Granite countertops

[J's Dream]

I was going to post this in the bathroom ideas post, but thought it could use a new thread. I am in the process of renovating the bathroom of my '69 45C, and have decided to replace the original formica countertop with granite (or some type of solid surface). Has anyone installed granite in their boats? How does it need to be supported from below? I was thinking of cutting a piece of plywood and setting the granite on top for support. How does granite handle the flexing of the hull?

I have heard that corian or Silestone is a good choice for use on a boat because of the flexibility they offer...but I can't find a company willing to work on such a small project, unless its granite remnants. If anyone in the Melbourne/Ft. Pierce/ Orlando area knows of a company who will work on small stuff like this, please let me know. Your thoughts and ideas are greatly appreciated.

Jason

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

On a sport fish you really need to watch your weight speed is important and corian will probubly be beter for you.. I have granite and it comes in 2cm and 3cm and very very heavy If you can find a guy that has left over corian then your set+

 

[J's Dream]

Carl,

Do you know of anyone in your area? I'll travel just about anywhere in the state if I can find Corian remnants. We've got a condo in Marco, so going down your way is no problem. Thanks.

Jason

 

[SKYCHENEY]

You should be able to find a Corian guy. We have one near us that will do any project, big or small. Call the manufacturer and ask as they have to certify these guys to work with their products. You could also check with the home center places. They have names of installers.

 

[Mike36c]

Jason, I have a guy in Pt. St. Lucie, he installed silestone in my galley and granite in my friends 45c, nice job. I'm not sure if he does work that far north but Pm me if you want the company name. Mike

 

[MikeP]

We just had (yesterday) Silestone installed in the galley. The only pieces were the countertop and the dinette table which isn't all that much. It wasn't any problem getting it installed. I can't imagine why anyone would say it's not a big enough job - heck, that's their job.

What I chose to do was to have the Silestone installed OVER the existing countertop rather than removing it. It worked out really well that way and provides a much better bed for the stone and the flexing it will encounter on the boat.

Here's a pic updated two days later showing more of the galley area including one of my tool bags under the table and a piece of trim left lying on the stove. Both items were pointed out by the admiral in looking at this picture.

 

[J's Dream]

Mike,

That looks great! These guys at the home centers tell me they won't work on anything in a boat, and no counters less than 15 sq ft so right there eliminates the bathroom for me. I'm gonna make some calls tomorrow and see what else I can find.

Jason

 

[ThirdHatt]

I had the thinner 2cm granite installed in the galley for the counter and dinette table, all three heads and on top of the chest of drawers in both aft staterooms. By my calculations I only added about 900lbs total to the boat. That's only 100 gallons of fuel, so it will not be significant.

My installer went directly over the existing countertops, with several large clumps of silicone under each slab to absorb any movement. He also left about 1/8-1/4" gap around the edges to allow for hull flex. My installer is one that has done many granite installs for Trinity Yachts, so I trusted him.

 

[Passages]

The pic below is a Corian countertop on Passages. 5 years old and holding up well. We have the same in the head, I just don't have a pic available.

 

[J's Dream]

For those of you with granite, have you had any problems with cracking from the flexing of the boat?

 

[SeaEric]

I just met with a carpenter yesterday about a redo on the aft head counter top. We plan to make a plywood template for the granite, complete with cut outs. I plan to take that template to the guy who did a granite kitchen counter/island/wet bar/butler's pantry in my home. With what I've spent with this guy in the past, to not do my boat better not be an option! My plan is to use one of those sinks that looks like a bowl and sits on top of the counter, with a faucet mounted off to the side. I'll post some pics along the way.

 

[ThirdHatt]

For those worrying about granite cracking, corian cracks too and the corian is usually fitted much tighter, tollerating much less hull flex before binding/cracking. Every granite installer used to working on boats knows to simply leave a small gap around the edges to fill with caulk or place some trim molding over and no more worries about cracking. I looked hard at corian due to lightweight, strength and durability but I could not justify spending the same amount of money that granite would cost and have no "wow" factor that all granite gives. IMHO, the best looking corian does not look as good as the worst looking granite. There's just something about natural stone. Just look in all the megayachts and milti-million dollar homes these days. No corian, just granite. Go with the thinner granite to save weight and leave a small gap around the edges. Step back and ADMIRE THE BEAUTY!

 

[jim rosenthal]

I had a Corian counter installed in the head- used a white SS sink and fixture from Scandvik. I had no trouble finding an installer who would work in a boat- they even took away the old sink and counter top for me. The counter tops are very securely installed by Hatteras- it's some work to get it out. I don't have photos, though, and she's not 'ere for me to take them...keep looking around, you'll find a small installer who can do it. A lot of folks run when they hear the word "boat" but I didn't think it was all that big a deal...

I think when she comes back this spring I'm going to tackle the galley counter, which is Formica or something like that, plus the head floor and aft deck with Flexiteek etc. RE granite, I would think that if you had a good support it would not be a problem.

Mike, your work looks great, as always. You're retired- you ought to start doing this on other people's boats.

 

[J's Dream]

Thanks for all the help, guys. I think I'm going to go with granite and put a plywood base under it for support.

Jim, you have a PM.

 

[spartonboat1]

FWIW, I know of a 47' Chris-Craft Commander, which is as heavy as a Hatt, that went to granite and ceramic tiles in a head. He subsequently took on a permanent list to that side. So balance can be an issue.

 

[J's Dream]

FWIW, I know of a 47' Chris-Craft Commander, which is as heavy as a Hatt, that went to granite and ceramic tiles in a head. He subsequently took on a permanent list to that side. So balance can be an issue.

Thats a good point. I have a list to stbd, and since my head is to port, it may help balance out that list! But definitely something to consider when I redo my galley countertop!

 

[SeaEric]

My boat tends to have a port list. I'm looking forward to that piece of granite in the aft head (on stbd) to even her out.

 

[MikeP]

I updated the pic at my previous post on this thread to show a more general view of the galley, including some of the flooring (trim is not on the genny room hatch).

 

[rtrafford]

contact your Nida-Core dealer locally and inquire about their partnership with granite. You can now have granite counters lighter than formica/plywood.

 

[MikeP]

Jim, thanks for the compliment! Much as I (usually) enjoy working on the boat whatever the project, I don't have the time to do it for hire. Heck, my one boat is a full time job! Add a British bike and I'm seriously time-constrained.