If you're replacing both your flooring and countertops, we advise you to choose your countertop first. The countertop is often the largest, overall expense in a kitchen design - so it deserves to be a feature item. Once you select the countertop, you can work backwards to select flooring from there.
Installing flooring before your cabinets is the best choice for most hardwood floors. When professionals install floors then cabinets, it's easier to get everything to standard heights. It's also a safer installation process for your cabinets since you won't risk any damage to them as professionals install the floors.
1. Tear Out and Demolition. The first step of any kitchen remodel is tear out and demolition. Before you are ready to create a beautiful new space, it is important to demolish and get rid of what's outdated or worn out.
Countertops are typically installed after flooring, cabinets, and appliances. This is true for both new builds, and remodeling projects. Since countertops sit directly on the cabinets, the cabinetry must be installed prior to the final measurements, fabrication, and installation.
A countertop needs to be installed before the backsplash is put on the walls above the countertop.
Some schools of thought regarding countertop and backsplash remodels say installing your tile backsplashes first and extending them down below where the counters go can provide additional support. Still, you can also rectify that by putting in added support for your granite countertops first.
First, during tile installation, leave a small space between the tiles and the wood surface or countertop… no more than 1/8 of an inch.
Countertop design typically revolves around the new appliance specifications. If you're going to install any specialty type of appliances, such as a range that is wider or narrower than the standard 30 inches, a drop-in cook top or an off-size refrigerator, you'll need the appliance measurements first.
It's very important to install an undermount kitchen sink before the countertop slabs are set down. Once the countertop slabs are set down, you usually will not be able to fit the sink through the hole, and you won't be able to properly seal between the sink and the underside of the countertop.
If functionality is the most important part of your kitchen, buy appliances first. If you're remodeling your kitchen for style and spaciousness, buy cabinets first. Either way, measure twice so you only have to buy once.
While painting your walls, you might be worried that freshly painted cabinets will be damaged while installing a new counter. So yes, you should paint the walls before installing countertops. Before installing the counters, avoid painting, tiling, or wallpapering the area above the countertop.
While refrigerators and stoves can be removed easily to install the flooring, the same cannot be said for kitchens with a dishwasher. However, it is possible to install laminate flooring under a dishwasher without completely disconnecting it.
You are okay without the flooring being installed under the island. The only way this becomes an issue is if somewhere in the future you want to remove or reduce the island size you would be limited to the original footprint of the island or you would need to match the floors to cover the unfinished area.
A common issue with the undermount design is that they can be prone to sagging over time. When the sink starts pulling away from the countertop, leaving a gap, it needs to be hiked back up and secured in place. Undermount sinks work best with solid granite, marble, or concrete counters.
Also called top-mount or drop-in sinks, overmount sinks have a lip that sits above, and covers a small area of, the countertop. They also have both pros and cons. This is an example of an overmount, stainless steel, double bowl sink.
Undermount kitchen sinks have a sleek configuration that can showcase a countertop and make cleaning easier. They can also be more challenging to install than drop-in sinks.
When installing granite countertops, you will not need an underlayment of plywood if the granite has a thickness of 3 centimeters (about 1 1/4 inches). However, for granite with a thickness of 2 centimeters (about 3/4 inches), you will definitely need to use plywood for support.
It's easy to install, but hard to figure out how to run the wiring if you're re-installing them.” It's also worth noting that under-cabinet lighting can cause eye-straining glare when it's aimed directly onto a highly polished stone surface. It's something to think about when you're choosing countertop material.
So just remember: Backsplashes should go behind the stove and between the countertop and the bottom of the upper cabinets, but not behind the fridge. The backsplash should be wherever there will be food and water splatter, but not where it can't be seen.
The one spot where caulk, not grout, should be used is the seam between the countertop and the backsplash. The right material for that is a top-quality silicone caulk. The Tile Council of America suggests a 1/8-in. -wide caulk joint at the seam.
Answer: We can do it either way.
In an ideal world, the whole thing would be done at once. The old countertops would be removed (and the old backsplash), then either the cabinets painted or the counters and backsplash replaced, whichever happened to be scheduled first.
When tiling a kitchen backsplash behind a stove, the best practice is to continue the tiles down the wall a minimum of one full course below the countertop height. This is done in order to prevent any visual discontinuity so you cannot see any untiled wall surface.