cabinets? Will a gap in between the granite and cabinets cause the granite to break in the future?

You need a different insurance co.

" How do they level the cabinets?"

Shims usually.

"Will a gap in between the granite and cabinets cause the granite to break in the future?"

It depends. It isn't the gap that causes granite to fail, it's uneven installation or lack of support. You can have a properly shimmed countertop with gaps, but with properly shimmed cabinets they shouldn't be more than 1/16" wide.

How to save your sanity: EZ Level levelers (google this and watch their video). I used them and they saved my sanity. They are perfect for this conundrum. You can fine tune your levels on all four corners of a cabinet with the twist of a screw driver, until you get the perfect fit (or retrofit, in this case).

I understand using the shims but how do they make sure the cabinets are level? They can't put a level on top of the cabinets because the granite is already installed. Just trying to make sure I don't have cracked granite in the future due to an unstable foundation. Thanks Speaktodeek, the video was helpful!

Our friends had water damage and had to redo their kitchen. The company carefully removed the granite and stored it. Once they had the new cabinets in, the granite was placed on them in exactly the same configuration it was before the damage. .

Our insurance company wants to leave the granite installed. I would feel better if they at least tried to remove the granite and re-install it.

Once the cabinets are in place, they can add shims as necessary to support the granite from inside the cabinets.

Do they just try to level them from the inside of the cabinets?

"Our insurance company wants to leave the granite installed."

Your insurance company doesn't know what they're doing. The picture above is dangerous and foolish. I've done this job several times. Yeah, you usually break the granite somewhere, but it fixes up nicely.

What was the end result? Was granite removed prior to cabinet install? Or were the cabinets installed with granite in place?

We have a similar situation..Had a copper pipe leak behind our oven wall. Water damaged the lower cabinets. (AND THE WOOD FLOORS ARE RUINED too) The cabinets were removed and the granite was left in place with wood supports and supported just like the other pics on this blog. The cabinet frames were finally rebuilt with the granite countertop in place..it's been a couple of weeks and now I see 2 separate cracks on the granite countertop, near the sink. Each is about 12 inxhes long) I'm guessing it could be stress cracks. Any advice? Should my Inurance repair or replace my counters? What happens to the cracks over time?

Pictures of cracks, please. Could be failed rods and sounds like it.

I would love to know how this project ended, PLEASE SHARE IT!. I need to replace my bathroom cabinets and I would love to do what you have done. Please share the ended project! thank you very much!

In order to be re-used over and over again by a insurance adjuster, the clean up (mitigation) company will do whatever the adjuster asks. The adjuster wants to save money so they ask the mitigation company to prop up the countertop. I have seen this exact "proppred up" countertop scenario over a hundred times. Here is what you need to know... the insurance is still responsible for the countertop if it breaks during new cabinet installation. Your cabinet guy will at least have to try put the cabinets under the countertop or call the adjuster and let them know that he cant do it. The adjuster can not tell you what cabinet guy to use. Therefore, the adjuster has to decide to break the law and force you to use a cabinet guy that can do it or adjuster has to say "ok" and pay for the countertop. This is your claim, not the adjusters. Another thing. Do not let the adjuster tell you how much your getting for your repairs. you need to hire someone, get the exact price that your guy needs via a written estimate to get the job done. Insurance will try to get him to drop his price but strong contractors will not budge. Insurance uses a program called Xactimate. Xactimate is good unless you leave out "line items" example the adjuster will pay for 10 feet of new cabinets via the xactimate pricing but will leave out the refinishing of all other cabinets to match the new cabinets. Adjusters are not contractors. They can only pay for damaged things that they know about. Contractors and experts like me know exactly what needs to be repaired.

"Adjusters are not contractors."

Amen, brother.

I am interested in replacing just 3 base cabinets, I have someone to cut the granite so I can install a Wolf Rangetop. I may wind up having to remove the cabinets myself after the granite is cut. Assuming my granite is glued to plywood, how to I separate the two or did they use a technique of actually keeping the plywood attached to the granite and just "slice" off the base cabinets, leaving the plywood and granite intact?

Thanks

You can't know until you dive in.