VIDEO: How to install Freedom Countertop Brackets for an Invisible Countertop Support

www.federalbrace.com - In this video, Scott Toal and Broc Siefert of Federal Brace take us through the installation of the Freedom Invisible Countertop Support Bracket.

This video walks us through the features that make the Freedom an excellent selection when a countertop with invisible support is desired. Broc and Scott show us how simple and easy it is to properly route out the channels in your support structure and install your invisible countertop support bracket.

For further information on countertop brackets and the invisible Liberty Support Plates, please contact Federal Brace at http://www.FederalBrace.com or #877-353-8899

VIDEO: How to Install the Liberty Countertop Plate for an Invisible Countertop Support

Liberty Installation Video

www.federalbrace.com - In this video, Scott Toal and Broc Siefert of Federal Brace take us through the installation of the Liberty Invisible Countertop Support Plates.

This video walks us through the features that make the Liberty an excellent selection when a countertop with invisible support is desired. Broc and Scott show us how simple and easy it is to properly route out the channels in your support structure and install your invisible countertop support plates.

For further information on countertop brackets and the invisible Liberty Support Plates, please contact Federal Brace at http://www.FederalBrace.com or #877-353-8899

How to Paint Your Steel Bracket | Federal Brace

(please give it a few seconds to buffer once you've hit play)

Cathy Morgan, General Manager at Federal Brace, shows you how to properly paint your steel bracket. You must have a steel bracket treated to prevent against rusting.

For further information on countertop brackets please contact Federal Brace at http://www.FederalBrace.com or #877-353-8899

How to choose your Shelf Bracket. Box-Store Brackets V.S. Federal Brace

When compared to shelf support brackets found at your local hardware store or from your large national box store the advantages of using Federal Brace shelf ­ brackets are obvious. Before even inspecting the details of the comparison brackets you will notice the difference in weight. You see, the Federal Brace shelf support bracket is made out of 12-gauge material thickness. Our brackets are also 1.5 half inch wide compared to the thinner box store type supports.

We provide the stainless steel option as well as the raw steel option. We figure you want and deserve options. ­When you look a little closer at the two comparison brackets you will see that our countertop brackets are free of dings and nicks. The care of craftsmanship is apparent on the finish of our brackets. Go a little deeper and you see that we have carefully designed our countertop support brackets so that there are no weldments on the face of the bracket. Plug welding is done on the reverse side to give a clean and sleek look.

Check out the way you receive your countertop supports as well. Federal Brace brackets will come to your doorstep, individually hand packed in boxes designed to secure the parts in shipping. The final comparison will come once the countertop support brackets are installed. You won ‘t need an engineering degree to know that the Federal Brace support bracket is providing a more secure support of your shelving unit.

Check out some of our Shelf Brackets:
Arrowood Shelf Brackets
Bel Adora Shelf Brackets
Brunswick Shelf Brackets
Forma Shelf Brackets
Inspiration Shelf Brackets
Orion Shelf Brackets
Streamline Shelf Brackets

How to Elevate Your Kitchen Countertop

An elevated countertop brings a countertop to a new level of majestic appeal. Today, I’m focusing on how to install an elevated design that is considered fine hardware and can enhance the finest of kitchens. Federal Brace cannot make any recommendations on specific applications, because every application is different. But they can give some general information on particular styles of countertops, which I will do in this blog.

The first thing to do before ordering the brackets is to see how many you will need. Federal Brace recommends that you use a bracket at least every 24 to 30 inches on an elevated counter application. You will need to make sure that the bracket you select works with your sub-counter arrangement.

Now that you have your support in hand you will want to set to mounting the bracket using the mounting plate at the base of the support. You can set the height of your elevated counter by moving the mounting position down from the bottom of the sub- countertop. The support’s gusset will extend out and over the sub-counter.

You want to mark where to place your starter holes with a pencil. Make sure that your locations for fastening the bracket to the substructure allow for enough material for the screws to “bite into." Take an electric drill and put an eighth inch drill bit to make the pilot holes for your fasteners. PLEASE NOTE: Make sure that you don't drill all the way through the material the screws will fasten into.

You’re going to change up your drill so you can put in your quarter inch lag screws (or bolts), that will connect through the fascia material and into the stud or substructure. Now that the first lag bolt is connecting the brace to the material and the stud you want to make sure it’s level before you add additional bolts.

