In most cases, the cabinets are installed before the floor covering but after the subfloor and underlayment. The floor covering or finish is usually cut to fit and butted against the cabinets, with a small gap between the two that is covered by nailing a shoe molding or baseboard to the bottom of the base cabinets.
Traditionally hardwood flooring is more commonly installed prior to the cabinets and sanded and finished as one of the last steps, but with the increasing popularity of prefinished hardwood flooring the risks of damage during installation becomes greater.
In most cases, given standard flooring heights, you will install the cabinets or kitchen island before the floor covering. You will also install flooring before appliances.
Yes and no. It really depends on your preference, the type of cabinet, and more importantly, on the type of kitchen flooring you have and how it is installed. It isn't necessary to have your kitchen cabinets sit on the subfloor, and it certainly isn't the desired option among contractors.
A floating wood floor has to be free to expand and contract with seasonal changes in humidity, and it can't do that with heavy cabinets resting on top of it.
A quick search online brings up a lot of debate on the issue, but no clear answers, so let us simplify for you: In our opinion, you are much, much better off laying your floor up to the edges of the units and appliances, rather than trying to install underneath them.
Putting down the floor before the cabinets makes for clearer sailing now and into the future. Treat the floors under your cabinets like a permanent installation. They should receive the same treatment as the rest of your floor. Just because they won't show doesn't mean you can cut corners.
Can I install laminate flooring under cabinets? – This is one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners when they are looking for advice from laminate flooring companys near them. You should avoid installing cabinets or any other hardware that should be bolted to the floor on the laminate.
Can you install cabinets on top of a floating floor? Generally speaking, while you can do it, you should avoid putting a floating floor under cabinets. Floating floors are not designed to hold the extra weight of cabinets, and over time they can damage the floor and cause more issues in the long run.
By installing flooring underneath your appliances, you'll avoid any gaps or transitions that can be visually unappealing. Protection: Another benefit of installing flooring under appliances is that it provides protection for your subfloor. Over time, appliances can leak or spill, causing damage to the subfloor.
Yes, you should always put flooring under your dishwasher. Since dishwashers are designed to fit snugly under your countertop, this will make it much easier to remove without the need to lift it over a lip of flooring.
Installing your flooring before the door poses several advantages. First, you will have more room to work with as the doors are out of your way. This way, you can ensure correct installation by lining your tiles appropriately, as the doors will not dictate how you lay them.
While some types of flooring, such as vinyl and tile, can be installed under cabinets without issue, other types of flooring, such as hardwood or engineered wood, may not be recommended for this installation method.
If you have dark wood cabinets and you choose a very light wood floor, then the room will look top-heavy. On the other hand, you can go with a dark floor if you have light wood cabinets, or choose a shade that matches entirely in order to create a cohesive kitchen.
Always install the tile to the wall, under appliances, and cabinets. Good flooring could be in place for 20 years or more. In that time there could be water leaks, appliance failures cabinet damage that requires replacement, electrical problems that require cabinets to be moved, etc...
If you intend to place your refrigerator on your floating floor, lay the planks underneath from side to side while featuring the planks in the main part of the kitchen. This way, the weight of your refrigerator will not pop the planks in the middle of the kitchen where you walk.
The upper kitchen cabinet should be installed at least 54 inches from the floor to allow for a conventional backsplash. Keep the upper kitchen cabinets within comfortable reach by keeping the base cabinets between 32 and 36 inches high.
And this is generally the case with most flooring, however, there are some floor types out there that don't give you so much of an option. For example, laminate. Laminate is a flooring type that works best if installed after the cabinets.
A thin bead of caulk can seal or fill that small gap between cabinets and floors in less than 30 minutes. I love a quick win, guys! This DIY works on gaps 1/4″ and smaller. If your gap is larger than a 1/4″, you should use trim first, like quarter round.
Here are the main advantages of laying flooring first: Installation is easier: When you start with your flooring, you usually fit it to the entire kitchen area. This means it doesn't need to be cut around your cabinetry and should be quicker and easier to install. This, in turn, could save you on installation costs.
If you are installing glue-down vinyl plank flooring, it is okay to install under cabinets. Since the planks will be glued down to the floor, they will not contract and expand with temperature changes.
Generally, flooring contractors prefer that the cabinets go in first so that there is less possibility of the floor getting scratched. Cabinet installers like the floor to be in place so that the cutting and dust from the floor installation will not damage the vanity.
The type of flooring material you choose can impact the order of your renovation. We recommend installing hardwood flooring first, while it's OK to install tile after installing your cabinets.