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I've never worked with countertops before. I want to provide a permanent fix to this problem. Any suggestions?

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    I’m voting to close this question because this is clearly a commercial installation which isn't Home Improvement.
    – FreeMan
    May 12, 2022 at 14:52
  • Disagree. "Home Improvement is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers." Disallow these questions and we'd have no 'experts'.
    – Mazura
    May 12, 2022 at 21:49
  • The only reason we know it's commercial is that it has a tipple bowl sink and three stalls. If they'd cropped it we wouldn't know, but I'd rather see the (figurative) bigger picture, and they not have to lie. Otherwise, anyway none of it looks very 'professional'. - Nothing in the HC says it has to be a home.
    – Mazura
    May 12, 2022 at 22:02

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The problem is that whoever installed this didn't screw that side of the supports into the studs or the screws were too short to go into the studs.. Over time, that support worked loose and dropped down a bit and the countertop followed. Looking at the third picture, it appears that someone tried to fix this before and added a shim to raise the cabinet. There's a few extra screws in there too.

Remove that front piece so you can get in there. Get a jack and a piece of 2x4 and lift that front edge until it meet up with the bottom edge of the backsplash. Remove the screws and straighten out that side piece that's against the walls, so it's flush against the walls and top of the countertop. Now you're going to have to hunt around and find the studs and screw the side piece into them. Make sure your screws are long enough to go through the 1x3 at the top, side piece, the drywall and into the studs. That might be why it failed in the first place. Then clean and re caulk the countertop to the backsplash.

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  • Can't tell what the wall is made of. If there's brick, stone or concrete behind the caulk you'll need plugs as well. And definitely replace the screws with a bit larger diameter ones, they can withstand sheer stresses better.
    – MiG
    May 11, 2022 at 18:46
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    I suspect someone sat on it. If there are no studs to be found, adding a leg to the floor might be required.
    – Criggie
    May 12, 2022 at 0:43
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    That side piece made out of particle board should have nothing to do with supporting the top, especially in a commercial bathroom. All that is, is to hold the fake front. - Angle brackets or 2x4 is how I'd mount the top in the first place. Then figure out how to put a fake front on it (prob by cutting the side panel out where the new brackets or 2x4s are and then put it all back). So, "Remove [all that BS, then...]"
    – Mazura
    May 12, 2022 at 5:02
  • @Mazura i think the 1x3 around the top is the support for the countertop. If that's screwed into the studs you'd be OK.
    – JACK
    May 12, 2022 at 11:21
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The side gables support needs to have shims between the back, bottom side and the wall. Screws are not meant to be used as a structural solution. Screws are there to hold structural parts. The gable (the angle piece under the countertop) is what holds the weight.

Loosen the screws, insert cedar shims and tap them snug with a hammer until the c-top is level and flush with the backsplash. Reinstall the screws.

I've been a finishing carpenter for 25 years, trust me on this. 👍

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