I think I found my new home!

[Wolferz]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, or Wern is.

Frau is talking about a peninsula cabinet with countertop that extends out at a ninety degree angle from wall mounted cabinetry, are you not?
If so, you would place the jack in the bottom of the cabinet, set a 2x4 cut to the right length between the jack and the underside of the counter. Slowly apply enough hydraulic pressure to raise the sag, then insert your support material in the gap. Remove jack and add it to your growing collection of tools.
You could, theoretically, do the same thing with just the 2x4 and a hammer. Wedging the board in between the cabinet floor and the countertop at the approximate center of the sag and using just the board as the support to raise the sag. It would be out of sight inside the back of the cabinet. If it's accessible. Lifting the sag should lower the end with the big gap shown in your photo.

Mickey will be proud. He might even hug you if Minnie isn't around ha ha.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, or Wern is.

Frau is talking about a peninsula cabinet with countertop that extends out at a ninety degree angle from wall mounted cabinetry, are you not?

Yes, that's what it is.

If so, you would place the jack in the bottom of the cabinet, set a 2x4 cut to the right length between the jack and the underside of the counter. Slowly apply enough hydraulic pressure to raise the sag, then insert your support material in the gap. Remove jack and add it to your growing collection of tools.

Sadly there is a shelf built into the back of the cabinet that extends the full length of the thing. It's only half as deep as the cabinet but I wouldn't be able to sit the jack on the cabinet bottom and apply pressure to the outer edge of the countertop, which is where i need it. The shelf is pretty thick and sturdy but already sagging in the middle too. I may replace it in the future but I wouldn't want to risk using it as a base for the jack and have it crack or even worse crack the cabinet frame that it's attached to.

I could wedge something into the gap from inside the cabinet, provided I can get in there to do it - they're pretty big cabinets so it's probably doable. At least then if I do have to wedge things directly into the gap to raise the countertop I wouldn't be risking the same damage to the outer, visible part of the cabinet on the other side.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, or Wern is.

Frau is talking about a peninsula cabinet with countertop that extends out at a ninety degree angle from wall mounted cabinetry, are you not?

Yeah, that's what I thought you were talking about. I have the same thing in my kitchen. If I'm misunderstanding, maybe it's the overhang part. Are you saying that the countertop just need to be pushed back further untill it's flush against the cabinet in her picture?

I think you're spot-on with the 2 X 4 underneath the entire length of the countertop in order to keep it from cracking while lifting. I'd even suggest a 2 X 6, depending on the material integrity of the countertop.
Then again, it's always possible that I'm on another planet, as usual.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

Yeah, that's what I thought you were talking about. I have the same thing in my kitchen. If I'm misunderstanding, maybe it's the overhang part. Are you saying that the countertop just need to be pushed back further untill it's flush against the cabinet in her picture?

I think you're spot-on with the 2 X 4 underneath the entire length of the countertop in order to keep it from cracking while lifting. I'd even suggest a 2 X 6, depending on the material integrity of the countertop.

It doesn't need to be pushed back, it needs to be raised up.

One end of the counter:



As you can see, there is a "lip" or whatever on the underside of the edge of the countertop that sits on top of the cabinet frame. This causes the rest of the underside to sit slightly higher than the top of the cabinet. Same thing on the other end:



In the middle, however, the edge of the counter is not over the cabinet because the countertop is oversized to extend outward over the back of it, to provide a counter for someone to sit at if you get barstools or whatever and sit them under there.



So there's nothing along the length of the underside of the countertop to hold it all up level with either end and it's sagging down into the gap between it and the cabinet. I want to raise it up to be level, or as level as possible, and then slide something in the gap to support it permanently.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

It doesn't need to be pushed back, it needs to be raised up.

One end of the counter:



As you can see, there is a "lip" or whatever on the underside of the edge of the countertop that sits on top of the cabinet frame. This causes the rest of the underside to sit slightly higher than the top of the cabinet. Same thing on the other end:



In the middle, however, the edge of the counter is not over the cabinet because the countertop is oversized to extend outward over the back of it, to provide a counter for someone to sit at if you get barstools or whatever and sit them under there.



So there's nothing along the length of the underside of the countertop to hold it all up level with either end and it's sagging down into the gap between it and the cabinet. I want to raise it up to be level, or as level as possible, and then slide something in the gap to support it permanently.

Ahh, yes, that'd be Pluto. Where I was at, that is. Hmmm. hmmm, (thinking which button I can push on the dashboard to get me back to earth). Ah, here it is (WoooooooSHHH!). OK, I'm back!

