Lay Flooring Before Cabinets

Homeowners who have lived in the same location for quite some time, may want to change their flooring before they change out their cabinets.

Lay flooring before cabinets.

Install tile under cabinets and floor based appliances with a 2″ inset (this allows you to “move the pattern” and grout lines where needed). Installing flooring before your cabinets is the best choice for most hardwood floors. With your flooring already installed, you can be sure there are no gaps or awkward edges in the room.

K kory beam registered joined nov 14, 2014 189 posts Just have the finished floor extend a couple of inches under the cabinet. This assumes that the floating floor has a significant height.

This piece should be at least 2 inches wide and about ⅛ inch thicker than the total thickness of the flooring, including any vapor barrier or cushion. When to install flooring before cabinets if due to design circumstances for example an odd appliance height or construction anomaly your total flooring height will need to be elevated and finished higher than normal two inches or more consider installing flooring before putting in the kitchen cabinets and appliances. It might make the measurements a little more difficult, but it’s worth the extra calculation effort.

It’s also a safer installation process for your cabinets since you won’t risk any damage to them as professionals install the floors. Generally, flooring contractors prefer that the cabinets go in first so that there is less possibility of the floor getting scratched. So which comes first the flooring or the cabinets.

Kitchen remodels require careful planning. Just so, should floors be installed before cabinets? There are a couple quality items to consider when installing the cabinets before flooring.

Install your cabinetry and shelving space first. Sometimes circumstances may dictate that you replace the flooring at a future date but there would be major impediments because you would be required to remove the cabinets too. The best way to accommodate your floors, shelving and appliances is to work in this order: