Replies

1. 
   steve | Jul 10, 2003 12:28am | #1

   if posible always do the flooring first and continue it all the way under the cabinets

   a good cabinet guy will always scribe cabinets to the floor if necessary and is well versed in protecting your new valuble floor

   if you do the floor afterwards, have the cabinet guy leave the toe kick off till after the floor is done

   doing the floor after wards can create problems with appliance space particularly for a dish washer and the flooring will have to be cut precisely around the ends of the cabinets

   caulking is not a piece of trim

2. 
   Derr82 | Jul 10, 2003 12:44am | #2

   Ditto on what Steve said.

3. 
   wrick2003 | Jul 10, 2003 04:11am | #3

   my two cents because i've been redoing all of the kitchens and bath vanities in a groovy sixties brick apartment building:

   fix and paint the walls,  lay and grout the tile floor,  set and hang the cabinets, install faux granite/ laminate c/t.  

   i glue all of my plumbing together, and use ferncos in places where the next guy can just unscrew them and snake the pipes.

   install and grout tile backsplash, replace all GFCI's with complimentary color, install new lights.  

   3 kitchens down, 9 more to go.

   good luck     rg

4. 
   mwestenberg | Jul 10, 2003 07:31am | #4

   Definitely floor first or your cabs won't be the right height.  Plus the flooring guys will hate you!

5. 
   toast953 | Jul 10, 2003 09:01am | #5

   Oh, 30ALL, for me, any tiling would be done after Cabinet install. Just needs to pay attention on the amount of build up/finish floor, then use spacers under your cabinets-if needed. Now a wood floor, if it was my decision, well I would check with my hardwood floor installer, to see if he would have a problem with the cabinets installed first. If it were a complicated set of cabinet layout, well, then I may have the wood installed first. Best of luck Jim J                                                                                                                  

6. 
   Davo304 | Jul 11, 2003 08:16am | #6

   Ditto on floor first, then cabinets; including doing the tile work too. What if down the line you decide to replace that vanity cabinet with a different size unit, or even with a pedestal sink instead? If you didn't do the floor all the way, what's it gonna look like with that pedestal in place...lot of ugly subfloor gonna be staring back at ya!

   Awhile back, I did a kitchen cabinet remodel. The owner had already purchased the cabinets and I was hired to install them. He was to remove the originals, I install the new....and the original floor was to remain in place. Well after removing the original cabinets, there was no finished floor under that area. AND, to make matters a bit more complicated ( besides the big bow in the middle of the kitchen wall!) the new cabinets were not as deep as the originals. I had to do some creative finaggling to hide the ugly subfloor.  Must admit, did a lot of cursing later on.

   There really is no reason why you HAVE to install the flooring first. It would still in the end turn out OK...but if you look down the road to later on...it would be much easier to all concerned if your flooring was continous underneath....of course by that time, you may just be tired of that floor too, and decide to change it out along with the new cabinets.

   In the end, its your dollar. Spend it how you like. If spending a few extra bucks won't break the piggy bank, then i'd floor it all.

   Just my 2 cents.

   Good luck on your project.

   Davo

   Davo

7. 
   andybuildz | Jul 11, 2003 07:11pm | #7

   Theres no question here.

   Floor goes in first. The only reason  people dont do that is cause theyre "cheap"!

   Lotsa reasons.....floor height to cab counters..dishwasher uninstallation....as well as fridge and stove. Water gettin under it all....

   Its just not fine homebuilding!

   Be doin' it right!

                   a

    

    

   In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

1. 
   Sancho | Jul 11, 2003 07:24pm | #8

   I just built my kitchen. I put the floor in after the ccabs. Because I built the cabs with a seperate base. I made the base outta 2x6 and cut to fit with a adj for the D/W. BTW I did tile under the refer. I guess its all how you want to go about it and how the bases for the cabs are designed 

   Darkworks:  No Guns No Butter squilla and the bling bling.

1. 
   KenFisher | Jul 11, 2003 07:53pm | #9

   Cabinets first. I don't want to come back and replace boards the cabinet installer screwed up.  Been there...let the debate go on.

1. 
   steve | Jul 11, 2003 09:23pm | #10

   sorry, flooring should definitely go in first, ive installed cabinets for over 15 years and only ever damaged one hardwood floor in hundreds of kitchens, ive worked over hardwood, ceramic, vinyl, all it takes is a little care and attention

   in my experience the worse guys are appliance delivery guys and that can be prevented by some simple nylon sliders for appliances, i dont drag even the heaviest cabinet over a finished floor.

   most subs around here who work on top of finished flooring(plumbers, electricians cabinet installers etc) are very concientious about finished flooring

   and if i damage a floor, i pay to fix it, that why i have insurancecaulking is not a piece of trim

1. 
   r_ignacki | Jul 12, 2003 03:47am | #12

   ahhh, appliances and hardwood floors! I was just reminded of a project a while back, man, did I even push to have appliances( sub-zero reefer), delivered right before floor sanding, I mean, just so I didn't have to cover the kitchen floor, . So, anyway in the hole with the reefer, level it, etc, connect ice maker, turn on, done.

   Here come the floor sanders, sanding, doin their thing, and asking about the floor under the reefer. " Nah, that suckers in there, no need to rolll it out." O.K. So they go about finishing, staining the floor on saturday. Well, wouldn't you know that somebody (ME) forgot to plug the thing back in after pulling it out  once after it was all installed. The ice cubes in the freezer tray melted and ran over the floor messing it up. Monday morning, out with the sanders again to sand the kitchen floor over. Luckily, nothing swelled up(wasn't much water).  Oh well.

2. 
   andybuildz | Jul 12, 2003 05:34pm | #13

   Seems the reefer needs at least some poly under it.....no???

   When I put sliding applicences in I first put down a sheet, two long (16') of 1/4" luon to roll it over as well as teflon sliders.

   a 

    

   In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

3. 
   steve | Jul 12, 2003 06:53pm | #14

   i really like those teflon sliders, no marks on any floor, easy to move appliences around, have to find them on the web somewhere, brand name "glide n guard"

   available from home hardware stores in canada for about 30 buckscaulking is not a piece of trim

4. 
   andybuildz | Jul 12, 2003 08:40pm | #15

   steve,

          My brother in law use to install carpets. He had a teflon slider that was about three feet long by about three inches wide.....those suckas worked awesome. He used em to move furnature alone.

   a 

    

   In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

5. 
   cabman | Jul 13, 2003 05:16am | #16

   Steve and Fish have some good points, but here is some other thoughts. I build all my cabs with 4 1/2" ladder kicks. When they are installed I raise them the thickness of the flooring. The floor guy can slide his boards under the kicks. I leave the doors off and scribe the kick face to the floor after it is done. Cabs finish 36" above finished floor, appliances always fit.

   With floating floors, if you trap the flooring under the cabinets you can create a buckle if it can not move around a large peninsula.

   If it's lino, no problem. drop the sheet and boxes on top.

   Lots to think about hope it helps to see a different oppinion.

   Darren.

8. 
   chucksteroo | Jul 12, 2003 01:01am | #11

   Install hardwood first, sand and seal coat. Install cabs, appliances, countertops,tile backsplash, trim doors and windows, paint then come back and scuff seal coat and add two more in that order. finish off with toekick. Bang, you're done. Easy as pie! Well, easier actually, I can't cook!

   Chuck