Install Flooring Before Cabinets

Typically cabinets come before flooring.

Install flooring before cabinets. The flooring will be able to expand and contract beneath the toekick without revealing a gap. If you foresee yourself craving layout change we advise you cover your kitchen in wall to wall flooring first. Now install the new flooring but keep it about a inch from the first filler strip. With a floating floor you install after and cabinets should be raised by adding plywood underneath them before the cabinets are installed.

Rob in general the flooring should go under the cabinets assuming it s hardwood or tile and it s nailed or glued. The finish can be applied after the cabinet installation lessening concerns about marring the floors during the remodel. If you are installing click lock vinyl plank flooring you should not install under cabinets. If you have any more remodeling questions the design experts at cabinets to go are always happy to help.

Finally install the cabinets on both strips and attach the toekicks. 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 flooring contractor will not have to work around existing cabinetry so the work can go that much faster. 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.

In most cases given standard flooring heights you will install the cabinets before the floor covering. This assumes that the floating floor has a significant height. Cabinets and appliances without flooring underneath are much harder to move. Install plywood in remaining area to exact height of tile floor to finish cabinet install.