How To Properly Attach A Dishwasher To Your Granite Countertops

Granite countertops are an excellent choice for value-minded homeowners, providing longevity, cleanability, and functionality in an attractive, organic stone medium. The only time they don't seem to benefit the kitchen is when you're ready to install the dishwasher. Drilling holes is generally one of many things you shouldn't do with a granite countertop. The process requires an experienced perspective and special tools you may not have handy, and the risk of permanent damage to your counters isn't worthwhile when more practical options are available.

The best solution among those alternatives is a dishwasher mounting bracket like the Everbilt Undercounter Mounting Bracket (about $16 at Home Depot). Rather than screw into the countertop, these brackets fix into the cabinets on either side of the dishwasher. An array of screw holes span the bracket between the dishwasher and countertop, giving you an area to attach the dishwasher's standard undercounter mounting hardware. After installing your dishwasher, a mounting bracket is a smart route if the unit doesn't have a side-mount option or the cabinets aren't positioned correctly to let you use it. While other options are available, the mounting bracket is among the most secure and easy-to-install solutions.

Using a dishwasher mounting bracket is easy enough, only requiring a drill, a Phillips head bit, and a narrow bit for drilling pilot holes. Line up your dishwasher's door to be flush with the cabinet fronts. Open the door, being careful not to move it out of position as you do so. The mounting bracket will have two tabs at each end, with two screw holes each and an area filled with numerous tightly spaced holes in the center. One side will be a flat plane, and the other will have a narrow lip on either side of the hole-filled field.

Bend the tabs on the end 90 degrees toward the flat plane side. Position the bracket so the tabs sit against the cabinet sides. The bracket runs in the narrow space between the granite countertop and the dishwasher's top. The side of the bracket with the lips should be against the countertop. Positioning it this way will give the screws for the dishwasher's mounting hardware enough space to go into the bracket before they can make contact with the granite.

Drill pilot holes through the screw holes in the bracket's tabs and into the cabinet. Screw the bracket's supplied hardware through the tabs and into your pilot holes to fix the bracket in place. Finish by screwing the dishwasher's mounting hardware to any of the many holes in the mounting bracket to keep the dishwasher in place for the long term.

If your cabinets allow, you may be able to screw your dishwasher directly to the side of the cabinet. Reference your dishwasher's installation manual to see if this is a mounting option. If so, you may see holes on the inside of the dishwasher walls when you open the door. The holes have plugs you can remove to expose the openings you can drill into to secure the dishwasher. Some units also have available accessories you can order through the manufacturer to convert your dishwasher to a sidemount.

Another simple solution is sticky mounting hardware that can affix to the countertop for the dishwasher's mounting hardware to screw into. The Smart Choice Granite Countertop Dishwasher Installation Kit (about $14 at Home Depot) is one such product. Still, many users point out that adhesive mount kits like these aren't always durable. To add strength, you can use heavy-duty double-sided tape, like Scotch Permanent Double-Sided Extreme Mounting Tape ($10 at Home Depot). Attach one side to the mounting kit and the other to the countertop's underside to reinforce the hold.

For a more traditional mounting arrangement, you can adhere plywood strips or 1x2 blocks to the granite countertop's underside edge. Cut a strip of wood to span the dishwasher cutout, and adhere it to the countertop with adhesive sealant. After clamping it in place to let the adhesive cure, you can screw the dishwasher's brackets into the wood as usual.