I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab. I'll
be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the plywood
foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the plywood
rather than below?

Most everything that I've read calls out fastening from below. For
most of the job I will be able to do this. However I have a raised
bar area (4" wide x 72" long) that is drywalled on both sides, so I
won't have access from beneath.

Thanks,
Brian

wrote:
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab.
I'll be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the
plywood foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the
plywood rather than below?

Only the fact that you can't get it off without removing whatever is
on top.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:

wrote:

I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab.
I'll be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the
plywood foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the
plywood rather than below?


Only the fact that you can't get it off without removing whatever is
on top.


In addition to that, you should not use plywood over the
boxes. Just strip the top with 1x2 and screw it down or use
nails and glue. This configuration will give adequate support
and allow access underneath for shimming where necessary (and
it will be necessary). If you install the plywood, it makes
the installation of the granite MUCH more difficult and does
not add to the strength of the finished product.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

In article w9Z5j.19562$t31.15375@trnddc02, "dadiOH" wrote:
wrote:
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab.
I'll be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the
plywood foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the
plywood rather than below?

Only the fact that you can't get it off without removing whatever is
on top.

Ummm, let's assume for a moment that he fastens the ply from
below and then installs the granite. I guess he can subsequently
remove the fasteners without removing the granite. Fine! But,
pray tell, how's he gonna remove the plywood without removing
the granite? Slide it out? With a 1000 pounds of granite on top?
ROTFL.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Dec 6, 2:19 pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article w9Z5j.19562$t31.15375@trnddc02, "dadiOH" wrote:
wrote:
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab.
I'll be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the
plywood foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the
plywood rather than below?

Only the fact that you can't get it off without removing whatever is
on top.

Ummm, let's assume for a moment that he fastens the ply from
below and then installs the granite. I guess he can subsequently
remove the fasteners without removing the granite. Fine! But,
pray tell, how's he gonna remove the plywood without removing
the granite? Slide it out? With a 1000 pounds of granite on top?
ROTFL.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
|http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think the advantage he's referring to is not having to unbond the
granite from the plywood upon removal. It can be removed all
together.

I agree with the other response about not using plywood. It'll just
get in the way of shimming.

In article , mike wrote:

I think the advantage he's referring to is not having to unbond the
granite from the plywood upon removal. It can be removed all
together.

True although that's not something he should need to do
very often ;-)

I agree with the other response about not using plywood. It'll just
get in the way of shimming.

Yes, I agree with that too. In fact, I'd let the granite
contractor handle the sub base too to avoid any disputes
later. At least, that's how I handled it.

I was prepared to do the demolition of the old countertop
myself to save some bucks. However, in the end, my granite
contractor did that for a price I couldn't refuse.

Some contractors wanted $1500 for demolition and haul away
but I paid one tenth of that (a no brainer). It took 4 guys
a full half day ;-)

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 12:12:13 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab. I'll
be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the plywood
foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the plywood
rather than below?

Most everything that I've read calls out fastening from below. For
most of the job I will be able to do this. However I have a raised
bar area (4" wide x 72" long) that is drywalled on both sides, so I
won't have access from beneath.

Thanks,
Brian

Not a granite person. In our area the granite installers are placing
the material over 1/2" particle board and screwed from the top.

Shim/level and sink the screws from the top. They state they can
level the granite with 1/8" or smaller shims only - no more than 1/8".

I've seen this in four owner built homes the past year or so.

Ask the granite person what he wants.

wrote:
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab. I'll
be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the plywood
foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the plywood
rather than below?

Most everything that I've read calls out fastening from below. For
most of the job I will be able to do this. However I have a raised
bar area (4" wide x 72" long) that is drywalled on both sides, so I
won't have access from beneath.

Thanks,
Brian

I'd just forget about everything I've read and determine what your
granite installer wants. They are the ones who need to get everything
installed and working right and they probably don't want the stone
cracking any more than you do.

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

Counter tops get replaced. Even granite can become damaged if chipped or
cracked because of a number of reasons. Bonding direct to the cabinets can
make removal difficult without further damage to the cabinets. Personally,
and our installer had no problems with it, a 3/4" plywood base was installed
over the cabinets. It was all attached with screws from below so that it
could be removed without having to pry the granite off the top to locate the
screws. It is more work to install the plywood this way but I find it
better. If you have a drywalled section, you could cut an access hole in the
drywall as it is easily patched.

wrote in message
...
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab. I'll
be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the plywood
foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the plywood
rather than below?

Most everything that I've read calls out fastening from below. For
most of the job I will be able to do this. However I have a raised
bar area (4" wide x 72" long) that is drywalled on both sides, so I
won't have access from beneath.

Thanks,
Brian

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 10:31:42 -0500, "EXT"
wrote:

Counter tops get replaced. Even granite can become damaged if chipped or
cracked because of a number of reasons. Bonding direct to the cabinets can
make removal difficult without further damage to the cabinets. Personally,
and our installer had no problems with it, a 3/4" plywood base was installed
over the cabinets. It was all attached with screws from below so that it
could be removed without having to pry the granite off the top to locate the
screws. It is more work to install the plywood this way but I find it
better. If you have a drywalled section, you could cut an access hole in the
drywall as it is easily patched.

wrote in message
...
I'm replacing the counter tops in my kitchen with granite slab. I'll
be removing the old counter tops myself, and installing the plywood
foundation over the existing cabinets.

Are there any issues with driving in fasteners from above the plywood
rather than below?

Most everything that I've read calls out fastening from below. For
most of the job I will be able to do this. However I have a raised
bar area (4" wide x 72" long) that is drywalled on both sides, so I
won't have access from beneath.

Thanks,
Brian


Sorry I have to ask. How often will a home owner need to remove a
granite counter top?

--
Oren

"equal opportunity, not equal results"

In article , Oren wrote:

Sorry I have to ask. How often will a home owner need to remove a
granite counter top?

A home owner cannot remove a granite counter top. It takes
a home owner plus several (large) buddies! Answer: not very
often!

My countertop used to comprise of tile over ply. The ply
was fastened from above. When the tile was demolished to
make way for new granite slab, the top-side fasteners
didn't present any problems at all. In fact, the granite
was installed over the old ply (except for the sink area
where a new cutout was required).

Frankly, I think there are much more important issues
to fret over when installing a new countertop than
orientation of the ply fasteners.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:12:01 GMT, (Malcolm Hoar)
wrote:

In article , Oren wrote:

Sorry I have to ask. How often will a home owner need to remove a
granite counter top?

A home owner cannot remove a granite counter top. It takes
a home owner plus several (large) buddies! Answer: not very
often!

My countertop used to comprise of tile over ply. The ply
was fastened from above. When the tile was demolished to
make way for new granite slab, the top-side fasteners
didn't present any problems at all. In fact, the granite
was installed over the old ply (except for the sink area
where a new cutout was required).

Frankly, I think there are much more important issues
to fret over when installing a new countertop than
orientation of the ply fasteners.

If I can orientate a level, the granite guy will be happy.

Put the fasteners where essential, but that's just me

Plus, comments from the granite guy.....are appreciated.

)