Q. Do countertop fabricators coordinate new or the repair of cabinets?
A. Most fabricators only focus on countertops – they do not GC other trades like plumbers, electricians, painters or tile installers. They focus on one thing so that they can deliver the best countertop experience possible.
Many of customers have had great luck finding a local cabinet installer by way of referral from family, friends on Facebook and their neighbors on Nextdoor.
Q. Do my cabinets need to be level?
A. In a perfect world yes. Industry standards say that your cabinets should be level within an 1/8″ over an 8′ length. This is almost never the case though.
The countertop installer can shim the counters as needed if the cabinets are not too out of sorts. If they are out of level or more importantly, out of plane, they will try to let you know as soon as possible so you can have the problem corrected before install.
Keep in mind the only way to absolutely know if your cabinets are level is to put a level directly on the tops of your cabinets. Just because the existing countertop is level does not mean the cabinets underneath are level.
If you do not demo your existing countertops until the day of the install, there is a possibility that the installers discover your cabinets are to out of level and have to reschedule the install. This could also be subject to a trip charge.
We always recommend having your countertops removed before the template. While this is an inconvenience, it is the only way to ensure there are no surprises and allow you time to remedy any issues.
We have installed thousands of countertops over the last two decades, and while surprises happen on a very small percentage of projects, they do occur.
Q. Will my cabinets support the weight of granite?
A. Very rarely have we found cabinets whose structural integrity is so compromised we worried about them supporting the weight. There are only a few instances were it may be a concern based on what we have seen. These include cabinets with water damage, termite damage, fire damage and other structural damage.
The cabinets where we see the most damage is generally the sink cabinet. Sometimes a cabinet or millwork trade can brace the cabinet, but sometimes they need to be replaced.
