I have seen several references to reinforcing your cabinets if doing a heavy countertop. We are planning on doing either soapstone or concrete and are wondering if the standard construction of Barker cabinets is sufficient with the plywood, or if there are other steps we need to take, or max base cabinet widths we need to keep in mind.
Our cabinets use 3/4″ thick plywood and are joined side by side, creating a total of 1.5″ thick vertical plywood supports. No additional reinforcement is necessary, as these cabinets are incredibly strong—capable of supporting more weight than you might imagine. We’ve never encountered a single issue, even with the heaviest countertop materials.