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My dishwasher is mounted under one of those granite countertops. When I open the door and pull out a shelf, the whole unit leans forward towards me. There's a metal tab that's been bent to keep it from moving forward, that parks itself under the lip on the underside of the counter, but it's loose and doesn't have a secure point at all.

How can I keep this from moving? It should be secured somehow, but I don't know how it's usually done.

First Second

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  • A rolled-up newspaper usually suffices
    – Valorum
    Nov 5, 2022 at 10:01
  • 1
    It looks like your dishwasher was also installed without the insulation blanket. If it was installed by some big box store you purchased it from, you should call them and complain. All these things (mounting flush, with the no-tip screw and sound blanket) are basic washer installation requirements. There should also be a bit of foam insulation under the kick plate on the bottom. It’ll run much quieter if properly installed.
    – Dúthomhas
    Nov 6, 2022 at 0:42
  • @Dúthomhas There's foam insulation on the sides. I got this with the house. It's quiet already, haven't even looked.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:05

4 Answers 4

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The solution to your problem is extremely simple. Trust me. :-)

The dishwasher right now is setting wrong.

You need to push the dishwasher inward for a good 3 or more inches. There is plenty room behind the dishwasher.

So push the dishwasher in until you are able to screw that top metal bracket of the dishwasher to the actual wood board that supports the countertop. 3/4" screw is all you need. You can actually see the thick board that supports the heavy countertop. It is clearly double layered for extra support.

(When you close the door to the dishwasher, the door should be even with all the other doors under the countertop.

I hope this helps.

You take care.

bracket screw point

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  • 1
    OK that's what I did. But there was only room enough to flush it back, not enough to go vertical into the plywood. So I went on an angle. We'll see how she plays.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 5, 2022 at 10:07
  • Just as a guess: maybe the setup was originally designed as this answer suggests, but with a slightly smaller dishwasher than the current one; now the current dishwasher doesn’t fit the bracket position.
    – Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine
    Nov 5, 2022 at 16:52
  • @PeterLeFanuLumsdaine Seems so. But it barely fits and it's sat back into the cavity now.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:04
  • @Rich_F. Unless you did check, in case it didn't cross your mind to check. You might want to pull the dishwasher out and see if the drain hose and what not may have got in the way behind the dishwasher, and keeping it from going further back. All you need is just a tat more I would think so that screw or even two of them to go straight up for good workmanship. You can also see if any of the legs are not binding in some spot on the floor inside.
    – Meta_Alchemy
    Nov 8, 2022 at 4:23
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    @Meta_Alchemy I had a look at the depth, and it's just full. The other side of this is leg room for stools, like a bar.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 8, 2022 at 15:34
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Some models have holes along the sides of the door opening so that you can attach the dishwasher to the cabinets on either side rather than to the countertop. I can't really tell if that's the case with yours based on the pictures, but I posted this answer in case it's useful for someone else.

Side-mount screw hole shown with gray, plastic cover in place.(Side-mount screw hole shown with gray, plastic cover in place.)

Check your instruction/installation manuals. If you don't have the paper copies, you can find them online searching by the model number.

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  • Ya mine had none. So I screwed the top in with what little room I had.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 5, 2022 at 10:07
  • Is it a good idea to use stainless steel screws for that?
    – Andrew Morton
    Nov 6, 2022 at 11:57
  • @AndrewMorton I did not, but yeah, that couldn't hurt.
    – gnicko
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:21
  • @Rich_F Excellent!
    – gnicko
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:22
  • @AndrewMorton Always.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:23
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I typically use construction adhesive and glue a strip of plywood to the underside of solid surface counters to provide a mounting point for a small 3/4" #8 wood screw.

I like the expandable poles to help hold the strip in place while the adhesive sets up but you could use bar clamps both likely require you to temporarily remove the dishwasher.

Another option is to put it in place and then use shims between the strip and the dishwasher ensuring the strip is tight to the underside of the countertop.

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  • It looks like plywood is already present. All that's needed is a suitable screw.
    – isherwood
    Nov 4, 2022 at 20:14
  • The plywood was set farther back than comfortable, so I had to bend it.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 6, 2022 at 12:04
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There is always a 3/4 inch play wood on top of cabinets, onto the granite is mounted.

On your photo I see a metal latch attached to the dishwasher sticking out, made for to be screwed onto plywood.

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1
  • Just enough to grab sideways, actually.
    – Rich_F
    Nov 5, 2022 at 10:08

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