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How to retrofit shadowline under benchtop?

Looking to switch laminate benchtop benchtop to stone but due to decreased thickness of the stone and clearance required for stovetop I will need to raise the cabinet top. I’m looking to do this by adding a shadow line. Any idea on how to do this and what to use? Is it just a matter of adding a 16mm particle board strip on top of the cabinets under the stone? It’s a u shaped kitchen and benchtop.

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JacobZ

Hi @abritto,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

It would be very difficult to offer a solution without seeing the kitchen and the stone benchtop. If you could upload some photos, this would greatly help our members offer advice.

Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.

If you are just looking to raise the height of the cabinet, and there is no actual shadow line, then it is likely you can just add strips of particleboard to the top of the cabinets, but to create a shadow line, you would need a variation in depth at the top of the cabinet.

It's hard to say the best way to create your shadow line, but we will need to ensure it is adequate to support the weight of the benchtop and anything that sits on it. This may require the addition of new particleboard on the inside of the cabinets that runs the full height, plus the height of your shadow line. This is because the weight needs to be transferred down through this piece into the base of the cabinets. If you just added strips at the top of the existing cabinets, then the weight of the benchtop would be entirely supported by whatever fixing method is used to hold this strip in place.

When we can see the kitchen cabinetry, then I'll be happy to help further, and I'm sure our helpful members such as @Dave-1 and @Nailbag can offer their thoughts.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

abritto

Have uploaded photos

my thought was that the Shadowline would be created but placing filler piece on top of the cabinets as the cabinet sits back from the doors and drawer fronts.

Nailbag

Hi @abritto

If your increasing the thickness of the benchtop as well as wanting a further height increase to accomodate the shadow line, then its important to check the height clearance regulation to the range hood. For example the highest point of a gas hob to the rangehood has a minimum clearance, typically 600mm.

Like @JacobZ has mentioned, it's very difficult to advise on exactly what's needed to both create the shadow-line effect and comply with the requirements of the stone top and clearance codes. In typical installations a particleboard substrate sits on top of the cabinetry, then the stone benchtop will rest on that. The substrate will already have the cutouts for the basin and mixer etc. Then the stone has a final measurement prior to manufacture.

Below are before and after photos to give you some idea. The stone was 20mm with a 40mm facia lip to conceal the substrate and give the illusion of a thicker top.

Regards Nailbag

Kitchen Thru to Dining.jpeg

abritto

I should’ve mentioned we are switching to an induction cooktop and range can be raised or lowered as required.

the cooktop change is why we need to raise the cabinet top. With a 20mm stone top (thinner than current laminate) there will not be enough clearance for the drawer below. I’m not sold on the shadowline I just need a solution that looks good and gives me enough clearance for the cooktop.

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @abritto

That will look pretty spectacular with a shadowline 🙂 I like you suggestion of the partical board to add height so its the same level as your stovetop. You may not need a solid piece of partical board just an cutout that fits the top of the bench (plus the top edge of the cabinets for overall support. I would hit up your stone/benchtop person for claification tho to be safe.

With a shadow line You could actually glue a timber strip the same height as the partical board underneath the front of the bench, back towards the cupboards. Something like this so, mounted so the square edge is towards the fron of the benchtop (on the underside) 12 x 12mm 2.4m Tri Quad Clear Pine or Pine Mouldings to give you a range. I was after something either square or rectangular. If you have a tablesaw you could rip down another piece of timber. You have a 16mm clearance max if you go with your particle board thickness.

Then Philips Hue Lightstrip LED 1700Lm Colour 20W Smart Light with the cord running through to inside the cabinets at some point. (You will need access to a powerpoint as well, just saying it as a reminder 🙂 )

Liquid nails is how I would attach the pine moulding and double siuded tape for the LED lights. You may need to do maintence ocasionally with the double sided tape but I have seen it hold quiet well with time.

Dave

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