Granite Countertop for Kitchen Island

Home repair expert Henry Harrison helps a guest pop the top off her kitchen island and install a precut granite countertop and plywood base.

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Materials and Tools:

safety glasses
kneepads
large pieces of scrap wood
caulk gun
combination square
pry bars
level
hydraulic jack and handle
drill
hammer
screwdriver
shims
nippers
granite countertop
plywood
caulk
nails
rubber bumpers

Steps:

1. Remove any drawers and doors to give you more room to work.

2. Use a hydraulic jack to pop the countertop loose. If you simply go around banging on the underside of the countertop with a hammer you risk dislodging the base of the island from the floor.

3. Place the jack on a large piece of wood inside the cabinet. The wood will spread the force out over a large area. Insert a scrap 2x4 between the top of the jack and the underside of the countertop.

4. Slowly jack up the countertop until you hear it pop and it separates from the island cabinet. Move the jack around and loosen the countertop at several places. Insert shims between the gaps of the cabinet tops and the base of the kitchen island.

5. Once you have a pretty good gap, go around the perimeter and use a pry bar to separate the countertop. Once it's free remove the old countertop.

6. Use nippers to remove any old nails. Also remove any remaining support structure for the old countertop.

7. Check the base to see if it's level and make any necessary adjustments using spacers placed beneath the new plywood base.

8. Speaking of the new plywood base, to make things easier have one cut that fits inside the indentation on the underside of your new granite countertop. This allows you to just drop the new granite into place and it will fit like a glove on the plywood base.

9. Position the plywood base and check the perimeter with a combination square to make sure it's even on all sides. Once in place, check again to make sure it is level.

10. Secure the plywood base by driving in screws from below. Have an assistant hold the plywood down while you insert the screws with a power drill. Use low-profile screws that will not interfere with your drawers.

11. Use the caulking gun to squeeze out equal dollops of sealant / adhesive at several points around the plywood base.

12. Carefully life the granite countertop and set it in place. Replace the drawers and cabinet doors in the island.