cabinets, kitchen

Bracing for the countertop, done correctly

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After the debacle of the first attempt to brace the island countertop, Ron Dahlke from Ranserve opted to ask the cabinetmaker, Central Texas Custom Cabinets, to install the heavy metal braces that the quartz maker requires to support the island countertop as it bridges across the five-foot-long gap between the cabinets at one end of the island the shelf at the other.

Chris arrived this morning. He spent all day — measuring, cutting, grinding, thinking, working step by step, brace by brace, tool by tool.

Steven observes: Of all the contractors, subcontractors and craftsman working to save Emerald Hill from itself, thinking is the one skill that gets the job done correctly.

Chris marks the cut he needs to make in one of the four metal braces
Chris marks the cut he needs to make in one of the four metal braces

Outside, using the forms for the concrete pavers as his workbench, he grinds and cuts off from the metal brace a rectangular piece of steel that the countertop installers attempted to install by cutting up the island shelf cabinet -- until Steven intervened to top the assault.

Outside, using the forms for the concrete pavers as his workbench, he grinds and cuts off from the metal brace a rectangular piece of steel that the countertop installers attempted to install by cutting up the island shelf cabinet — until Steven intervened to top the assault.

Here's the brace with the underside cut away, creating a flat extension that does not require slicing up the cabinets to add a vertical channel.
Here’s the brace with the underside cut away, creating a flat extension that does not require slicing up the cabinets to add a vertical channel.
After 5 pm, Chris is almost done. He used nearly every tool in his toolbag to do this job correctly.
After 5 pm, Chris is almost done. He used nearly every tool in his toolbag to do this job correctly.

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