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.
There are a few instances when the cabinet should be installed after the floor finish. One of those instances is when the flooring is expected to be significantly higher than normal. If your floor will be more than two inches high, it is recommended that you install it before putting in the appliances and cabinets.
Highlights. Installing your tiles before your kitchen cabinets will cut down on overall labor costs. Putting in your tiles first will help prevent water damage in your kitchen. Cabinets can be installed first if you're placing delicate tiles that might get damaged during cabinetry or appliance installation.
Because of this installation process, its recommended cabinets go in before floating floors. Cabinets, especially those with heavy stone countertops, could damage your floating floors. These types of floors also shift, expand, contract and settle after installation, causing the cabinets on top of them to move.
Like other types of floating floors, floating vinyl flooring and LVP should not be installed under cabinets.
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.
Floating Floor
NO. Never install cabinets on top of floating flooring. Based on seasonal changes in humidity, the flooring material needs to expand and contract. If that can't happen, the weight of the cabinets can cause the flooring to buckle and damage the flooring's locking systems.
Do you put flooring under kitchen cabinets? Yes, you can put flooring under kitchen cabinets. Installing flooring before cabinets gives the kitchen a much cleaner look. You don't have to spend time cutting around the cabinetry and you can be flexible with the layout of your cabinets.
This isn't ideal. Instead, we suggest installing your cabinets over your hardwood floors. This saves you the hassle of measuring and reduces the risk of error. It also saves you the hassle of cutting the planks of your hardwood flooring in exact measurements once the cabinets are installed.
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.
Since the kitchen is a high-traffic area, you need a durable flooring material that can withstand wear and tear. Consider materials like ceramic or porcelain tile, natural stone, or hardwood floors that are strong enough to handle foot traffic and heavy furniture.
Flooring should be the same level all the way under a dishwasher so they can slide in and out. Now, you can choose to put the flooring all the way under, or better yet, securely put down some plywood and then just bring the floor up to that.
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.
In most cases, kitchen cabinets are attached to the floor. This helps to keep them level and stops them from tipping over. Sometimes, however, kitchen cabinets are not attached to the floor. This is usually when they are placed on top of a countertop or other surface.
If it doesn't have a quarter round, floor goes under the cabinets, and if it doesn't it is pretty easy to see it doesn't (hence the need for the quarter round). But if you see the quarter round, just assume it doesn't go under. If the kitchen has tile, look at the grout lines.
Hardwood floor is a beautiful choice for your kitchen, but you have to remember to take care of it. Unlike tile or vinyl flooring, hardwood is more susceptible to damage, especially around water (which there's a lot of in your kitchen). Because of this, there are a few things you have to do to maintain it.
Installing engineered timber floors under your cabinets effectively compromise there expansion and could cause them to buckle and cup due to environmental changes in the weather, this will result in serious damage to your timber floors.
If spills are rare and you're vigilant about the state of your kitchen appliances, a hardwood kitchen floor should hold up just fine—as long as you give it a polyurethane sealant every four to six years to maintain a high level of water resistance.
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.
Don't want to deal with removing baseboards? You can leave them in place, but you will need to leave a ¼” gap between the baseboard and flooring, to account for expansion over time. You may want to purchase some quarter-round pieces in a matching color to cover up this gap.
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.
But, it can also be one of the big disadvantages of floating floors if you live somewhere that experiences extremely high humidity. This is also due to the space between the floor and subfloor. If a lot of moisture accumulates in there, it may contribute to warping, pitting, or mold growth.
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.