Making a large kitchen/dining table out of Silestone...
Discussion
I am in the process of putting together a custom kitchen/dining table with a Silestone top. I thought I'd post here to see if anyone has experience or thoughts that might help.
The table will be built to seat 12 so will be approx 2200x1160mm. It needs to be Silestone as it is to complement a kitchen that has Silestone surfaces and central island. The plan is to build the table in a contrasting colour from the same range.
I have a Silestone fabricator who can CAD and cut the shape and edge profile I'm looking for from a slab of 30mm Silestone.
I'm planning to use legs like these: https://wickedhairpins.com/product/replacement-tab... If necessary I will get these custom made.
Attached by insert threads (Silestone fabricator says suitable holes can be drilled): http://www.theinsertcompany.com/self_anchoring_ins...
What is giving me pause for thought is the realisation that tabletop in 30mm Silestone might weigh around 200kg. I suspect that legs strong enough to support this (maybe 3 pairs not 2) can be fabricated, and heavy = solid which is good. But will a 250kg table be simply impossible? I don't think we'll ever need to move it - perhaps only to slide it a few cm for cleaning the ceramic tiled floor on which it will rest. I guess we could use 20mm Silestone, but that will still make a heavy piece of furniture.
Perhaps my table design is simply too large for Silestone to be the right material..?
Thoughts welcomed! Thank you in advance.
The table will be built to seat 12 so will be approx 2200x1160mm. It needs to be Silestone as it is to complement a kitchen that has Silestone surfaces and central island. The plan is to build the table in a contrasting colour from the same range.
I have a Silestone fabricator who can CAD and cut the shape and edge profile I'm looking for from a slab of 30mm Silestone.
I'm planning to use legs like these: https://wickedhairpins.com/product/replacement-tab... If necessary I will get these custom made.
Attached by insert threads (Silestone fabricator says suitable holes can be drilled): http://www.theinsertcompany.com/self_anchoring_ins...
What is giving me pause for thought is the realisation that tabletop in 30mm Silestone might weigh around 200kg. I suspect that legs strong enough to support this (maybe 3 pairs not 2) can be fabricated, and heavy = solid which is good. But will a 250kg table be simply impossible? I don't think we'll ever need to move it - perhaps only to slide it a few cm for cleaning the ceramic tiled floor on which it will rest. I guess we could use 20mm Silestone, but that will still make a heavy piece of furniture.
Perhaps my table design is simply too large for Silestone to be the right material..?
Thoughts welcomed! Thank you in advance.
I wouldnt have any problems making it as you suggested - might be tempted to add in some additional under apron in stainless angle section.
My concern would be wether the floor tiles have been fitted well enough to take the weight without cracking!
250kg is only 3 men, so not that heavy really!
My concern would be wether the floor tiles have been fitted well enough to take the weight without cracking!
250kg is only 3 men, so not that heavy really!
Have you considered polished concrete instead?
We thought about doing the same as you - even the same legs but have decided to go for concrete instead. About 80kg for 90x200cm and we love the industrial look which will go with our modernist kitchen and be quite unique.
ETA with concrete you put steel rebar inside the casting, so you achieve the strength whilst maintaining the minimalist look.
We thought about doing the same as you - even the same legs but have decided to go for concrete instead. About 80kg for 90x200cm and we love the industrial look which will go with our modernist kitchen and be quite unique.
ETA with concrete you put steel rebar inside the casting, so you achieve the strength whilst maintaining the minimalist look.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That - it'll need some seriously rigid support to stop it cracking. I think you're allowed a max of 300mm freestanding composite for a breakfast bar overhang - be well worth finding out what the manufacturer recommends. Our island cracked due to poor machining which had left stress risers in the surface - a table would have folded up with the first cup of tea banged down on it, although those legs will provide well spread support. Will look fantastic when done
sidekickdmr said:
Sounds like its going to be a great table, my only concern is how top heavy it will be, wouldnt take much of a knock for the whole thing to topple over, and I wouldnt like to be a tile/person on the other side.