Once all the lag bolts are in you can use a ratchet to make sure they are snug. Don’t over tighten them or you may strip out the wood. You want to make sure you use an extension when using the ratchet so you will not scratch the finished surface of the bracket.

With your brackets attached ready to support your elevated counter, you can place your counter on the support plates of the brackets. Make sure that the slab width does not extend over 4” on either side of the plates and that the stone slab is evenly distributed over the full length of the counter. You will want to use an adhesive or chalking to fix the counter to the brackets.

With an elevated counter you will have a real showpiece in your kitchen area that can be used for serving. The spacious appeal and beauty of the elevated granite slab will enhance the look of your kitchen or even office reception area. ~ SK

How to choose a Bracket. There is no comparison: Box-Store Brackets V.S. Federal Brace

This one is for the customers that are thinking of buying the local hardware store or large box company support brackets, so I’m posting this on both blog sites at Federal Brace. Before you buy consider this comparison:

First of all, when you are picking between the two types of different brackets you’ll notice a considerable weight difference. The Federal Brace countertop support is made out of one-quarter inch steel, and the standard box bracket is made out of a material not even as half as thick. The Federal Brace countertop mount is a wider dimension than the local hardware corbel. The material size and dimensional difference between the Federal Brace and the box store bracket means that Federal Brace has a stronger bracket that will hold up your shelves and countertops better.

Federal Brace gives you a choice and a benefit in the brushed nickel finish that matches common stainless kitchen countertop appliances. They provide the stainless steel option, knowing that some customers are willing to pay for a certain type of look.

You will notice that the Federal Brace bracket has less dings in it than the store bought corbel, because of the care involved in the finish of the brackets. Also, the box store bracket may have the evidence of a long trip – being loaded and offloaded from cargo ships from foreign lands. Federal Brace brackets will come to your doorstep, individually packaged in boxes that are designed to secure your product during shipping. You can go pick out your box store bracket from a bin that looks like the old game “A Barrel of Monkeys.”

You dig a little deeper and you see that Federal Brace has carefully designed countertop brackets with no weld elements on the face of the bracket. The bracket is constructed with plug welding which gives a flawless finish on the face of the bracket. Not only are these super-strong brackets, but also they enhance the look of the countertop they are supporting.

Some may point out that the price comparison needs to be made. That’s fine with us. Our brackets are priced higher than the box store brackets – for the exact reasons listed above. As the old adage goes “you get what you pay for.” In this instance, you get a better looking, better made, stronger and safer support bracket for the investment you didn’t skimp on – your countertops. Go with Federal Brace countertop supports when your countertops matter. ~ www.federalbrace.com

How to spot the differences between Steel and Stainless Steel

When looking to design your kitchen Federal Brace offers two different grades of steel: Cold Rolled Steel and Stainless Steel. I am going to examine the differences and similarities between Cold Rolled Steel & Stainless Steel.

Similarities first - on a molecular level, which I won’t delve into too deeply, the components that make up the two materials are similar but contained in different proportions. We will discuss the effects of the component makeup later. The two types of steel have the similar deflection characteristics under weight (they carry a very similar amount of weight). This is where the similarities end.

Stainless steel is about forty-percent more expensive than cold rolled steel. The additional costs are due to the special processes required to get the non-corrosive nature of the stainless material and the elegant brushed metal finish. Stainless steel comes in a bright- brushed #4 finish, and that is good when you’ re trying to match to kitchen appliances. The good news is that you don’ t have to paint stainless steel because it won’ t corrode. If you are having trouble telling the differences between steel and stainless, you can use a magnet, because stainless steel has little magnetic attraction.

The cold rolled steel is raw and will rust if not treated properly. For large orders, we can powder coat paint steel, which basically means that we apply an electric charge to the bracket, and then spray on powder paint that adheres to the surface of the metal (I will likely do a wet paint vs. powder coat paint comparison in the future – so check back often). When you purchase the steel you’re purchasing it because of the versatile look it can give you. “ The reason we provide steel is that designers want a color that goes with their décor,” says Sales Manager, Broc Seifert, “ Some of the designers like to give our brackets a clear coating to give it a post-industrial feel. I can see it going well with a concrete countertop where everything is contemporary.”

When you receive your cold rolled steel brackets, machine oil or other surface protection coatings may be applied to the bracket. The brackets are laser cut, and the machine oil is attracted to the metal when they are being made. One benefit of the machine oil is that it will preserve the bracket during shipping. Use hot soapy water to wash off the oil before you finish them for installation. You will need to take care that the brackets are completely dry. Any moisture that remains on the brackets, including in the welds, will cause rust spots. The final step is to put a finishing coat of primer, paint or acrylic on the now clean bracket as soon as possible after washing to prevent rust from forming.

