Kitchen Renovation Tips

What comes first flooring or cabinets?

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    Take a look at this all too common scenario: You are giving your kitchen an extensive makeover by removing everything in it and starting over, including the walls, cabinets, flooring, and appliances. This is referred to as a "rip-down remodel." After the demolition is complete, the next step is to instal the new flooring and cabinets.

    Due to the magnitude of the undertaking, it is imperative that you take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the end product is in line with your envisioned blueprint. During a remodel of your kitchen, you might find yourself debating whether the floors or the cabinets should be installed first in your quest to create the perfect cooking space. So the question is, which comes first: installing the cabinets or the flooring?

    Hitch Property Constructions has an extensive range of kitchen renovation Melbourne to take the hassle out of deciding the right furniture that matches.

    Installing Flooring First

    Pros

    It is common practise for many people to instal the flooring first, as this allows them to avoid having to cut the material around the cabinets and appliances. This is the primary benefit that can be gained by those who begin with floors. In addition, some people are concerned that if cabinets are installed first, it will be more difficult to replace them in the future because you will be stuck with the same cabinet footprint that you had before.

    On the other hand, if you are remodelling the kitchen, you are probably going to do it in a style that you won't want to change in the future. Lastly, installing flooring beneath base cabinets provides a tidier appearance and eliminates the need to instal quarter rounds along with your cabinets. This is a win-win situation.

    Cons

    Putting floors under cabinets wastes flooring. Why pay for flooring beneath cabinets and appliances? Later flooring replacement would require removing the cabinets. This will cost you or future homeowners later.

    Material choice may also affect installation order. Wood floors need room to expand and contract with temperature and moisture. Installing floors under cabinets can buckle wood as it expands. The floor will be damaged. Experts recommend installing wood floors after finishing cabinets. Floating floors can't be installed under cabinets because the weight prevents expansion and contraction. This could break the floor.

    Cabinets First

    Pros

    When you begin with the cabinets, you are able to circumvent many of the challenges that you would face if you did things in the opposite order. You won't need to worry about wasting time and money on the flooring because it won't be visible. If you instal your cabinets first, there is a reduced chance that you will scratch or dent your new floors while installing them. On the other hand, if you instal your cabinets after you have installed your new floors, there is a chance that you will damage your new floors.

    Cons

    By starting with cabinets, you create a renovation footprint. Installing flooring around base cabinets is costly and time-consuming. This flooring will trap built-in appliances. Your flooring corners them, making switching built-ins harder. Non-built-in appliances can solve this problem.

    As you can see, installing floors or cabinets first has pros and cons, but floors pose more risks. When making a decision, consider your materials, appliances, and renovation plans. Ask a contractor what method they use.

    Typically Cabinets Come Before Flooring

    It's common practise to put in the cabinets first, because of the varying heights of various flooring materials. Floor covering, also known as finish flooring, is the surface that people see and walk on; it is not the subfloor (which is located below the underlayment) or the underlayment itself.

    Kitchen Renovation Tips

    The flooring will be cut to size so that it nearly overlaps the cabinetry. A small gap should be left between the base of the cabinets and the floor. Baseboard or shoe moulding nailed to the underside of the base cabinets will be used to conceal this gap.

    Following are some of the most compelling arguments in favour of the time-honored practise of putting in kitchen base cabinets before the flooring.

    Potentially Less Finish Flooring Will Be Used.

    Putting in the kitchen's base cabinets before the flooring could help you save money. Expensive finishes on hardwood floors, for instance, are often hidden from view by positioning them beneath kitchen cabinets. Why spend more money on fake wood if you're just going to cover it up? For a more reasonable price, you could use a different type of flooring or even plywood risers to keep the floor level beneath your appliances and cabinets.

    You'll reduce the flooring's height.

    There are times when it is not necessary to completely gut a kitchen and get rid of the cabinets and appliances that are already there because they are in satisfactory condition. Despite this, the flooring should be replaced as soon as possible.

    You might want to think about installing thin floorings such as luxury vinyl, laminate, or tile, all of which can be laid up to the cabinets without any problems. After that, quarter-round or base moulding is used to cover up the ragged edge of the flooring. Your cabinet counter might not be the standard height of 34 to 36 inches if you have a thicker type of flooring such as solid hardwood. This is a problem because thicker types of flooring present a challenge. There are two approaches that can be taken to deal with this problem:

    Instead of using solid hardwood, go with flooring made of engineered wood. Solid hardwood is typically slightly thicker than engineered wood, which consists of a "sandwich" of wood veneer on top and high-grade plywood on the bottom.

    The finish flooring should be laid directly onto the subfloor, with no additional underlayment in between the two layers. The thickness of a floor can be increased by an additional 14 to 12 inch with the use of an underlayment.