Just something to consider.
Unsure how putting the OPs post in different words will help?Just something to consider.
There is no cross bracing in your design OP, it'll topple. It needs putting on top of a specially designed frame or solid units, maybe anchoring to a solid wall at one end too.
Edited by 227bhp on Thursday 20th October 13:15
Toppling is the least of your worries. It won't topple. To make it do so, like any table, you need to take its centre of gravity outside its footprint and then let go. You won't do that with a 2m x 1m table until about a 30 degree tilt. Assuming legs about 70cm long and corner positioning that's about an 18" lift. Given that it weighs a quarter of a ton, you aren't going to do that with the hoover.
227bhp said:
sidekickdmr said:
Sounds like its going to be a great table, my only concern is how top heavy it will be, wouldnt take much of a knock for the whole thing to topple over, and I wouldnt like to be a tile/person on the other side.
Just something to consider.
Unsure how putting the OPs post in different words will help?Just something to consider.
I'd be more worried about the two leg sections splaying out than anything else.
If you just use leg sections like the ones you linked to, then there's nothing except the top itself linking them together. They may well be beefy enough to take the weight of the top, but a few screws and threaded inserts into the top will not be enough to potentially stop them moving apart from one another - either outwards or inwards. Ideally you need a rail at floor level linking the two leg sections together to stop this happening.
If you just use leg sections like the ones you linked to, then there's nothing except the top itself linking them together. They may well be beefy enough to take the weight of the top, but a few screws and threaded inserts into the top will not be enough to potentially stop them moving apart from one another - either outwards or inwards. Ideally you need a rail at floor level linking the two leg sections together to stop this happening.
I'd be impressed if I could break anything that solid with my arse. Certainly a 20mm thick bit of resin filled with stone.
A more likely fail scenario would be that of some desks we had at school. They were a stupid thing to put in a school because they just weren't robust enough to stand up to the abuse that things get in a classroom full of kids. The fail mode was that a kid would sit on the edge of the desk and at some point push backwards. There was no internal bracing so the leg on the *opposite* corner folded under, inwards, and down it went. The fix is to make a box around the legs or gusset them so that they are braced against folding in. Or, as someone else said, a lower brace. Without that a fold-under failure of a leg is very very likely.
A more likely fail scenario would be that of some desks we had at school. They were a stupid thing to put in a school because they just weren't robust enough to stand up to the abuse that things get in a classroom full of kids. The fail mode was that a kid would sit on the edge of the desk and at some point push backwards. There was no internal bracing so the leg on the *opposite* corner folded under, inwards, and down it went. The fix is to make a box around the legs or gusset them so that they are braced against folding in. Or, as someone else said, a lower brace. Without that a fold-under failure of a leg is very very likely.
OP, considered a wooden table then overlay it with Quartz?
They do it with Granite, and were helpful when we looked at them. They do more then just granite, but that could get you the best of both worlds. Lighter & stronger, yet maintaining the look you want.
http://www.granitetransformations.co.uk/how-we-wor...
They do it with Granite, and were helpful when we looked at them. They do more then just granite, but that could get you the best of both worlds. Lighter & stronger, yet maintaining the look you want.
http://www.granitetransformations.co.uk/how-we-wor...
Things to note.
Those bases do not look wide enough for a start compared to width of table.
With long spans steel bars can be inserted in to tops to give strength .... unsure if it can be done in Silestone.
The top size you have speced isn't long enough to seat 12 comfortably IMO
If someone asked me to supply it I'd say nooooo. I think it would look great, but in reality a disaster in the making and not just unstable but potentially bloody dangerous.
Those bases do not look wide enough for a start compared to width of table.
With long spans steel bars can be inserted in to tops to give strength .... unsure if it can be done in Silestone.
The top size you have speced isn't long enough to seat 12 comfortably IMO
If someone asked me to supply it I'd say nooooo. I think it would look great, but in reality a disaster in the making and not just unstable but potentially bloody dangerous.
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