Granite Brackets – Mounting Hardware For Countertops
Mounting Hardware Is Important!
When you’re in the middle of a home remodeling project and you have 100 different things going on, little things like hardware probably aren’t on your mind. After you decide on a granite countertop and granite brackets to support it, it’s important to make sure you use the correct hardware when installing. Just like anything else, weak or the wrong hardware can fail.
Countersunk Holes – What Hardware To Use
Many of our granite brackets that have countersunk mounting holes for a wood screw to fit into. This is so a granite countertop will lay flush on top of the bracket and knee wall. This includes our top mount brackets, back mount brackets, and knee wall brackets. These brackets require wood screws and you cannot use lag bolts, so the countertop won’t be flush.
Note that our right angle brackets for countertops also have 3 countersunk holes. However, you can use wood screws or lag bolts here because the mounting hardware doesn’t touch the granite countertop. The granite bracket is installed into the side of the half wall and not from the top down. If you use wood screws here, the bracket will look better because the hardware will fit in the bracket. However, if the brackets are supporting a heavy granite countertop, we recommend using lag bolts for added strength.
Regular Mounting Holes – Not Countersunk
A couple of our granite brackets have mounting holes that aren’t countersunk. This includes our Island Support Bracket and Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket ( note this bracket is labeled a “floating shelf bracket, but has countertop support capabilities). The reason is both these brackets will not have their mounting plate exposed or will touch the granite countertop. You can use wood screws here, but we recommend using lag bolts of possible. Lag bolts are stronger than wood screws and this will only increase the reliability of your new granite countertop.
Recommended Wood Screw For Granite Brackets
Several different types of wood screws will “work” for this application. However, we recommend using #12 1.5″ wood screws. The reason is our mounting holes are 1/4″ thick and #12 wood screws are .24″ thick and will fit perfectly. We also recommend using 1.5″ in length because if you’re mounting granite brackets into a 2′ x 4″ piece of lumber, this screw will stay inside the wood in any direction it’s mounted.
The #12 wood screws we linked also have a smooth tapered shank below the head, which will prevent the 2′ x 4″ from splitting. The’re also zinc plated, which will stop the steel screw from corroding. This will ensure your granite bracket is reliably set and your granite countertop is secure for life.
Recommended Lag Bolt for Granite Brackets
Us at Right On Bracket recommend using lag bolts when installing heavy countertops. If you’re installing a thick piece of wood, granite, marble, or quartz, these lag bolts are necessary.
We recommend using 1/4″ lag bolts when installing our granite brackets. If you’re mounting into a 2″ x 4″ piece of wood, we recommend using 1.5″ long lag bolts just like the wood screws we recommend. The bolt will stay inside the wood no matter which way you install the bracket from.
Wood screws are pretty simple to install. For a lag bolt, you’ll need an impact driver to fit onto your drill. This will drive the lag bolt in smoothly to avoid the wood from splitting.
Granite Countertop Support Brackets – Install To Last A Lifetime
Currently we don’t supply the hardware with our brackets. Every project is unique and the hardware necessary not always the same. Like we noted, sometimes you’ll need lag bolts over wood screws. Also, sometimes you’ll need screws/lag bolts longer than 1.5″. In summary, do some extra research and think twice about the mounting hardware you use. These screws/bolts are what anchor your granite brackets down to support your new countertop! Make sure it’s mounted to last a lifetime!
