Uhhhh... garsh, as far as the construction specs go, that's tmi & too technical for me, that's fer sure. Underneath the island is a floor with 1961-era 2"x10" joists spaced 14". Does that make a big difference? On top is the regular plywood floor sheathing they used back then, plus 1/4" hardibacker & 3/16" travertine tile that we put down over it. I can ask about the const. specs, though.

live_wire_oak, I pushed the plywood over a bit to take some pictures for you & DH also had some he took right after installation, if these help?

We will need to make notches to set the metal supports into & maybe remove whatever chippy stuff they have in there to put 2x4's in as well.

The island wasn't designed with a proper overhang support in mind. It is going to have to be disassembled and then reinforced and then you will need full custom steel. And then reassemble, with some added parts. Are you up for that? Or would you rather just skip the overhang entirely? If you are up for it and can post the overhead shot of the 2020 design, I'll see what I can figure out for you. I need cabinets chosen, parts chosen, and measurements of it all.

Whoa! If that's required then the guy we ordered from made the error! I can't imagine my husband being at all willing to do what you describe. No way. Do you mean it would have worked had we chosen to go with corbels, but not with hidden steel? You don't think one of the photos I first posted would work? We couldn't reinforce the cabinets without completely disassembling them?

You cannot install corbels onto cabinet fronts, which is where you need the overhang support. Support needs to be every 24"-30" and would need a pilaster in between the cabinets in order to attach corbels there.

Post the actual design. But with those thin cabinet backs and 3/8" sides, the best option will be a pony wall securely fastened into your slab. Then the cabinets are attached to it, and the whole assembly is routed for some type of custom steel. It will require that the doors be adjusted downward as far as they can go to even get in some steel. It wasn't designed for either corbels or steel from what I can see. but that is why I am asking for the design. The only way to know what had to happen is to see how it was put together. And yes, it will need to be pulled apart to place a proper pony wall into it.

BRW that joke of a shelf bracket glommed onto a partial piece of plywood that does nothing is a hazard to whomever "designed" that as well.

OK, l_o_w, now I'm getting more emotionally adjusted to what needs to be done, & my friend from a different thread, Joseph, is also waiting for my response. No, I do not want to skip the overhang & I just won't skip it. If disassembly is unavoidable then so be it. I still think that problem should be on the guy we ordered the cabinets from, but need to focus on the solution now, so... OK

Can you please tell me what a "2020 design" is? I am very uneducated about every- and anything, so please understand you're dealing with a complete ignoramus who learns on a need-to-know-as-I-go basis with everything that doesn't have to do with stitchery, gardening, children & a few select other minors. Oh, & I 'spose tiling. I've done enough of that by now I guess. I do generally attempt to educate myself beforehand when it comes to diy projects like this kitchen, but obviously I certainly didn't delve deeply enough this time & we've already made several mistakes I regret with this kitchen. But also, we were expecting to be able to trust a few "pros" who have let us down concerning certain aspects it would seem.

I'm thinking you must mean the design the order guy did up on his computer? If so, yes, I'll do that as soon as I can, and also please tell me what you mean by "cabinets chosen, parts chosen..."? Sorry, I really am that dumb. I don't know if you mean the type of cabinets they are or size or if they're drawers or ??? TIA

Whoops, missed that last comment from you. Must've been writing while you were posting. Are you referring to the 2nd photo with the shelf bracket-looking supports?

Here's just the island. Is this the 2020? (Sorry. Cryminy. I can't even upload pictures correctly. Let me retry this.)

You'll need new skins, wider than 48''.

Detach the full height cabinets under the proposed overhang. Attach 2 2x4 pressure treated pieces of lumber to the slab with a Hilti or ramset where I show the RED lines. Also use some construction adhesive. Yes, I like belts and suspenders. :) Build a 34.5''H pony walls with conventional framing techniques, taking the wall to the end of the cabinets.

Attach the existing cabinets to the pony wall. Reattach the full height cabinets to the pony wall studs.

Here is where you will need the custom steel for the 33'' long steel pieces (BLUE) needed to support the overhang. You will also need 12'' ones for the side overhang. They cannot be flat steel, as that is too flexible. 1'' tubing is too thick for your full overlay cabinets, even with the doors adjusted as far down as they will go. You could use 2''W flat 1/4" steel with a 3/8'' ridge welded to it to create rigidity, in a T shape, flat side up. Holes would need to be drilled into it to attach to the pony wall. Once the steel is sourced and created, you can rout out the pony wall (2 step process, once for the ridge, once for the flat stock) and top of the face frame to accept it.

Once the steel is attached, then the skins (GREEN) can be applied to the sides and ends to cover the pony wall. You may want some Outside Corner molding and Batten molding as well to hide the seams.

This is a serious design deficiency on your KD's part. He should arrange for the cabinetry materials gratis, and also pay something toward the steel. Labor for this will need to have good experience dealing with finished cabinets and routing, so let the KD pay something towrds that as well.

I'm not convinced the pony wall is necessary. The cabinets are able to support the weight of the stone without tipping, the problem is safely and evenly transferring that load to them. I'd weld up some 13/32" Unistrut 12" on center or so that was let into the cabinets as far as possible and screwed to additional cabinet blocking. Drop the doors as much as possible and run the frame from the furthest cabinets all the way over the cantilevers. Grind the welds and paint it black. The frame may be a tad proud of the cabinet tops. Big deal; no one will ever know.

The reason that I prefer the pony wall for stability. Especially with those thin backs and only 3/8" sides. If the sideswere 1/2" and the backs were thicker, then maybe. But that is a loooooong way out there for the supports, and having the pony wall to positively anchor the ends of the steel into just provides more meat. Without the pony wall, I'd still want to remove the existing cabinets and add at least 1/2" ply in between them , and blocking below them to be sure that the weight is getting fully transferred down to the slab without any buckling.

So is it a consensus b/t you guys that the basic design was deficient in allowing enough support for an overhang per the 2020?

We didn't have time to go look at counter tops today, but tomorrow are hoping to visit the place Joseph recommended. They are connected with a big warehouse as well, and look to be much better-equipped and more experienced than the place we'd almost (mistakenly) chosen. Anyway, my point there is that I'm hoping they will also have good, expert advice about overhang supports. The first place shrugged it off as no big deal.

This is much more complex than I'd imagined it would be, but I want to ensure we do it correctly. Thank you both so much for your input. l_w_o, thank you for putting the time & effort into helping me with the plan & info on changes needed. I'm not saying I like it :), but I sure appreciate knowing it now instead of after something bad happens due to faulty support!

What's lacking is a comprehensive approach. The cabinet people blow off the granite support to the granite guys and the granite guys expect it to be figured out when they arrive with tops. I can't think of a more perfect example of how bridging this gap earns General Contractors every penny they charge.

Good KDs don't absent themselves from designing for the whole project. It's a very basic question to ask, about what the plans are for the counter. And if you aren't knowledgeable about industry standards for support, buy a copy of the MIA standards and LEARN.

Your cabinet salesperson has a ways to go to achieve designer status. One portion of that education would be to assume responsibility for this snafu. And fix it. Out of pocket. A mistake paid for is one that won't be repeated. If it is, then the person is in the wrong job.