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Kitchen Counter Top Overhang Trimmed Down by 12 Inches, Bed-Stuy

The owner wanted the overhang on their kitchen counter top trimmed down by 12 inches. It was the overhang along one side of a peninsula, running from the front corner all the way back into the wall. I cut it off in place, right in the kitchen, and shaped and polished the new edge to match the existing edge. The job was in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy), Brooklyn, NY 11221, Kings County.

Before and after of a quartz kitchen countertop, the 12 inch side overhang on the left, cut off on the right — *Before and after. Left, the 12 inch overhang along the side of the peninsula. Right, the same counter with the overhang cut off and the new edge polished.*

A 1 foot strip, cut in place and taken off in three pieces

The owner thought the top was solid surface, the acrylic material sold under names like Corian. It is white quartz. It was installed, so it gets cut where it sits. I don’t take a countertop out to cut it in a shop. The strip coming off was 1 foot wide and ran the whole length of the side. That is too long and heavy to come off safely in one piece, so I cut it into 3 shorter pieces. Then I shaped and polished the new edge to match the edge on the rest of the counter, the rounded front corner too. About 1 inch of overhang stays past the cabinet panel. The work took about 5 hours.

White quartz kitchen peninsula with a 12 inch overhang along one side, running from the front corner into the wall — *Before. The 12 inch overhang along the side of the quartz peninsula, running back into the wall.*

It is the same kind of work as a counter side trimmed for a refrigerator niche, or a double edge cut off a black granite counter. Those were shorter cuts, but it is the same idea: a straight cut on an installed top, then the edge finished.

The same white quartz peninsula with the side overhang cut off close to the cabinet panel, a slot left in the wall at the back — *After. The overhang is gone and the new edge is polished like the rest of the counter.*

Side view of the quartz countertop after the overhang was cut off, the new edge straight above the white cabinet panel — *From the side, the new edge runs straight along the cabinet panel.*

What the wall looks like after

The overhang went into the wall at the back. Once it’s cut off, there is a slot in the drywall where the stone used to sit, and you can see it in the photos. That is not stone work. A painter patches it after the cut.

What to expect from an overhang cut in place

Here is what to expect:

The main issue is dust. I cover the floor and everything around with plastic, and I use a vacuum while cutting. The grinding can’t be done with a vacuum, though, so dust still settles on things in the room.
I draw the line on the top and cut along it, then grind and polish. That takes out most of the waves the blade leaves, but this is done in place, not on a shop saw. A small deviation of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch can stay in the line.
The cut can’t go fully flush with the cabinet without risking damage to the cabinet, so a small overhang stays. On this counter I left about 1 inch.
The new edge can chip during the cut. If it does, I fill it with colored epoxy, and the patch can be visible.
The cut-off pieces stay on site. Taking them out of the house is not included. The building super can treat them as regular debris.

Questions people ask about cutting a countertop overhang

Does a wider overhang cost more to cut off?
Not much. The length of the cut is what counts, not the width of the strip. A 24 inch overhang and a 4 inch strip on the same run are close to the same work.

Can a granite or marble overhang be cut the same way?
Yes. Granite, marble and quartz are all cut in place the same way, and the new edge is ground and polished to match.

My edge is ogee or bullnose. Can the new edge match it?
Yes, but it is more work than a straight eased edge, so it is priced as an extra.

If you want a countertop overhang trimmed, a peninsula shortened or a counter cut down, send me a photo of the whole counter, how much you want taken off, and your zip code. I’m based in Brooklyn and work in Bed-Stuy and all over Brooklyn, and all over New York City. Email info@marblerestoration.us.

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