karyn:

How thick is your granite? 2 cm (3/4") or 3 cm (1 1/4")? Do you have additional support on your cantilever?

It's at least 1" - no support underneath - just granite. It may be possible for someone to reach across with a ladder on the center of the counter, but those 3 outlet boxes are just far enough to make it difficult... They are super simple to hook up too....

I just looked up scaffold rental and found it at Home Depot for $44/day, so that may be the way to go.

Your top cannot support itself according to the Marble Institute of America, let alone a human on a ladder on top.

I would never stand on any part of my granite! Definitely not an overhang.

I'd take the time to come up with a better solution but I bet you'd be ok if you wedged a handful (like 5) of tightly-fitting vertical 2x4s underneath it like temporary legs. I had to do that once in a similar situation.

Even just for regular daily use, I'd feel better adding some permanent support, such as a pair of nice looking corbels (would that be enough, Joseph?), under that overhang. Our kitchen installers said absolute maximum is 15" without support, ideally no more than 12".

Gorgeous kitchen, pendants over the island will be the finishing touch!

I sometimes stand on my quartz counter, but never on my peninsula overhang. I weigh about 115.

I had a painter stand on my granite counters and it cracked. I would never take that chance.

You'll probably hear from all sorts of people who will tell you it should be fine - but my counter is cracked from someone standing on it, and as far as I can tell, the top was installed very well. It was a natural fissure and it cracked along that fissure, so I would personally not take this chance unless you want to replace the countertop anyway.

It can likely be done safely if you brace the overhang with some 2x4's and make sure the weight from the ladders' legs is supported by the cabinets, distributed with some blocks, and not right over the middle of a dishwasher or something like that.

Otherwise set up some scaffolding like the first poster suggested, that's probably easier and safer anyway.

Rental scaffolding sounds like a good plan. Remember to protect those nice floors when ya do!

Thanks everyone! SOLVED. We got it figured out and are doing the install now.... a little ingenuity and two ladders gave us enough of a balancing foothold to be able to reach over without putting any weight anywhere near the overhang.

What about fixing the granite overhang that has no support and is an accident waiting to happen?

"What about fixing the granite overhang that has no support and is an accident waiting to happen?"

It's not our design - and the builder has deep pockets should something happen!

Glad you worked it out, too pretty to snap! I completely understand it's not your design, but it is dangerous, esp. if you have smaller children that might find it an irresistible jungle gym - eek!

Deep pockets aren't deep enough if someone has a permanent life-changing injury or dies (small child underneath). Meaning, money can't fix everything. Have the builder fix it. If not, fix it yourself.

Maybe the granite people installed metal plates at the overhang? When you look underneath, do you see anything like this???? This was a knee wall application...so even though only 12" of overhang with additional corbels, we used CounterBalance Metal Plates to be extra safe.

Showplace Wood Products: Quarter Sawn White Oak - Dayton OH · More Info

Hi Karyn,

I was thinking to ask how many toes your builder might be willing to replace ... should he be able to find some.

But then someone brought the possibility of loss of life, re: kids and play/energy.

ole joyful

And don't forget the 250 lb guy who decides to lean all his weight on the overhang or the 180 lb teen boy who decides to sit on the overhang. I think we had someone one the forum a few years back with the first scenario and a broken counter section.

My DH places heavy amazon boxes on our overhang and thinks I am being too paranoid when I tell him and the kids to be carefull. We didn't build this kitchen, so I have no idea what is holding up the 12 - 14" overhangs.

Chispa, you have eyes dont you? What is underneath the overhangs?

I double checked to confirm, and there isn't any extra support - just granite. This is pretty common around here - on the order of thousands per year going in. Not just this builder - but pretty much all of them (top 10 in the country) are engaging in this same practice of "suspended" counter/islands. Apparently they don't have any engineers or architects working there - just a bunch of guys and a truck. :-)

Yes but if someone gets hurt it will be YOUR insurance, and YOUR dollars. If the building inspector signed off on a CO and you accpeted the house it will not matter one bit whose design it was.

karyn:

It doesn't matter how many thousands of others there are, if yours is unsupported, it's wrong. You have been warned.

Yes but - if no one is there, no one can get hurt - we never have visitors - ever - period. It might not be ideal design to someone on the internet - but multiple engineers for one of the largest companies in the country somehow made it past all the politically correct codes, inspections and laws. And how hideous would it be to block access to all those functional doors/storage underneath the front of the island? We'll take our chances. Of course we'll have to also have it tested for gamma radiation and radon gas now. lol

I very much appreciate what you're all saying here FWIW, but it's really not a concern for us, personally, at all. YMMV

Here's what DH installed in our island; yes I can sit on the overhang (but don't). DH had me bounce on it when it looked like this:

OP - I realize that you may not be considering a repair to your new lovely island, but I'm curious as to the level of effort, since there is a sink, involved in adding support to the overhang.

Can anyone speak to level of effort? I.E., hours/approximate cost for removing countertop and - I'm guessing - plumbing too? It would be nice to have a rough cost in mind.

Industry standards say that no more than 10" of 3cm stone can overhang without support, or no more than 6" of 2cm. You have received multiple cautions that your situation exceeds industry standards. If you choose to ignore this, then when the inevitable break does occur, you will personally be on the hook because you have been made aware of the hazard. Insurance will not protect someone who knows of a danger and refuses to rectify it. It is the same as if you refused to put a fence around your pool and someone drowned. Your home and personal finances would be subject to loss. Fix the damn overhang with some support before you lose a foot.

but multiple engineers for one of the largest companies in the country somehow made it past all the politically correct codes, inspections and laws.

For heaven's sake, I know an electrician who walked off a job on a new development by one of the most highly rated developers in the whole darned country. He left because they had gotten cited for having external walls several degrees out of plumb and their solution was to saw through the walls at the bottom and push hard, then patch. They passed the next inspection.

"...but multiple engineers for one of the largest companies in the country somehow made it past all the politically correct codes, inspections and laws."

I've bailed many an architect and engineer out of big trouble and will continue to do so, I'm afraid.

barnaclebob,

There is a pretty piece of wood stained to match the cabinets that was placed under the overhang ... but no way to tell what is supporting that piece if wood or if it hides some metal braces like those shown in one of the photos above.

We are doing a miny facelift with new counters, so the secrets of the old kitchen will be revealed at that time. My counter installer will be asked to reinforce things as needed.