An excellent way to add some class to your kitchen or dining room is to add a granite table. Granite slabs can be pricey, but converting one into a table is a relatively simple task. Anyone with enough DIY carpentry skills can pull off this build.
To build a table base for a granite top, choose a table with a low center of gravity, spread towels on the floor, wipe the granite’s underside to remove debris, and lay the slab on the table. Then, use a caulking gun to apply adhesive to the slab, apply pressure, and wipe away any excess with a rag.
While you can buy a granite table, building your own offers so much more creative control. If you like the idea of DIYing a killer granite table, there are some detailed tips and instructions below on how to choose and build the perfect base for one.
Choose a Table With a Low Center of Gravity
The granite slab’s size and thickness are essential to consider when looking for a base for your table. If your slab is on the larger, heavier side, you’re going to need a bigger, more substantial base.
You don’t need to worry much about the table base being crushed under the granite as they can be made of materials ranging from steel to cast iron. There is the matter of the table’s center of gravity, though. If the granite slab is too heavy and the base too light, it can topple over.
Speaking of toppling over, the height of the table base is an important factor too. The taller something is, the more likely it is to fall if the center of gravity is too high for the object to be stable. Weight is key. If you’re going tall – like say, for a tabletop at bar height – the base needs to be relatively big and heavy.
Deciding what style your table base will involve more than selecting it based on looks. Different types come with distinct advantages when paired with granite slab tops. Vintage bases, for example, usually have cast-iron columns and bottoms, so they’re heavy, and the metal isn’t prone to flexing.
Spread Cardboard or Towels on the Floor
This is the first method of actually building yourself a granite table. You’ll need to spread some protective covering (like cardboard or a towel) on the floor and place the granite onto it face down.
Clear the Granite’s Underside to Remove Debris
The next step will be to clear the underside of the granite slab of dirt, dust, and debris so that the base and tabletop adhere perfectly to each other. To ensure the base is placed precisely where you want it, measure the positioning with a tape measure and outline it with a pencil.
Use a Caulking Gun To Apply Adhesive
To attach the base, load a caulking gun with silicone and apply plenty of adhesive inside the outline you drew. You’ll need to press the table base down into the silicone and wipe away any access that squeezes out from under it with a rag.
Fill Any Gaps With Silicone
You will need to thoroughly inspect the joint between the table base to ensure gaps. If there are, you can fill them in with silicone as required. The silicone needs to cure for 24 hours before you can place the table after you’ve glued the table base before turning the entire thing right-side up.
Building a Table Frame From Scratch
If you don’t come across a table base that you feel is suitable for your table (and the granite slab isn’t too heavy), you can build one out of wood. Like gluing a table base above, making your own is a project that can be done within a day and doesn’t require much DIY building experience.
Measure the Granite Slab’s Length and Width
First, take your measuring tape and find the length and width of the granite slab. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to subtract four inches from these measurements to get the table frame dimensions. To make the table’s support piece, cut four pieces of 2 x 4 (5.08 x 10.16 cm) hardwood; two for the width and two for the length measurements.
Set the Pieces of Wood Into the a Rectangular Shape
The first four pieces of wood need to be set into a rectangular shape with the short wooden slabs positioned at the ends of both longer pieces. Your table will require 4-inch (10.16 cm) wood screws to help it keep its form. Drive the screws through the long boards into the width boards to adhere both together.
Attach the Legs
Your table will need legs, so you’ve got to cut four 4 x 4-inch (10.16 x 10.16 cm) hardwood posts to the exact table height. Now that your table legs have been cut place a towel or drop cloth on the floor and put the table frame on top. Stand the legs of the table up in each corner and press them to the four inside edges.
To put the legs on the table frame, pre-drill four holes on the outside of the edge of each corner and use a screwdriver to screw in 5- inch (12.7 cm) carriage bolts until the head is right against the wooden support frame. To make sure the table is as secure as possible, use 2-inch (5.08 cm) wooden screws on the legs’ inside edge.
Cut a Fitted Plywood To Stabilize the Granite
To further stabilize the granite and keep it in place, you’re going to need a piece of fitted plywood nailed into the table base. Cut a ½ inch (1.27 cm) thick piece of plywood to the base’s exact dimensions, flip the base right-side-up, and place the wood flat on top of it. You can use a nail gun to drive nails into the plywood to fasten it to the table base.
Stain or Paint
Your table base is pretty much done at this point; the construction is complete, and this is the part where you make the base your own. You can stain or paint according to whatever preferences you may have. The granite color is something to keep in mind when choosing the frame coloring, and you’ll need to let the stain or paint dry before touching it again.
Position the Table and Place Granite Slab on Top
You can put the table into its proper position and place the granite slab on top of it now. Even “light” slabs of granite can be heavy with pieces only ¾ inches (1.91 cm) thick, weighing 13 pounds per square foot (63.47 kilograms per square meter), so it’s best to move the granite with assistance.
You and your partner should move the slab so it overhangs by 2-inches (5.08 cm) on each side of the table frame. The slab’s weight works in your favor a bit, though, as it’s so weighty you won’t need glue to keep it in place. However, it’s still an option.
Some Cautionary Tips
These are just generalized tips and instructions for selecting and building a table base. Constructing and selecting a proper base for your table depends on multiple circumstances. What works for one person may not work for you. For example, you may have a granite slab too heavy for the construction method here, or the base you glued to your top may be shaky.
If you have issues with table wobbling, the base may be sitting on an uneven floor, the top may weigh too much, or the base could be too light. It’s always best to err on the side of caution and choose or build table bases on the heavy and large side to avoid such issues.
Conclusion
Hopefully, many of you reading this may be able to use it to help you correctly choose a table base and build one. If nothing else, this article might give some reading this confidence to try this project yourselves.