Well, after following Wolferz's advice on lifting it, you could use some pine shelving boards to fill in the gap. That doesn't look (in the photo) to be 2" deep, so maybe a 1" X 6" length of pine, glued and screwed into place.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

Ahh, yes, that'd be Pluto. Where I was at, that is. Hmmm. hmmm, (thinking which button I can push on the dashboard to get me back to earth). Ah, here it is (WoooooooSHHH!). OK, I'm back!

Well, after following Wolferz's advice on lifting it, you could use some pine shelving boards to fill in the gap. That doesn't look (in the photo) to be 2" deep, so maybe a 1" X 6" length of pine, glued and screwed into place.

Yeah but the real problem is how to raise the counter up in the middle so I can get anything in there. I can push/lift it up a bit but I can't hold it up while I put a permanent support in place. That's why the jack etc. was suggested. I was thinking just of some wedge type things that I could push into gap, starting near the end and then working my way towards the middle and raising it up little by little as I go. Once I got the middle part raised up enough I could slide something permanent in there to fill the gap.

[frau kaleun]

On a completely unrelated note, after perusing my patio I have to say I'm really disappointed in Ortho Roundup. Oh, it killed all the things I sprayed it on, but they were still THERE. I had to go around and pull them out by hand and that's TWICE I had to bend my aching back and/or knees for every single weed that I treated.

I dunno, I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of the wicked witch of the west's exit in The Wizard of Oz, like they'd get doused and then just disappear back down into the ground shrieking "I'm melting!" in shrill little weedy voices.

[u crank]

From the photos FK your counter top is the standard post-formed type. Particle board substrate covered with laminate. It is probably attached to your cabinet with screws through those built up parts around the edges. This type of counter top is not really strong and any heavy jacking could break it or lift it off the cabs. If I was doing this fix I would remove the top, flip it over and put the desired piece in, glued and screwed, then put it back on.

You may not want to go to that much work. I think your method should work, slowly wedging it up and getting the piece in there. I would use wooden shims. You can usually buy a small package of them at a building supply. Easy does it and it should work. The piece you put in should be the same thickness as those built down edges, probably 5/8s or 3/4s of an inch.

Good luck. Enjoying reading about your new home adventures.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Yeah but the real problem is how to raise the counter up in the middle so I can get anything in there.

I would offer to help, but then I remembered I'm in Utah!

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I would offer to help, but then I remembered I'm in Utah!

You should come to visit! I've got several different half-empty rooms with floors you can sleep on. I'll even give you an empty box for a nightstand and I'm sure I can find a nice hunk of styrofoam for a pillow.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Yeah but the real problem is how to raise the counter up in the middle so I can get anything in there. I can push/lift it up a bit but I can't hold it up while I put a permanent support in place. That's why the jack etc. was suggested. I was thinking just of some wedge type things that I could push into gap, starting near the end and then working my way towards the middle and raising it up little by little as I go. Once I got the middle part raised up enough I could slide something permanent in there to fill the gap.

Well, IF you can get underneath the cabinet (via doors, any opening) without too much difficulty, you can get a piece or two of 1" X 6" pine shelving, cut to the proper length you need, and gently tap them into place with a mallot or hammer, sort of along the lines you see in the illustration below.



Once you get the shims in place, get a piece of 5/8 plywood cut to a fitting length, and replace the pine shelving with the plywood, or just add additional pine shelf pieces until you have an inner wall within the cabinet wall. If you use the right glue and a few strategically placed screws, you'll never have to worry about it again. If you're talking fractions of an inch, this might be the answer.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

Well, IF you can get underneath the cabinet (via doors, any opening) without too much difficulty, you can get a piece or two of 1" X 6" pine shelving, cut to the proper length you need, and gently tap them into place with a mallot or hammer, sort of along the lines you see in the illustration below.

Once you get the shims in place, get a piece of 5/8 plywood cut to a fitting length, and replace the pine shelving with the plywood, or just add additional pine shelf pieces until you have an inner wall within the cabinet wall. If you use the right glue and a few strategically placed screws, you'll never have to worry about it again. If you're talking fractions of an inch, this might be the answer.

This isn't doable since there is a shelf along the back wall of the cabinet. It's already sagging in the middle also due to having no center support, and I will probably have to remove it or else figure out a way to prop it up at some point in the future. I can't put anything between the inside bottom of the cabinet back and the countertop because the shelf is in the way, and I can't use the shelf to brace the countertop for the reasons noted above.