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.
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.
As we mentioned before, kitchen floors need to be able to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity, so if they were glued or nailed down, it would impede this necessary movement and cause damage to the cabinets.
The short answer is no, you do not install bathroom cabinets after laying tile. That would be counter-productive to the experience of installing tile and also leave a lumpy and ugly surface in the shower or on the floor. You will also have to disturb the grout between tiles, which could carry mold spores.
Generally, flooring contractors prefer that the cabinets go in first so that there is less possibility of the floor getting scratched.
In terms of how high your kitchen backsplash should be, that's up to you. Many homeowners stop their backsplash level with the bottom of their upper cabinets. However, some choose to take the tile all the way up the ceiling. This can make the kitchen feel taller, drawing the eye up the wall.
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.
Tile and hardwood floors can also be installed without removing cabinets, but it can be much more difficult. These materials are thicker, which can lead to your cabinets being lower after installation. It may also cause access issues for the lower cabinets.
In most cases, installing cabinets come first before the flooring. Know that floor covering is the surface you see and walk on, where it is usually cut to size and butt up against the cabinets.
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.
Generally, you should install your flooring in front of your dishwasher and not under it. This is because your dishwasher will require replacement or repair sooner, and this may mean damage to your floor if it is under this unit.
If you are installing click-lock vinyl plank flooring, you should NOT install under cabinets. Since your floor will be floating on the subfloor and connected solely by the locking system, it needs space to expand and contract with temperature changes.
We believe that it is easier to pick your vanity after you have chosen your bathroom style, but before you have chosen your floors and walls tile. This is because there is more variation in bathroom tiles and therefore it will be easier to match your tiles to the vanity.
Con: Tile Floors are Hard and Cold
You can also warm up your floors by adding thick, soft area rugs throughout the rooms in your home. Because of its hard nature, tile also doesn't do a very good job of muffling common household noises like footsteps or rambunctious pets.
Learning how to lay floor tiles is a fairly simple process, but it's something that takes a bit of preparation. Tile comes in a variety of styles, colors and patterns. Use these tips to get started: Find out all you can about the types of tiles available before you decide.
'Not only are they incredibly practical, but they're an easy way to add personality to a kitchen design, and offer limitless possibilities in terms of style. ' Even if the appearance of a tiled wall isn't your cup of tea, there's no escaping the functional properties they can bring.
If you're working on it yourself and can spare the time, then opt for the floor first as it's then easier that way to do the walls. If you're scared of damaging your newly-bought floor tiles, which would in turn affect the waterproofing capabilities of your floor, then tile the walls first with precision and caution.
If you want to do it correctly, tile under it all. New construction always has the flooring under all areas in the kitchen and remodel jobs typically but up to the cabinets. The reason is because usually when you are replacing a floor in a remodel, the cabinets don't always get replaced at the same time.
For most people, porcelain tiles are the best kitchen floor tiles around. They're durable, won't get scratched or dented, and they're easy to keep clean.
A best practice is to install the toilet flange on top of the finished floor. If you install the toilet flange flush with the finished floor, or even below the finished floor, leak paths will form, because the flange won't be at the correct height to accept the horn at the bottom of the toilet.
You can install vinyl plank flooring underneath a bathroom vanity (unless the manufacturer advises against this, for warranty reasons). But, generally speaking, bathroom vanities can be installed directly over the subfloor, so covering the area with flooring first seems like unnecessary work.
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.