Aluminum and Stainless Steel Brackets

Adding Support and Style with Countertop Brackets

Countertop brackets do a great job of living up to their name by providing the support that is necessary for countertops in kitchens, bathrooms, and other rooms where countertops live. But they also have important uses elsewhere in the world of home decor.

With today's trend toward granite and other types of solid surface counter materials, countertop brackets must provide the support that is required to hold up a fair amount of weight. It's important to look for well-crafted brackets made from strong metals like stainless steel and aluminum or hardwoods such as maple, oak and cherry in order to hold up heavy countertops. In many homes, you'll find that children or other young people sometimes choose to use countertops for casual seating, so the brackets need to support not only the weight of the countertops but also the added weight of a person.

But that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice style in order for brackets to do their job. You can use countertop brackets that are strong enough to support the countertops yet are still designed in such a way that is pleasing to the eye and complementary to your decor. It is possible to have the best of both worlds!

Just because countertop brackets are named as such doesn't mean that they have to be confined to uses that involve holding up countertops. You'll find that these capable brackets can do a great job at supporting weight in other areas of the home, such as supporting bookshelves or heavy window treatments. For example, as your book collection grows, the weight of the books on your shelves will increase. These brackets can help to protect your shelves, the books, and anything underneath the shelves in case of shelf failure.

When installing countertop brackets, you'll want to find the optimal placement to perform the job of bearing the weight most efficiently. In most cases, this involves placing the brackets at regular intervals under the countertops, approximately every three feet. But if your counters offer seating, then you'll also want to consider where your bar stools or chairs will be placed. While holding the weight of the counters is the critical task, you don't want to place the brackets in such a way that people's knees continually bump them when they try to sit at the counter for a snack or a meal. However, the curved shape of the countertop brackets is designed to allow room for your knees.