How Do I Prepare My Kitchen for New Countertops

The scrape of a shovel against a crooked wall is what tells a fitter the day will run long, and in older Ann Arbor, MI houses that sound shows up often, so the prep notes kept at countertops ann arbor combattocorporate begin with the room itself. Every countertop job goes smoother when the cabinets, the fixtures and the access path are settled before anyone measures a thing.

Cabinets first, then the template

Base cabinets must be fully installed, level and fastened before templating. The template records the cabinets exactly as they sit, so a box that gets shifted afterward throws off every line on the slab. Cabinets that are only set in place and not screwed together will move, and the seam placement and overhang drawn on the template move with them.

Know the sink, faucet and cooktop

The exact sink, faucet and cooktop models should be on site, or their spec sheets in hand. Cutout sizes come from the manufacturer dimensions, not from a guess at what is typical. The sink cannot be chosen after the counter is cut, because an undermount reveal, the faucet hole spacing and the cooktop clearance are all fixed in the stone once the saw has run. Bring the mounting clips and templates that ship in the box.

Older homes and crooked walls

Homes near Kerrytown and the university of michigan campus often have walls out of square and floors out of level. Cabinets may need shimming, and the template has to capture the wall curves so the backsplash edge does not open into a wide gap. A fitter can scribe stone a little, but a bowed wall still shows up as a caulk line, so flatten what can be flattened before templating.

Support for heavy stone

A granite or quartz slab is heavy, and a cabinet is not assumed to carry it without checking. Boxes need solid tops or support rails, and they must be screwed to the wall studs. Thin laminate-era frames, loose face frames and sagging bottoms get reinforced first. A long span with a cutout, such as around a sink, needs the most attention, since that is where stone cracks.

Clear the room, the path and the plumbing

Countertops and their contents should be cleared, and the old top usually comes off before templating or installation, depending on the fabricator's process. Slabs are carried on edge by several people, so the path from the driveway to the kitchen needs to be dry and clear of steps, hoses and furniture. Plumbing is typically disconnected before tear out and reconnected after install, often by a plumber rather than the countertop crew, so book that visit in advance. Tile backsplash goes on after the countertops are set, so the tile sits on the finished surface.