Ours is installed the same way as nkkp's. Although we have granite countertops, not sure if that matters.

Siliconed the DW to the counter! Never heard of such a thing.

If this contractor is also responsible for the upper cabs, please make sure they are secured mechanically to the studs, not siliconed.

hmmm... the tabs are on the top of the D/W. They were formerly screwed into the formica base. I don't see any screwing opportunities on the sides. Maybe my D/W is too old and I need a new one. LOL!

This was a minimal mini-renovation. painted cabs, countertop, wallpaper removal, paint, new nice vinyl flooring and a few other things. But it does keep growing... "mini" is all relative!

Wendyyb, from what I understand, there are 3 ways to install a dishwasher but it depends on your countertop. Formica ones can be attached to the top, usually with screws I think. But not with stone. There are kits you can buy from the mfg to attach them to the sides or make it yourself if your so inclined. Also they can be attached to the floor.

Just yesterday, my new DW was installed under my soapstone. He glued (I think) some wood to the soapstone and then screwed the DW to the wood. I think this is bad. He also got glue all over the place. GRRR!

The installation instructions I'm reading say to use a side mounting kit.

I was just talking about this with an installer yesterday. He said they epoxied the DW to the granite. I assume it's the same with quartz. Maybe epoxy is stronger/harder than silicone.

Here is a link that might be useful: granite countertops

Hmm...maybe its not the same with quartz. mabye that's why mine failed. The countertop people do granite & quartz. Maybe the granite absorbs better making a stronger bond????

My countertop salesperson is off today so I can't get their input. I am going to stop at an appliance store today to see if I can get some sort of side-mounting kit or advice. Or a new D/W :-)

If I had at least known that the bond was vulnerable, I could have tried to get in the habit of not opening it when things were still warm.

I called Whirlpool about my situation today. I was unable to get more info about the installation but was offered the side mounting kit for $4.99. I was told that I should order it through them? Not sold by HD / Lowes?

I had a dishwasher installed into my old cabinets since the old one died and I didn't want to wait for the remodel. The Lowe's installer did a terrible job. Our cabinets have about 4 inches of empty space between the DW and neighboring cabinets on each side. The guy threw away the hardware he didn't use (and said he never got it) and used really long screws to attach the thing. Needless to say, really long screws can't exactly hold a DW in place. We eventually had to install it ourselves (and it's not too hard if the plumbing is already there). We had to install 2x4s to fill in the gap, but basically, just pull the thing out and look at it. You'll see what can be attached where. They usually have multiple attachment points for different applications. The counter doesn't need to be involved!

I have quartz. After the d/w was installed, I opened the door to use it and was surprised when the whole d/w tilted forward. It was not secured at all.

My contractor said the countertop guys were supposed to attach it to the counter. Not sure by what technique - *I* assumed he meant they were supposed to screw some sort of bracket to the underside of the counter, and then screw the dishwasher into that, but I really have no idea. It didn't matter - the installation instructions for my d/w (Miele) said to attach it at the sides. The contractor didn't seem familiar with that idea, but he sent the carpenter back to do it.

I wonder if European d/w's attach differently from American ones? The contractor was about 60 years old with LOTS of experience installing kitchens - I can't believe he hasn't encountered this before, unless he's only installed Whirlpools and GE's before.

I don't see why it would be a granite vs. quartz issue.

maureen, is your existing method working? The fact that there is some wood to screw into seems good.

I would just recommend let it cool completely before opening.

I wonder if the side mounting kits are universal or adaptable and would work on 20 year old D/W.

They should not have used silicone. Silicone is normally sold as a sealer. It is not a strong adhesive.

They should have anchored it to the cabinets on either side. Failing that, they should have epoxied clips or wood to the bottom of the counter top and fastened it to that.

They should have known better than to use silicone. Their skills and knowledge are suspect. I would have somebody mechanically inclined go over everything they did to verify it all was done properly

I don't know, Wendy. It was installed only yesterday! That's why your timely post made me wonder about how it was done. He (my GC's plumber/carpenter) said not to use the DW for 24 hours to let it dry (whatever it was - glue? I was in a rush).

Sorry to have no good advice!
Maureen

Mine did the same thing. Brackets were glued to the quartz. I don't know who (gc or cabinet guy) did it or what they used - it's not silicone becuase its pretty hard. The DW was installed about a year ago and the one bracket came off about 6 weeks ago. I have a bosch drawer DW.

I just did an internet search on the problem and got this: www.granitegrabbers.com. I have no idea if they work or not, but I thought I'd pass the link along

the granitegrabber does look interesting. Thanks for the link. I bet I would have to get all the existing gunk off first.

I had the same problem. We reused our dishwasher, so we did not have the side anchor clips and my contractor siliconed the anchors to the granite underside, which only held for one day. We then tried to epoxy a wood strip to the underside & screw the installation brackets to that, but it would not stay attached.

I went ahead & bought the granite grabbers. The company owner, Joel, was very nice. He even called me and emailed to make sure I got them. They work fine & are easy to install. I imagined it would cost about the same amount to have Bosch ship me 2 side installation brackets and those are a lot more complicated to install. I have no connection to the guy or the company... just wanted to let you know that I used granite grabbers & so far so good.

I'm ashamed to admit, but we never had our dishwasher installed properly. someone had suggested silicon. It was a very tight fit, so that kept it in place-- it never came out of it's spot (except once-- then I learned not to pull the bottom rack all the way out if it was full of heavy pots and platters).

Maureen,
I hope your DW situation turns out OK-- good to hear it came in.. I hope this means finished pictures are in your future!

The majority of Lowe’s/ Home Depot installers are hacks. They do piss poor work just to get paid and you never see them again. Good luck if you have a bad experience and need it corrected. There are three methods available. Theres a bracket that goes under your counter top that spans the width of the DW opening and has two short legs on each side that go vertically and attach to the wood on the sides of the DW opening of your cabinetry. The two short legs get minimum of two screws in each to hold the bracket in place and then you ise your brackets that came with your DW to attach to the horizontal piece that is under the counter top. Second way is clips that are supplied with the dishwasher that attach to the cabinet DW openin, that’s the simplest method and then number three is some plates that are available that are epoxied to the underside of the cabinet. This is a pretty good method but 1. you have to wait on the epoxy to thoroughly dry and 2. when you get a new dishwasher the epoxied bracket may be in the wrong spot and you or your butcher handyman will need to remove it and in doing so you risk breaking the counter. The wood strip glued in some way to the underside of the counter top is poor because it sees a lot of hot humid air from the drying cycle and could detach itself without you knowing.

Modern dishwashers are screwed to the cabinet sides. i screw the old ones to the cabinet sides. Epoxied brackets are not recommended.

11 year old post.