Phoenix Countertop Stone Thickness

Choose a stone thickness for your counter top

There are three options for you to choose from pertaining to the thickness of the stone that you select for any given project. The two most commonly used for countertop applications are 2cm and 3cm slabs. The third is .7cm is not commonly found in all distributors inventory. This thinner slab thickness is generally used for wall applications such as shower walls.

For granite countertops, 2cm or 3cm material are your choices. Each thickness has a unique installation criteria. 2cm is equal to approximately ¾”, and 3cm is equal to approximately 1 ¼”.

2cm Slabs

Installing 2cm material in most cases requires a “laminated” edge. In other words, stacking an additional piece of 2cm material to all of the areas where there will be “edge detail”, and by use of a strong bonding material “laminating” them together making the edges twice as thick as the rest of the countertop itself. This creates a total edge thickness of approximately 1 ½”. Also with 2cm stone a “sub-top” is used under the countertop where there is no “lamination”. This helps to support the stone and also lifts the countertop up so that the laminated edges do not keep cupboard doors and drawers from opening.

3cm Slabs

3cm material is generally not laminated. There is no sub-top, and the edge detail that you choose is fabricated directly to the edge of the stone. The 3cm stone is installed directly onto the cabinet box as no extra support is necessary because of the strength of this material. Your final edge thickness is 1 ¼”, slightly smaller than a 2cm application by ¼”.

All that being said, we do get request for laminated 3cm material, and some applications require 2cm material without laminations. These instances are the exception rather than the rule in countertop fabrication.

Generally speaking using 2cm material opens the doors to creating a more ornate edge detail. The laminated portion can be “stepped out”, or a tiered to look like a waterfall edge which is created using double laminations with 2cm material.

Price is a big consideration when choosing which application is right for you also. Although 3cm material costs more than 2cm material, the fabrication and installation process out-weighs the cost difference between the two materials. We generally see 2cm projects costing 20% - 30% more than equivalent 3cm projects.

Choose the right thickness for your new Phoenix counter tops. Call me at 602 716-1459 with any questions you may have.