How to Design a Durable Overhang for Your Porcelain Benchtop and Kitchen Island
How to Design a Durable Overhang for Your Porcelain Benchtop and Kitchen Island
Our team at Archant work with customers all over New Zealand to bring their design vision to life. In some kitchens, the plan consists of boxing off any ends with flush edges.
Another popular option is to create a small overhang where the bench extends over the supporting structure. This type of style can be quite functional, but care needs to be taken to fabricate and install it properly.
In this short piece, we’ll talk about what’s needed to create an overhang for your porcelain benchtop that not only looks great but is strong and durable.
By the end, you’ll have the necessary insight on how to best approach this in your own space.
Consider the Thickness of the Porcelain Slab
Archant Porcelain comes in two different thicknesses, 6mm, and 12mm. Only the 12mm thickess is suitable for use in overhang designs.
Porcelain slabs of 6mm thickness are best reserved for splashbacks and wall cladding. These thinner slabs can even be installed as drawer fronts for a unique aesthetic.
For benchtops with an overhang design, we only recommend thicker slabs at 12mm. We have a large variety of styles in this size which you can view here.
How Far Does the Overhang Extend?
The distance in which the overhang extends beyond the base is another important factor in deciding how thick your porcelain benchtop should be. We have some guidelines to help you with this aspect of the design.
Your overhang can extend up to 150mm without support for 12mm thick slabs that include fiberglass mat backing.
If you want the overhang to be deeper, it is possible to go up to 300mm without support. To best facilitate this, however, you’ll need to choose a 12mm porcelain slab with backing.
Adding Support Structures for Larger Overhangs
In many instances, customers envision a porcelain island with a deep overhang that extends well past the cabinetry. This of course is a gorgeous and functional design, but it does require additional support to make it last. For these types of design, use the following recommendations:
Overhangs from 150mm to 300mm for 12mm thick porcelain slabs with mat backing require support connected to the load-bearing structure. In most cases, this will be the cabinets or the walls.
The same is true with overhangs that extend from 300mm to 450mm. The difference though is that you’ll need a porcelain slab of 12mm coupled with the mat backing.
As a general rule of thumb, rigid support structures have to be placed every 600mm for 12mm thick material.
How Much Weight Can the Overhang Handle?
While we pride ourselves at Archant is being able to take your ideas and turn them into a reality, we firmly believe it must be done properly to make it worth your time and investment. Overhangs are indeed a lovely design element, but only if they can meet the demands of today’s busy kitchens.
When it comes to how much weight an overhang can hold, look at the following guidelines.
- 150mm overhang can support up to 500kg with a 12mm porcelain slab
- 300mm overhang with 200mm long brackets evenly spaced apart can support 500kg with a 12mm thickness.
A Word About Additional Openings or Cut-outs
The creation of an overhang is not recommended in the case of holes or openings on the slab positioned at less than 150mm from the edge of the cabinet. Should a hole or opening be required at distances between 150mm and 600mm from the edge, the depth of the overhang should be reduced by 50%.
We Can Help
Using the guidelines above, we believe it’s possible to craft the look and feel you envision without compromising on the build quality of your porcelain bench and island. We know it’s quite technical, but we do have experts on hand in all our showrooms to best assist you with any further questions.
Whether you’re just interested in seeing our porcelain slabs up close or have a project ready to be brought to life, we are always happy to help.
Related Links
Top 5 Design Features of Archant Porcelain (Review)
5 Stunning Ways to Use Large Format Porcelain in Your Design
How Much Should I Budget for My Kitchen Renovation in New Zealand? (Pricing Guide)
The Ultimate Price Guide to Kitchen Splashbacks (Cost and Comparison)
An Honest Review of the Best Kitchen Benchtops on the Market
Porcelain Benchtops: Do They Make Sense for You?
7 Reasons Why a Porcelain Splashback is Best in Kitchens
When Will My Benchtop Be Installed? A Breakdown of the Process
5 Easy Ways to Maintain Your Porcelain Benchtop (And What Not to Do)
Top 5 Porcelain Benchtop Problems and Solutions
A Guide to Porcelain Benchtop Costs
