Kitchen & Bath
When I first looked at the plans for this small, upscale
bathroom remodel, I knew the L-shaped stone countertop shown in
the drawings would be a challenge. It was to run like a narrow
shelf the length of the 61-inch-long powder room before turning
90 degrees and extending over the top of the toilet. That part
was easy, but the counter also widened enough at one point to
accommodate an undermount sink — with no vanity
underneath to support it. I had to figure out the best way to
hold up the heavy stone slabs so that they would appear to defy
gravity (see Figure 1).
Figure
1.A custom-fabricated aluminum
bracket — rather than a vanity — supports this
stone countertop, maximizing the tiny powder room's floor
space.
Since the powder room measured only 41 inches wide, the
countertop's layout was dictated by the room's existing toilet
flange, which was offset from the centerline of the room. Near
the toilet, the counter couldn't be wider than 6 inches, but at
its widest it would project 19 inches out from the wall; that
would allow a 22-inch-wide passageway to the toilet and create
enough space to undermount the 13 1/2-inch-diameter sink. The
ringlike projection around the sink would be fragile, so it was
clear we'd need a metal angle bracket to support the
stone.
A Bracket Takes Shape
The bracket's basic dimensions were easy to determine: 5 inches
for the horizontal leg (one inch short of the total countertop
width) and 4 inches for the vertical leg (enough to drive two
lags into each stud). At the sink, the bracket would extend 18
inches into the room, allowing a 14 1/2-inch-diameter opening
for the sink and a 1 1/2-inch ring of metal to support the sink
and the stone. We would notch the 2x4 studs to accommodate the
bracket's vertical leg. Eventually, after lag-screwing the
bracket to the studs, we would cover it with drywall.
After discussing the project with numerous metal fabricators we
had worked with over the years, we concluded that the bracket
should be fabricated from aluminum. The pieces could be cut
from a single sheet of material with an abrasive waterjet, and
then welded together into two strong, light,
corrosion-resistant sections that would be completely hidden
beneath the countertop (Figure 2).
Figure 2.To hide the bracket's vertical leg, the
author notched the framing 1/2 inch, then lag-bolted the
bracket to the studs before hanging the drywall.
Workers at the shop doing the cutting, LMK Waterjet of
Kenilworth, N.J., recommended that we use 3/8-inch-thick
aluminum for adequate strength and incorporate a 1/4-inch
radius at the inside corners where the sink projection tied
into the countertop. They also suggested adding a triangular
gusset under each side of the sink projection (Figure 3).
Unlike the rest of the
bracket, the gussets beneath the sink are not completely
hidden. The aluminum fabricator felt the additional strength
was necessary to prevent flexing, which could crack the
countertop at its weakest point.
Cutting the Aluminum
The cutters began by entering our design specifications into
their CAD/CAM system. They laid out the six pieces needed to
make the bracket in a pattern that would most efficiently use
the $690 sheet of aluminum we'd bought. Then they placed the
aluminum sheet on the waterjet at point zero, and the machine
went to work (Figure 4).
Figure 4.To cut the aluminum bracket components,
the author contracted with a local machine shop equipped with
an abrasive waterjet. By mixing 80-mesh alluvial garnet with a
high-velocity stream of water, the machine was able to slice
through the 3/8-inch-thick aluminum sheet without overheating
or distorting it.
An abrasive waterjet works by pumping water at high pressure
through a small orifice into a ceramic mixing chamber, where an
abrasive gets pulled into the stream by both gravity and the
vacuum created by the water's velocity. Exiting the chamber
through a .03-inch-diameter nozzle at 1,000 feet per second,
the sand-and-water stream slices through the aluminum as
smoothly as a knife through butter. Depending on water
pressure, orifice size, and the type of abrasive, a waterjet
can cut virtually any shape in a wide range of materials, from
soft stones to steel, without creating heat or a lot of waste.
The cutting cost for our aluminum bracket was a reasonable
$160.
Welding With Care
Once I had the six pieces of aluminum under my arm, I went
looking for an aluminum welder who could create two angles from
four of the pieces, so that we could strengthen the sink ring
with the two gussets.
Aluminum welding requires a high-frequency welding machine;
since aluminum quickly dissipates the heat that is applied to
it, the material also requires a larger heat source. The work
takes a deft touch, because too much heat will buckle or shrink
the material. I was fortunate to find G&H Welding in
Hillside, N.J., which charged $260 to expertly assemble the
bracket.
With the bracket on site, we leveled across the studs to mark
the area that needed to be notched, putting the finished
countertop height at 34 inches above the finished floor. After
installing the bracket and covering the vertical leg with
drywall, we called the stone fabricator to template the
countertop.
Rob Corbois a contractor in Elizabeth,
N.J.
Floor Warmers
Temperate Tile.
Until now, cold
feet were an unavoidable hazard in bathrooms with ceramic- or
stone-tile floors. No longer. The Warmly Yours radiant-heating
system heats tile floors by electrical resistance and is
controlled by a digital 120-volt thermostat with a seven-day
cycle capability. The maker custom-tailors the 1/8-inch-thick,
mesh-mounted heating cable to the floor plan; the product also
can be adapted to work with carpet, vinyl, or laminate
flooring. Coverage for an average bathroom costs about $12 per
square foot. Warmly Yours, 800/875-5285,
www.warmlyyours.com
Plastic Fantastic.
This high-tech
conductive polymer membrane is suitable for installation under
any type of flooring, says the maker. The low-voltage (24-volt)
Step Warmfloor automatically spot-regulates in response to the
floor's surface temperature. For example, under an insulating
area rug, the membrane's conductive resistance and temperature
increase; in a sun-warmed spot, the reverse occurs. System
materials cost about $10 per square foot. Electro Plastics,
877/783-7832, www.warmfloor.com
Warm Wire.
Embedded in thinset
adhesive directly beneath a ceramic or masonry floor, the
armored heating-wire elements of the SunTouch floor-heating
system generate gentle, uniformly dispersed warmth. Even shower
floors can be heated. Mats come in 120-volt and 240-volt
versions and retail for about $12 to $15 per square foot.
SunTouch, 888/432-8932, www.suntouch.net
Cabinets
Good Hood.
Encourage your
clients to take a mix-and-match approach to their range hood
with Yorktowne's Wood Hood program. By combining the unit's
three elements — chimney, transition, and mantle —
in a variety of shapes and finishes, they can create a
customized surround. There are five width options to choose
from — 30, 36, 42, 48, and 54 inches — and three
blower sizes: 350, 700, and 1,000 cfm. Prices vary by
selection. Yorktowne, 800/777-0065,
www.yorktownecabinetry.com
Cottage Class.
With its clean lines
and casual charm, bead-board paneling is one of the most
popular classic looks in interior design. HomeCrest's Bayport
White series offers a diverse array of semicustom cabinets for
kitchens, baths, and other rooms. White thermofoil doors and
drawer fronts resist moisture, stains, and scratches. Price
depends on configuration. HomeCrest Cabinetry, 574/535-9300,
www.homecrestcabinetry.com
Smart Storage.
The Diamond Logix
collection takes cabinet storage in new directions with clever
ideas like the 24-inch Base Pots & Pans Pullout (left),
which maximizes useable space and brings order to what is
typically a chaotic mess; and the 36-inch base-unit Segmented
Super Susan (right), which boasts rotating, extendable
sections. The Pullout costs about $550, the Super Susan about
$1,000. Diamond, 812/482-2527,
www.diamondcabinets.com