How to Install Precut Granite Counter Tops

Due to the ever increasing price of granite some companies have provided alternatives to custom made granite countertops. Among these less-expensive alternatives are precut granite countertops. Buying a precut granite countertop and being able to install that countertop yourself can save you thousands of dollars.

Caulking gun
Tubes of 100 percent silicone caulk
Level
Measuring tape
Plywood
Circular saw
Wood shims
Drill with screwdriver attachment
1 1/4 inch wood screws

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure that the top of the cabinet on which you will be installing the granite countertop is level. Use the level to check the cabinet top in all directions, right-to-left, front-to-back, and both diagonals. If the cabinet top is not level, cut a piece of plywood to the exact size of the cabinet by measuring its top, then marking that measurement on the plywood. Cut the plywood to size with a circular saw. Attach the plywood to the top of the cabinet, inserting wood shims under it to make the plywood level. Use the drill with a screwdriver attachment to secure the plywood to the top of the cabinet using 1 1/4 inch screws.
- 2
  If the top of the cabinet where the granite will be installed is open, use the caulking gun to apply a bead of silicone caulk to all the cabinet's top edges. If the granite will be installed onto a solid surface, use the caulking gun to create evenly spaced mounds of silicone caulking. Space the mounds of silicone about six to eight inches apart throughout the surface of the cabinet's top. Each mound of caulking should be about 1 1/2 or 2 inches in diameter.
- 3
  Set the granite countertop onto the top of the cabinet. Press down firmly on the countertop to ensure that the silicone bonds to both the countertop and the cabinets.
- 4
  Allow the silicone to dry before using the countertop.

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