Countertops and plumbing

englishk72 · Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:01 pm

As part of our redo, I would like to put in new kitchen sink, faucet, and countertops. Am I correct in assuming that granite countertops would be too heavy for a MH? Is there a light weight look alike?

I am pretty familiar with plumbing, but was completely thrown when we had to replace the tub/shower faucet. Never before had I seen flex lines instead of PVC/copper water lines. I'd like to replace all the flexible stuff here with PVC or copper, has anyone done this?

oldfart · Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:30 pm

English this is just my own opinion here of course but bear with me. First off..no... granite countertops wouldn't be too heavy for installation in a mobile home. See, much like a waterbed (which weigh a TON!) the weight is spread out over such a wide area it doesn't matter. In a normal bed the weight is distributed on 4..possibly 6 small pedastals...each about the size of a deck of playing cards. A waterbed distributes the weight over a much broader area. Make sense? Same thing fer countertops. The weight is distributed over the entire supporting base of the cabinets. So I don't see a problem with granite countertops if that is your desire. Now..on to the waterlines. Personally I would advise using flexible lines in any area where possible in a mobile home! They're easier to install, repair or replace. They bend without kinking which saves a lot of soldering and glueing. They expand rather than burst when they freeze. They're not so effected by lime or hard water and if they are... it's a simple matter to remove and replace them. What's not to love? If a line would burst inside the belly of the home it can be extracted and used to pull in a new line. Try that with hard copper lines and soldered joints! Every line to every sink/toilet/shower/hot water heater/shut-off valve in my home is stainless steel or otherwise flexible lines. I can remove the hot water tank in my home in under 20min. and replace it. No solder...no copper pipes..no worries. By my self. I'm over a half-century old....250lbs. and have NO patience. Now gitter done son. Audie...the Oldfart...

flcruising · Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:40 pm

Granite varies by thickness, which cooresponds to weight. It can be heavy, but definitely not too heavy to consider placing in your home. The only thing you should do is inspect and repair any damaged piers or columns present under your kitchen. Actually, you might as well check the whole house while you're at it. There's nothing special that you have to do to 'reinforce' your home better than to simply be sure your cabinets can support the weight.

Not sure how old your home is, but I'm assuming you're referring to either PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) or PB (polybutylene). The former is a more recently popular product, the later has been 'outlawed'. PEX is actually the preferable plumbing over pvc/copper because of it's easy of installation, flexibility, freeze tolerance, and price advantage.

Yanita · Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:53 am

Hi,

Just my opinion on the granite...these are much higher maintenance than folks realize...if you are looking for an alternative here is one to check out...

Formica 3692-77 Labrador Granite...I liked the honed finish but it also comes in polished finish.

Yanita

Greg · Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:12 pm

I would also look at tile tops. I have done two, they are nowhere near as expensive or heavy as Granite and close to maintance free. Greg

texasprairierose · Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:25 pm

englishk72 wrote:As part of our redo, I would like to put in new kitchen sink, faucet, and countertops. Am I correct in assuming that granite countertops would be too heavy for a MH? Is there a light weight look alike?

englishk72,

I researched the same thing for about a year before we decided on what to use in our kitchen. We found that the granite would not be too heavy for our mobile home, but once we took the old tile countertop off, we saw that the "solid wood" cabinets that we paid extra for were nothing more than a facade. In order to support granite, we would have had to build several supports because the only thing that the granite had to sit on was a 3/4" furring strip that was attached to the wall and it appeared as if the cabinets would collapse like a deck of cards if we removed that furring strip.

We opted for High Definition laminate from Wilsonart. The pattern that we chose was Bella Capri and it looks so much like the granite pattern Giallo Veneziano that it fools everyone. I love the laminate because it is so easy to care for and I don't have to worry about the grout getting dirty and stained like I did when I had ceramic countertops. For the backsplash we put up a mosaic tile in the Giallo Veneziano pattern and it matches the laminate perfectly! All we had originally planned to do was replace the countertops but ended up with a whole new kitchen!

flcruising · Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:51 am

Beautiful!

bea_foot · Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:04 am

Wow! It looks great with the cabinets. Love the tile and counter tops.

texasprairierose · Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:11 pm

Thanks!

peachlizzard · Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:56 am

Are those original cabinets? They look wonderful as does your tile and countertops!

Yanita · Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:01 pm

Hey folks,

Could we bring this back on topic..please put everything else in Off Topic...

Yanita

Harry · Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:37 pm

Hi

flcrusing is correct on the plumbing. Go with PEX and you will be glad you did.

When I rebuilt the back wall, kitchen and one bath (one more to go) I added more weight in the process....so I added 10 adjustable outriggers to the backside of the home. Each one is rated for 900 pounds. Everything I build is stronger than necessary. Mark sells them.

Our son just bought a new site built home in Miami with the granite counter tops. They sure are pretty. They wouldn't really go with my fishing shack decor though.

Harry