Mounting a Dishwasher Under a Granite Countertop
Solutions to a common problem: mounting a dishwasher in cabinets topped with granite. December 27, 2006
Question
My base cabinets are 34.5" tall. When we use granite tops we are having trouble finding good ways fasten the dishwashers. For now we epoxy a thin strip of wood underneath granite, but the plumber/electrician needs to be careful not to use screws that are too long. There is not enough room to use a thick enough piece to screw to adjoining cabinets, as most dishwashers are at minimum 34.25". Does anyone have a better way?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor A:
I always top my cabinets with 5/8 plywood. This is also requested by my granite guys. Then you can screw to the plywood to secure the dishwasher. I also request a double bullnose on the granite top which covers the plywood edge.
From contributor B:
I build my normal base at 35-1/4" instead of 34-1/2". Most of my work is new construction, and by the time they lay ceramic on the floor you can't squeeze the dishwasher in at 34-1/2". This also allows me to put in a piece of 5/8" ply between the cabinets in the dishwasher space. This keeps everything square and in place and gives them somewhere to anchor the dishwasher.
From contributor C:
I did an attorney’s office, and the plumber bubble-gummed the dishwasher tabs to the granite, and lo and behold with the first pull on the handle the dishwasher tipped out and my phone rang. I went over drilled the dishwasher in front of the gasket and used stainless steel screws into the cabinet sides on either side. Looks factory, works great, and no problems.
From contributor D:
Most of the solid surface and granite supply websites have the dishwasher bolts or clips that epoxy on the bottom of the countertop, and no way are they going to fail. They are fairly cheap. Use fast set epoxy which they sell as well.
From contributor E:
We fabricate stone and quartz. There are a few different ways to mount the dishwasher. The preferred is to side mount the dishwasher. Most plumbers and carpenters don't even realize that they can be side mounted.
-put a wood top rail in to anchor to
-epoxy clips on granite to screw to
-drill holes into granite to mount bolts to
That's the simplistic answer. Hope it helps.
