On Mar 23, 7:22 pm, "RicodJour" wrote:


With just that one comment you've made it clear you know what you're
talking about.

I hope so. I have seen it done wrong and I have seen it done right. I
like right better.
Besides, I work for a very demanding prick---- me.
http://topworks.ca/ is my company.
I sell a lot of counter tops.

I don't doubt that you'd do a fine job letting in for
a brace/bracket. It's not _you_ I'm worried about. You and I both
know that some "stone" guys [snip]

My stone supplier signs off on the job and carries the warranty. That
guy is no dummy.
I, however carry the warranty on some of the solid surface I
fabricate... at least part of the warranty.

Out of curiosity, what's your ballpark percentage up-charge going from
3/4" with a laminated edge to 1 1/4" granite?

That answer goes across suppliers as well. Then, with a doubled-up
edge? I'd WAG it at a max. of 15%. Most of the reasons why some guys
play with 3/4", is their limited ability to handle the weights
involved.
....which brings us to:

You may be right, but what's your opinion on the suitability of the
OP's island with respect to his floor capacity? Right - I don't know
either.

That needs to be investigated. And you're right, I don't know either.

At the very least you'd have lots of deflection
and a bouncy floor.

A bouncy floor at a very low frequency node. Can be very destructive.
NO dancing in that kitchen.

It sounds like you're a dedicated stone installer.

Hardly. That's a young man's game. I have enough fun with solid
surface to cure me from any desire to lift stone. But I always
supervise the templating and installation phases (and cheque
collecting).

No argument about the homogeneity and overall durability of the
engineered stone, but some people _like_ the random swirls and
patterns of real stone.

For sure. Those kinds of clients get a limo ride (for real) to my
supplier's warehouse where we expand the palette to 50 or more granite
colours. If they want swirls, we got swirls. I have only handled a few
dozen of those in my career. That's fun though. In one case, I printed
a plan view of a layout on a transparency and took my overhead
projector to the warehouse and projected the layout onto the slabs as
they were paraded by via overhead crane. The client made a Paradise
selection with a streak which fit perfectly in my design. (That slab
was a reject from a large bank interior job where they didn't want any
swirls of that colour.)

I'm kind of surprised that you only have 21 natural granites. Since
China and India opened up the floodgates the choices are almost
unlimited. Are the 21 granites your way of keeping your life simple
and not overwhelming customers?

That is exactly the reason. See above. I seldom carry more than one
box/brand of solid surface into a presentation. It just confuses the
poor souls. EG

It flashed across my mind when the idjit painter was up there that I
didn't want to hit his toes, which was my first thought. I figured
he'd pull his foot away and I'd bust up the countertop, so I swung at
his ankles.

LOL... one of the reasons I pretty much stopped doing commercial jobs
for the big boys (McDonalds and such) is on several occasions I was
one of the last guys in. The cabinets/counter structures all have to
be in (after the flooring guys) before I can even template. Next thing
I know, it is the day before opening and those damned electricians are
walking on my counters mounting pot-lights. Then some schmuck wants to
drill holes for the cash register wiring with a frickin' spade bit!!!

And then I wait for 2 f*ucking months for my money...naaaaa. don't do
that no mo'.

Bottom line on any and all countertop installations is that it really
doesn't cost much more to do it right.

r