Bottom line is whatever you are looking for you must be careful to treat your brackets properly. If you have stainless steel they require limited maintenance, but cost a little bit more. If you have purchased raw steel brackets you must paint them to prevent corrosion. Be careful not to scratch them during installation.

Thank you for your time. Thanks for joining me at the Federal Brace How To Blog. Have a great day! ~ SK

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www.federalbrace.com

How to spot the differences between Lumber and Bracket Backers™

NOVEMBER 3, 2010 – CHARLOTTE, NC – Today I am comparing Federal Brace's Bracket Backer versus everyday soft lumber from a local hardware store or chain store. A Bracket Backer is not a new invention. People have been using backer boards since they started putting anything of significant weight on shelves. Here's the deal, when people are dealing with material such as sheet rock with an elevated bar application or a knee wall bar, the soft wall material cannot have a metal bracket attached to it, even if it is connecting to the stud. The problem is that the weight being carried by the bracket, which is the weight of the granite, can push into the sheetrock. This pushing down on the bottom flange can result in an impression in the sheetrock. The sheetrock can be crushed and destroyed.

To prevent flexing or crushing, Federal Brace understands the need to have some kind of barrier between the sheet rock and the weight pushing down. So we are introducing our Bracket Backer™. The President of Federal Brace, Scott Toal says, "It can be used in a lot of different situations, it doesn’t have to be used in a high-capacity setting. If someone wants to enhance the look of their bracket, the Bracket Backer™ offers a trimmed molding look around the bracket."

The main difference between the Bracket Backer™ and a standard piece of lumber is the appearance. The finished piece of lumber will have straight edges. You don’ t have to finish off the edges of the Bracket Backer™. You could go out and get molding, but it’ s not designed to hold the capacity of a granite countertop. As a finished unit the customer only has to cut down one end of the Bracket Backer™ to meet the height requirement of the installation application. The Backer is primed, ready to be painted and installed. You cut it down, paint it and you can put up your brackets.

The material used in Bracket Backers™ is mostly recycled material so it is environmentally green, and it is a medium density fiberboard which means it will be stronger than a soft piece of lumber. The Bracket Backers™ is not a suitable solution where a stained finish is required. With the Bracket Backers™ you will not find any kind of knots or imperfections. The surface should be straight leveled and ready to go since it is manufactured.

In the end both the standard lumber and the Bracket Backer™ have their positive sides, but the Bracket Backer™ is environmentally friendly, has the look you want in a countertop installation and is specifically designed for kitchen countertops.

That’s all for now! Have a good one! ~ SK

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.federalbrace.com/SupportsResources/BracketBackersInfo.aspx

How to Not Settle For Less

This blog is copied directly from a customers email to Federal Brace. All comments and wording is directly from the customer. We have omitted the name for privacy purposes and the name of a large box store because we are nice. However, the content of the email is priceless and truly shows how as a consumer you do not have to settle for less...

" Here are some images of our new brackets. Please let me know if they are usable-if not I will give it another shot!

The first two images (943, 944) were taken right after we had our counter tops installed. I told the "designers" at the [LARGE BOX STORE] design desk what I was looking for - metal brackets that would hold up the granite counter top. I did not want the generic wood corbels that came with the install. They (not very kindly) told me to go look in the shelving section of the store. While the cheap brackets I found at [LARGE BOX STORE] were not exactly what I was looking for, I figured for the inexpensive price, I could live with them.

As soon as the granite installer mounted them he came to find me to show me how he had to brace up the counter top - the cheap brackets that I had purchased from the shelving section of [LARGE BOX STORE] would not hold up the granite.




I immediately got onto your website (http://www.federalbrace.com/) and ordered the brackets that are pictured in images 396 and 399. As you can see they look beautiful and have given me the unique look I was originally looking for. They were certainly more expensive than the cheap brackets from [LARGE BOX STORE], but I am confident that they will do the job they were designed to do, and they will look great while they do it."



We love this! Helping people create just the look they want with the support they need. Pictured above is the Angeln Countertop Support Bracket installed in the customer's beautiful home. Thank you some much for sharing. It has made our day.

To view the Angeln Countertop Bracket product page CLICK HERE