How many ways are there to mount a counter top? In this case it would be a live edge.(bear with me as I’m having difficulty getting my posts to go through as it treats everything like spam and may have to send my questions in bits.
We are considering notching out back of live edge so that it slides over the studs and will notch in about 3″. We also thought about putting 2×4’s in between the studs to secure the live edge to.We have 8×14 pieces of 3/16 steel plates we could attach to top of horizontal boards that the metal would stick out 6 inches allowing the board to rest on if this is recommended. The passthrough area would have a metal plate the full side of opening that is 3/16 thick that would stick out 6″ beyond that for the live edge to sit on too. We will also be cutting out 2 pieces of the live edge for braces and securing it to the studs.
The live edge widest points overhang will be approximately 10″ wide.
Phew! After over 10 tries got my post in without the spam filter blocking me. The site needs adjusted.
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We are putting in a pass through and want to add the live edge board shown. Part of the pic is computer altered for a visual.
the challenge is how to secure this thing. We are considering notching out the back of the live edge board making it disappear into the wall and setting it on horizontal 2x4's that would go between the studs(drawn on pic below). Then drywalling over it. And also consider having a 3/16 sheet metal the width of passthrough and over hanging by about 6 inches. Would this be enough to secure this live edge board?Needing suggestions
quick thoughts..
My first thought would be angle brackets made of wood similar to the top. Or some custom made metal brackets. Or something I haven't thought of yet...
10'' is not a huge engineering feat to support but it could use something as for sure at some point someone will sit or stand on it. I don't like the idea of notching into the studs, that seems all around awkward and effectively consumes counter space.
The simple solution for a floating shelf support is to drill a hole in each stud to support a 1/2" steel bar. Drill some holes in your slab to match, and slide the slab onto the steel bars. This requires some very accurate layout and drilling. Practice on some construction lumber before the real thing.
Alternate: Use some Blind Shelf Supports, 1 at every stud. Something like this: http://www.leevalley.com/us/hardware/page.aspx?p=51933&cat=3,43648,43649
Strongest solution is to use shelf supports. Wrought Iron style or Industrial look brackets go well with the live edge slabs. Have a look here https://www.pinterest.com/explore/floating-shelf-brackets/ for some ideas.
I would avoid slotting the slab to fit between the studs. Finishing the wall will be a nightmare, and the slab may crack right at the wall. The steel plates mounted to the blocking in the wall may work, depends on how accurately you can line them up, and how you secure the blocking to the studs.
The live edge brackets you mention may be all that is required if they are adequately secured to the wall studs.
What ever you choose, test it with construction lumber before commiting the slab. I would use the Kitchen Cabinet manufactures requirements (http://www.kcma.org/certifications/ansi-kcma-certification) of 15 lb / sq ft. I would also make sure that the supports can take at least 300 lb applied at the edge of the slab, which would be the load of person falling against the counter top. (If this is a bar where alcohol is being served, you may want to double that load.)
Along the same lines you can use heavy duty lag bolts and drive them into the studs and then cut the neads off the bolts slide the counter top in place and hammer the bolt locations into the back of the counter top then dril the holes for the bolts in the counter top and epoxy them in place....should take the measurement and guess work out of the process but you and are to need some 10 or 12 inch bolts. Even then, I think you are going to need some angle bracing.
I wouldn't want standard angle brakets though. You might go talk to a local machine/stell fab shop They could make some custom brakets out of heavy gauge steel with small gussets at the corner of say 3 or 4 inches. You could then route the bottom of the counter to accept the brakets and even fur or route the studs out to recess the braket of the wall and then drywall over the braket...you would need additional nailers between the studs in that case to secure the drywall to sine you aren't going to screw into a steel bracket. The concept being you recess into the top so you dont see the braket standing proud of the top and you recess in to studs and hide the "down leg" behind the drywall. The only thing that would show is the corner brace and if you keep that away from the farthest out studs, you would really even see those...would be a pain to drywall arounf the angle peices but the combination of the angle brakets and the epoxied in rods should do it