Floating countertops, vanities, and islands are a great surfacing option for homeowners. However, the success of these features relies on having hardware strong enough to support the surface while meeting all the aesthetic requirements.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of using floating counter brackets and the design features they make possible.

More Usable Surface Area

Consumers want more surface area in their homes. Now that most people are living, working, and eating in the same place, the need for multifunctional spaces has never been greater. 

Designers can capitalize on this trend with bigger islands, floating countertops, and extended tables. 

But to do so, you’ll need hardware that’s strong enough to support heavy surfaces without compromising the aesthetic of the design. And the stronger your hardware, the more weight you can support and the more surface area you can add.

A durable and well-constructed floating counter bracket can handle the technical and safety requirements of the project, allowing you to focus on the design.

Also if you are the designer or fabricator, more surface area added will increase the total revenue for the project —  a win-win!

Design and Aesthetics 

There are few design features as breathtaking as a floating countertop. The sleek, minimalist look provides a unique aesthetic that makes the client wonder how the feature is even possible.

That entire experience relies on one thing: well-engineered supports.

The problem is, many projects are designed with floating or cantilevered surfaces but the drawings do not specify a solution. Oftentimes it is left to the fabricator to figure out how the surface will be supported. Other times the end-user supplies standard shelf brackets on the market that are not designed to support the weight of stone and engineered surfaces.

Fortunately, there are brackets, like the CounterBalance, which maintain structural integrity while staying out of sight. They achieve this with a T-shaped profile that provides a lot of support without the extra weight of much thicker steel.

Accessibility 

Beyond aesthetic considerations, floating surfaces are also important for accessibility. Floating vanities make sinks more accessible to wheelchairs while achieving ADA compliance in workspaces. So, designers creating accessible surfaces should consider specialized ADA brackets.

Safety

In addition to affecting aesthetics and accessibility, your selection of a countertop bracket has a serious impact on safety.

Extended overhangs are extremely heavy. Stone materials used in countertops, like granite, are very hard, making them destructive when they break. And when built with weak supporting brackets, they will fall.

A collapsing stone overhang can easily hit a child, hurt a pet or crush someone’s foot. Even if no one is hurt, there’s still damage done to the client’s home and expensive repairs.

For these reasons, it’s always worth using strong, high-quality brackets designed to support overhangs. It is also important to follow the installation guidelines to make sure that the product is used as directed.

New Design Possibilities 

Floating counter brackets allow designers to create new installations and features that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. And when you use strong enough brackets, you can push your designs beyond previous limitations, building bigger islands, larger surfaces, and impossibly long overhangs.

Here are some design ideas that become possible with the right floating counter brackets in your toolbox.