Help on constructing a Counter Frame

[Dan White]

Hi. I wonder if anybody here might give me some direction to find more info, or other advice. I am looking into putting a new deli counter in a store. The counter is about 15 feet long, 3 1/2 ft deep, and about 40 inches high. I have a kind of small drawing of it here:

blue and grey boxes represent refrigeration equipment. I thought that I might be able to construct a frame out of 2x4's and plywood, and then just set the equipment inside the counter. From the customer side, I will need a decorative finish, and probably a stainless counter top. There will be a glass sneeze guard mounted at the front of the counter. I thought I would hire a professional to do the stuff that the customer will see.

This might be a dumb question, but what is the best way to figure out how to construct such a frame? I could just dig in and start building, but I want to be sure it is very strong. I suppose I could hire a carpenter to design and build a frame, but I wanted to look into doing it myself first.

Any ideas? Thanks,

dwhite

[Carl Stigers]

Dan tell the group where you are and perhaps someone may be close enought ot give you some advice...

Carl Stigers Carl's Custom Woodworking

[Dan White]

Good idea, Carl. I am in north Jersey.

dwhite

[Robert Bonomi]

Be advised that there are a whole bunch of design/construction issues for things in food-service areas.

You _can't_ just 'build something' and put it in.

Other kinds of construction get to deal with building codes. That's a walk in the park, compared to dealing with the food-service/health inspectors. They _really_ want to see 'NSF approved' stickers on everything. If no sticker, then they'll fine-tooth things to check for 'NSF standards' compliance.

Subject to local 'silliness', if it ain't an honest-to-goodness butcher block, it's about got to be stainless surfaces. _all_ surfaces that are oriented towards the 'working' area -- the 'front' of the base (towards the customer side, below the counter-line, _may_ not have to be stainless.

One can use wood 'structurally', but it ends up having to be completely 'wrapped' in stainless, with soldered/welded seams, for cleaning/sterilization requirements.

[Dan White]

cleaning/sterilization

Thanks Robert. I'm very familiar with the codes in this state. Any exposed wood surfaces under the counter like 2x4's would just have to be painted. That would suffice. If I really had to, I could also put a formica laminate over these surfaces, but it really shouldn't be needed. I was just trying to get some ideas on ways to assure that the counter is stong and stable.

regards, dwhite