Cantilevered Countertop

[timf67]

My wife wants a cantilevered countertop in her new laundry room to use as a folding table etc. She wants to maximize the space under it, so she doesn't want any legs and wants "low profile" supports. Anyone got suggestions or better yet, pictures of some ideas for supporting this thing? I am thinking corbels, but I am not sure how big they need to be. The countertop will be 60" wide by 20" deep and I am planning on using an 8/4 birch slab that I have. Besides the weight of the wood I want it to be able to support a few hundred pounds extra - I can just see one of my boys sitting on it someday...

[Woodman2k]

Tim,
How far is it going to extend out from the cabinet's edge?A cantilevered counter that will support itself plus an extra 200 lbs may be wishful thinking made out of wood.You will have to bury some steel in the underside of it.When we do granite we don't go more than 6 inches unsupported.Birch would not be my first choice.Send me a sketch of what you want to do and I'll throw you some idea's.The cabinet that it is gonna hang from will probably have to be reinforced if it's a large extension.
Greg

[timf67]

Originally Posted by Woodman2k

Tim,
How far is it going to extend out from the cabinet's edge?A cantilevered counter that will support itself plus an extra 200 lbs may be wishful thinking made out of wood.You will have to bury some steel in the underside of it.When we do granite we don't go more than 6 inches unsupported.Birch would not be my first choice.Send me a sketch of what you want to do and I'll throw you some idea's.The cabinet that it is gonna hang from will probably have to be reinforced if it's a large extension.
Greg

Guess I should have been more clear. It will not be attached to any cabinetry, it will be mounted to the wall like a "free-standing" or floating countertop. Which may make it even worse...

[nelsone]

Taks some 3/4 galvanized pipe and bore holes into the studs and your shelf. Slide the pipe into the studs and the shelf onto the pipe. Should give you plenty of support.

[McRabbet]

I would recommend a set of Speed Brace Countertop brackets from Custom Service Hardware. Click on the link and enter "speed brace" in the Search window. A 15" x 18" version with round holes is a little over $20 but they hold 1,000 lbs and have very little obstruction underneath. I have some of them and they are strong!