How to install Freedom Countertop Supports

Many people will purchase Federal Brace countertop supports because they are looking to limit knee knocking under sitting areas. Today, we are going to review how to install a granite countertop to a knee wall such as a breakfast bar installation.

The Freedom Countertop bracket is a ninety-degree piece of steel without a gusset (the piece that connects the bottom and top of the L-bracket). It is a quarter inch thick up to 12 inches and goes up to .375 inch thick 14X14 – 16X16 and up to a 1/2 inch at 18X18 –20X20.

You want to make sure you have the right number of brackets - you want to have a bracketed support every 12 to 18 inches and no more than four inches of over-hang extending beyond the end of the bracket. Every application is different and we cannot be there to advise an application we cannot see, you want to consult an installer, but some general tips when speaking to the installer are…

In most instances, customers using the Freedom style countertop supports are attaching the brackets directly to the studs and covering with wall board material. You will want to attach the Freedom hidden countertop brackets with lag screw fasteners. You will go from flange to flange making sure the brackets are level. You can use a four-foot level to do this. You can put some paneling on the front of the knee wall to hide the down flange of the brackets. You will clean the brackets and put adhesive on the brackets. When you place the countertop you want to make sure they sit evenly and all the weight is being properly dispersed across the brackets. After an appropriate amount of time for them to dry you can slide over some chairs and you’ll be all set to go.

If you’ re looking to put the supports on top of sheet rock dry wall, you are going to need some kind of backing on the wall, like a backer board. When you position the brackets you want to make sure that the supports are carrying the load not the backer board. You would attach the backer board with several rows of nails going into the stud. A quarter inch lag bolt will then go into the backer board when attaching the brackets themselves.

However, if you want to attach the bracket on the studs on a wall that is finished you will need to recess them into the sheetrock and make sure you connect them directly to the stud using lag screws. Once the wall has been repaired, you can apply granite adhesive to the tops of the brackets – this also goes for when using the Bracket Backers™ as well.

You will clean the brackets and put adhesive on the brackets. Be careful not to let the glue drip off the side when you go to place the granite.

I hope these basics lead to a better understanding of the installation on this popular style of bracket. Thank you very much and have a great day. ~ SK

www.federalbrace.com

How To Not Get Stuck Without Supports

Plan Ahead, Don’t Compromise

Charlotte, NC – July 6, 2010

One of the great influences for compromise in kitchen design and construction is lack of time. Countless homeowners have been forced to go with solutions that only barely meet their satisfaction because they either did not know what was required or procrastinated until it was too late to get the perfect solution to meet their design and functionality needs.

One area where this “no time – got to compromise” principle shows up is in the support of countertops. After investing thousands of dollars in their countertops most owners are never told that they need support for countertop overhangs. Well, they are likely told but not until the countertop fabricator shows up to run the templates or possibly when the installer shows up to put in the counters. This seriously limits the homeowner’s ability to select a desirable solution for supporting their countertops.

Countertop support brackets are more than just shelf brackets or standard decorative wood corbels. A countertop overhang is no small matter and true countertop brackets are designed to handle the load of the overhang. These types of brackets really constitute hardware in the kitchen and should be selected as such. You cannot pick up them up at the local hardware store or from large box stores because they are not carried. The countertop support brackets used to hold up stone counters are specifically designed for that purpose and are often made to order or when in stock require shipping to the customer’s construction site.

Cathy Morgan knows about the significance of delaying selection of countertop supports. The general manager of Federal Brace, a designer and producer of custom countertop support brackets says, “We hear daily from people looking for countertop supports having just learned that they need them for their countertop installation scheduled for the next day. Unfortunately, that leaves the customer limited to those supports that are stock and bearing overnight shipping costs in order to fill the need.” The additional costs associated with shipping overnight are one thing. But more unfortunate is the customer’s inability to take advantage of the full line of designer countertop supports available or the possibility of using the customization service provided by the company.

Bottom line - time is needed to select the right countertop support bracket. Homeowners are asked, months before they are needed, what type of knobs and handles they want on their cabinets. Why wait until the week before installation to ask what type of countertop support is desired? The answer is a bit simple. No one is sure whose job it is to specify the need for supports. The contractor will generally rely on the countertop fabricator. The fabricator may defer to the installer. Ultimately, they can all point to the problem with limited knowledge of the requirement standards.

Federal Brace is trying to eliminate this problem by educating the contractor and the customers. Their website boasts one of the most comprehensive resource areas on the topic of countertop support. Their customer service representatives are knowledgeable on solving the issue of timing as well. Cathy gives her pointers very concisely – “First, do not wait to hear that you need countertop supports. If you are planning a serving or seating area at your kitchen countertop you will likely need supports for the counters in that area. Be proactive and start your search early. 2. Do not compromise your desires because of timing. It is likely that whatever is put under your countertops will be there until they are removed. Make sure that it is a support that meets your needs visually and functionally.”


About Federal Brace
It all starts with helping people. Federal Brace designs and produces custom, designer countertop support products made specifically to solve the problem of countertop support. Federal Brace serves homeowners, interior designers, architects, builders (commercial and residential) as well as countertop installers and fabricators. Federal Brace supports the creation of U.S. based jobs by producing all its countertop support products right here in the USA.