Kitchen Island Designs
Labrador Antique Granite

by Darren
(Rockford, MN)

I had both the pleasure and misfortune of helping install a large Labrador Antique Granite kitchen island in my friend Jason's home last summer. The pleasure was seeing the job finished successfully.

The misfortune was the hard work and lifting involved.

The Labrador Antique Granite island was about six and a half feet wide and twelve feet long. Because it was in a difficult spot to install, the fabricator made it extra thick (and extra heavy) by gluing two granite slabs together and then doing a full bull nose edge all of the way around.

The fabricator recommended doing the island in two pieces with a seam but Jason didn't want a seam on this fantastic island.

The kitchen island also had a round sink hole cut into it.

Getting the giant island in place was a project in itself!

First, we picked it up with a Lull rigged with a large squeeze clamp made for lifting stone.

Then we extended the arm of the Lull through the extra large double doors as far as the Lull would extend.

To our disappointment we had another 25 feet to go to get it close to the cabinet.

Next we lowered the granite, while keeping it vertical, onto ten broomsticks and disconnected the clamp.

Rolling the giant island across the broomsticks was surprisingly easy. We took the broomsticks from the back and moved them to the front and eased across the floor.

The job was far from over.

Our next obstacle was going up a step and getting the granite to lay on the cabinet without snapping the granite counter in half just from the sheer weight of it.

We attached two large bars across the island with large suction cups and gathered a small army of strong backs to help lift. We lifted the pieces up flat and carried it into place.

I believe we had 13 people lifting at once and it was still heavy. What a fantastic statement that kitchen island makes when you enter Jason's house.

It was my pleasure to help with such a fantastic kitchen island designs project. You can accomplish anything if you put your mind (and back) into it.