We used 2cm granite and really like the results. Does yours have the 4cm edge? That makes a big difference because you need to cover the plywood. We paid the installer to do the plywood. It was an extra $150 for 21 linear feet of counter, two corners, and a sink cut out. It was worth it because the plywood has to be level and the correct depth so we let them be responsible for it. I think they used pretty cheap plywood. There were a few spots you could see the plywood when sitting in the adjacent family room so I used some black wood stain and they disappeared.

steff, thank you for your response. Yes, the countertops will have laminated edges, which will end up being 4cm. Installers in my area are not familiar with 2cm underlayment as people use 3cm. Another suggestions has been to use strips of the granite on the bottom to support the counter tops. I am at a loss as to what to do!

For 2CM stone countertops - I highly recommend that you use
5/8" ACX grade plywood for subtops - supporting all of the countertops -
NOT STRIPS!!!

If you have fabricators that don;t know how to work with 2CM stone -
you need to find ones that DO KNOW HOW!!!!

Don't hire a general surgeon to do neuro-surgery - or a denitst
to do open heart surgery - their all "Doctors" - but they have
their own area of expertise - hire someone that HAS Experience in
what it is YOU want them to do - it's that simple...

hth

kevin

Agree with Kevin's advice. I would not buy from someone who cannot recommend an experienced installer. In our area the 2cm is very common. The granite yard and the installers they sent were clearly experts at this type of installation. There is a lot of work involved in getting granite counters level and hiding the seams. The sink cutout has to match, etc. It did not look like easy work.

If someone in your area is selling the 2cm granite, then there have to be fabricators/installers around who know how to do this. Check Craiglist also.

What Kevin and Steff said! Plus the 5/8" plywood needs to be screwed into the cabinet frames. Very common here on the West Coast. I saw very few 3cm. It's mostly 2cm.

To get the edge, another piece of 2cm is added to the bottom.
Example (crescent edge):

How mine turned out:

(Forgive the big pics...haven't figured out how to resize)

And, BTW, I had NO idea about any of this when I started :-)

I just met with my fabricator. I was told that they won't do 2cm anymore. She said that one client called after having a teenager sit on her countertops & they cracked. So if you are set on the 2cm I would think the plywood is must!

Kayl-

Plywood alone WILL NOT PREVENT cracks in the tops!!!

Your fabricator (IMHO) needs to re-think their logic in what they
are doing in relationship to using 2CM thick stone and people
sitting on the countertops....

OF COURSE THE STONE IS GOING TO FRACTURE IF A TEENAGER SITS ON IT!!!

Here's the saying I have for this scenario:

"Countertops are made for Plates & Glasses
NOT for FEET and DIRTY ARSES!!!"

People hve to realize that a countertop is NOT a seating surface!

I will venture a guess that the top that cracked was an overhang
like a breakfast bar - or an area where chairs were under it for a dining
application, and the kid sat on the unsupported top and the stone cracked
where the cabinet line was - I see this all the time on jobsite inspections
that I get called on to do - and have to write an "industry expert opinion"
on WHY the countertop fractured - kind of like CSI for countertops..... HA!

This can be prevented by the proper use of corbels and support of the
assembly with either corbles or counterbalance plates spaced out no more
than 16 inches on center.

Whenever a consumer is going to use 2CM thick stone - IT MUST HAVE A SUBTOP -
and the subtop should be 5/8 inches thick - PLYWOOD - ACX grade...

This has worked for me flawlessly for over 25 years - no failures!!!

Plywood should be used as the subtop in lieu of OXB, Particle Board, Masonite, etc.
It should be screwed down to the cabinets- sanded side down where there
is an overhang - sanded side up on conventional cabinet applications where
the countertop is the depth of the cabinets (plus an overhang of 1 1/2" from
the FACE of the Cabinet frame)

hth

kevin