Supporting A Granite Top On Glass Blocks
We are redoing our kitchen and are building a 122″ island. We would like the island to have glass bricks serving as a riser for our raised bar. The bar area will over hang about 12″. This overhang will have granite (Juparana Beach) on top of the glass bricks as well as on the counters. I have a couple of concerns:
The Glass bricks are 7 3/4″ square X 4″ wide. Will this raise the bar up too high? (I don’t know what the standard rise should be.)
Will the glass bricks be strong enough to support the granite?
Should the granite be supported with something on the overhang (corbels)?
Dorothy
Hello Dorothy,
Thank you for a very interesting entry. This is the first time that I have heard someone using glass block to support a raised granite countertop. First of all, the height is correct. The normal height of kitchen countertops is 36″. Raised upper countertops are usually 6″ higher at 42″. Given the 4″ block plus the thickness of the granite and subtop, the finished surface should be at just about the right height. The height is actually driven by the normal height of bar stools so stay as close to 42″ as possible.
Now the more difficult part of your installation is the support intended. Resting the granite on the 4″ wide glass block and extending it out about 8″ to make 12″ overall will not be adequate support. You need to create another form of support that is positively affixed to the cabinet and let the glass block be for décor only. Although the procedure is complicated, you can do this by having a steel support designed and bolted to the cabinet and then use 2″ wide block on both sides if the steel riser, instead of one 4″ block. Basically, you would sandwich a steel plate on both sides with glass block.
The vertical steel supports should be ¼” thick and have vertical legs that are about 3″ wide each, at about 12″ apart. These will need to be bolted in to your cabinet. At the top of theses vertical plates, you would need to have a large plate of 3/16″ steel welded to them at a 90 degree angle. This will be an adequate platform that the granite will sit on. Talk to your local granite company about this plan and see if they can do it for you.
If the information above seems way over your head, here is another option that might just accomplish your design intent. Have a wall built for the upper countertop which is typical to industry standards. This would be framed out of wood and a plywood subtop screwed to the top stud. After you are done with the drywall covering, install glass tile for the backsplash. There are beautiful glass tile options in sizes from 1″x1″ to 6″x6″. Here is an example of very low priced glass tile that is beautiful: http://www.daltileproducts.com/series.cfm?series=119.
I hope that I have helped and thank you for supporting The Rock Blog’s World Vision Kids.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Hi Tom. I am so glad to have found this site and I hope you can help me with my kitchen. Glad to contribute to the World Vision efforts.
I’m doing a total kitchen renovation…here’s the specifics…
Large kitchen with fireplace. Will refinish the wood floors a dark (but not too dark) brown. Keeping (but refreshing) the wood (oak) wainscot paneling – also used above the fireplace, stained medium or so (pecan color?). Trim/molding in kitchen (and rest of house – semi-open floor plan) is cream color. Adjacent rooms are painted a color called pony tail – sort of a gold/tan color and most of the furniture is a dark brown finish.
The kitchen layout is a u shape – with a center island. The kitchen has 9 ft ceilings with the portion of the kitchen in the center of the “u” vaulted with a skylight. There will be a mantle hood over the new stove. The island will have maple espresso cabinets (dark brown), the mantle , a couple of wall glass door cabinets, and the butler’s pantry (open to kitchen) will have cherry sable cabinets to highlight them, and the rest of the cabinets are maple – with a caramel java finish. The cabinets doors are full overlay, raised panel, square design (not too fancy). So there are lots of shades of brown and lots of wood in the kitchen (which we love). We will be installing lots of lighting – canned lights, as well as under and over cabinets lights, pendant lights and a chandelier. Finish for the hardware will either be kind of antique brown shade or wrought iron. The appliances are integrated, so they are the same as the cabinets for the most part.
Been looking and looking for granite – a couple that I have found that seem to pull everything together are – Golden Geriba, Geriba Beach, Tuscany, Golden Crystal and Topaz. I’ve seen a couple of these with an antiqued finish – that I liked. What seems to look good is cream, browns, rust – need to stay away from the yellows (doesn’t work with the caramel java cabinets). I am tempted to do all the counters in Antiqued Geriba Beach or Golden Geriba, but that might get too expensive. To get the cost down, I have looked at Santa Cecilia Classic that has a more brown tone, and Gallo Napole, but I’m not too excited about them. I have also thought about doing just the island and butler’s pantry with the geriba (or something like it) and the perimeters in a dark brown or black – some I have seen that might work are Suede Brown or Cambrian Black (honed?). I’m a bit worried it make the kitchen too dark? There may be other options with lighter perimeter? I’d like a fairly simple stone backsplash with some nice design over the stove/under the mantle hood. Overall I’d like a warm, old world feel.
Please help! Your suggestions are most appreciated!!
-Christine Parsons