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| Hi! My 2 dogs sleep in the laundry room. In my new house I want their beds to be under a countertop so I don't trip on their beds and they can enjoy a little "cave" of their own. See the drawing below. My question is whether a counter top can span the space between the arrows without being supported by base cabinets below. The attachment points would be the side of the tall utility cabinet and the wall that is a little over 5' away. I have not spec'd the counter material yet.
Can I do this? If not, can you suggest a way to keep at least 4' of undercounter space for the pups? Thanks!  |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by lazygardens (My Page) on Wed, Jun 16, 10 at 14:46
| It's easy - get a bracket or two that is made to hold up counters. http://www.rakks.com/products/counter.html etc. |
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- Posted by lazygardens (My Page) on Wed, Jun 16, 10 at 14:50
| Adding: The brackets would be on the wall to the left. Or, you could just nail a ledger along that wall and the wall by the washer and attach the countertop to it. |
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| I've seen counters span areas that didn't have base cabinets below, so I know for a fact that it can be done. I would consult with a good carpenter as to how to go about using special brackets and such. Depending on the countertop material, there may be a possibility that you need a brace underneath at some point along the span, but I don't know for sure. Either way, it would still keep the space open for you. Beware of people who only care about selling cabinetry. I think your idea is a good one, and am considering a similar situaton when we build, to house litter boxes, etc. Sandy |
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| Thanks Lazygardens and Sandy. I am going to follow through with this with my GC. I have been dealing directly with the cabinet guys who told me they could "squeeze" 3 feet of space under that 5 ft counter. I just didn't want to sound like an imbecile when I approach the CG. Sandy, you are right about people who just want to sell cabinets. At least that is how I am feeling these days. What I really value in a laundry room is folding space, hanging space, a couple of accessible uppers, and a small 2nd fridge as extra space for holiday dinners and party trays. The cabinet guys just don't "get it" that I don't need another room filled with cabinets on the walls and floor. I want a hanging rod over the washer and the sink, a 2nd rod over the folding area, and a place for my dogs to sleep. Agh!@! Sorry, I am ranting. Some aspects of building are a real pain. |
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- Posted by live_wire_oak (My Page) on Wed, Jun 16, 10 at 22:14
| It's going to depend on the counter material. A relatively light material like laminate would have no problem spanning that distance with a ledger against the walls and a large bracket or two in the middle. Granite is MUCH heavier and would potentially need a "leg" in the middle with cross bracing, not just brackets and ledgers. |
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