Lay Flooring Before Cabinets

The flooring contractor will not have to work around existing cabinetry so the work can go that much faster.

Lay flooring before cabinets.

First it s important that the cabinets are the standard 36 inches above the floor and it s important that the appliances are at this same height so that there aren t issues later if when you want to change the appliances e g. Install the cabinets first because heavy cabinetry cannot sit on top of a floating floor or it will restrict movement and increase the chances of flooring separation. Install tile under cabinets and floor based appliances with a 2 inset this allows you to move the pattern and grout lines where needed. The finish can be applied after the cabinet installation lessening concerns about marring the floors during the remodel.

Ultimately the reason you should install your flooring before your kitchen cabinets is because it looks better. If you are installing coretec as a floating floor you will need to install cabinets first and have the flooring outline the cabinets. However when installing a wood flooring nail down or glue down there are more factors to consider. You would not want your dishwasher to be trapped underneath the floor and.

Typically cabinets come before flooring. It looks the best. Before installing flooring know how you plan to use it and if you think you re going to change your layout often try putting the floors in first. There are a couple quality items to consider when installing the cabinets before flooring.

If this is the case install either floor panels or plywood risers beneath your cabinets to even the level. In most cases given standard flooring heights you will install the cabinets before the floor covering. They should not go under the cabinets as it will restrict the ability to float properly. Installing the floors before the cabinets has some advantages.

Mark the layout of the cabinets and all floor based appliances. If you are gluing vinyl down you can place it under the cabinets. Put all the base cabinets in place then mark a line on the subfloor corresponding to the front edge of the toekick. This is especially true if you have a kitchen island with cabinets.

But if you have to install the flooring first here s a method that will avoid some of the problems i just described. Floor covering or finish flooring is the surface that you see and walk on not the subfloor under the underlayment or underlayment between subfloor and finished layer. With your flooring already installed you can be sure there are no gaps or awkward edges in the room. Check with your manufacturer to see if your floors are within normal height range.

Install plywood in remaining area to exact height of tile floor to finish cabinet install. Shim up base cabinets keeping in mind the underlayment and flooring thickness the base cabinets should be raised up to accommodate the thickness after installation of the floor. Why it s better to install the hardwood floors before the cabinets.