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    When to Instal Flooring Before Cabinets

    It is recommended to instal the flooring prior to the kitchen cabinets and appliances if the total flooring height needs to be elevated and finished higher than normal (due to the appliance height or a construction anomaly). Obviously, this needs to happen.

    Hardwood flooring would have to be installed at an incorrect height around base cabinets and appliances if they were first set up on the subfloor. It will be difficult to adjust the counter to the desired 34 or 36 inches if the hardware is misaligned. Placing plywood spacers underneath furniture and appliances may be useful. Risers can also be placed on the floor.

    Here's a way to get around some of the issues I just described if you absolutely must lay the flooring first.

    • Make a mark on the subfloor at the front edge of the toe kick after you've installed the base cabinets.
    • Taking out the cabinets and screwing in a plywood filler piece to the subfloor about 12 inches inside the line is the best solution. At the very least 2 inches in width and 1/8 inch thicker than the combined thickness of the flooring and any vapour barrier or cushion, this section is required.
    • Attach a floor-to-wall strip of the same thickness using screws next to the wall.
    • Put in the new floor, but don't connect it to the first filler strip for 14 inches.
    • Cabinets on both strips need to have their toe kicks attached, and then they can be installed. As the floor expands and contracts, the space under the toe kick will remain concealed.

    Cabinets or laminate flooring first?

    If you're not installing laminate flooring or another floating floor made from a product derived from wood, you should probably instal the cabinets first. When the floor is floating, the pieces can move around more easily while expanding and contracting.

    Cabinets installed directly on top of a floating floor may buckle or leave gaps. That's because the cabinets could get in the way of the floating floor's natural range of motion.

    Check out our range of kitchen renovation at Hitch Property Constructions.

    Cabinets or Tile First?

    Inspect the subfloor before installing tile in the bathroom or kitchen. Subfloors in older homes typically consisted of diagonally laid 14 or 16 planks.

    You can't instal tile directly onto a 1x6 plank float subfloor, but if your ceiling is high enough, you can instal subfloor over the top.

    It makes sense to instal tile on the bathroom floor at the same time as tiling the walls for a shower or tub surround.

    This means you won't have to hire the tiler twice. If you tile your bathroom first, switching out vanities won't be a big deal. Future modifications won't necessitate tearing out and replacing tiles.

    In contrast to other flooring options, tiles can become loose and pop up if the subfloor is not properly prepared before installation.

    Do Hardwood Floors Go Under Kitchen Cabinets?

    You have the option of installing hardwood floors prior to the installation of the cabinets, or you can wait and instal them after the cabinets have been installed. You can decide to instal the hospital floors at a later time. You won't be able to make even a small savings on the cost of the materials and labour because you'll be cutting down on the amount of floor space that will be covered with hardwood.

    If you instal the hardwood floors after the cabinets, you have to be careful not to damage the dishwasher because of the hardwood floors. The feet of the dishwasher are typically installed at the same floor height as the cabinets in the majority of installations. In order to successfully complete this task, you will need to instal a piece of plywood either beneath or inside the dishwasher opening. This will allow the appliance to be slid into the allotted space without any difficulty.

    If you don't instal a piece of plywood to level and raise the floor under the dishwasher, you might have trouble removing the dishwasher in the future when you need to replace it or give it maintenance.

    How are hardwood floors put in around kitchen cabinets?

    If you have hardwood floors in your kitchen and want to instal new ones, you can extend them all the way up to the toe kick of the base cabinets. The most difficult part of forming such an installation is ensuring that the toe kick of the base cabinets can be cut close without causing any damage to the cabin.

    Tile to hardwood transitions

    The transition from tile to hardwood can be accomplished in two ways. The simplest solution is to instal a threshold over the transition from tile to hardwood. The transition is typically a raised area that is just a hair higher than the finished floor. The second step is to combine the hardwood and tile flooring installations.

    He can't tile up to your hardwood floors unless the floor ends in a straight line. Metal edging is frequently used between wood and tile floors.

    Over time, you might need to tighten the space where the hardwood and tile meet. Different qualities are present in hardwood and tile.

    Hardwood floors and other natural products expand and contract as the weather changes. Normal. If you want to prevent grout from cracking due to expansion and contraction, it's best to leave a small space between hardwood and tile floors.

    The installers could grout this joint. Grout caulk is more durable and flexible than traditional caulk. Powder and tube caulk are available in most grout colours, making it simple to find a grout that matches your tiles.

    Install vinyl flooring before or after cabinets

    Installing vinyl flooring in a kitchen or bathroom prior to putting in cabinets for plumbing fixtures like toilets makes the cabinet installation process much less complicated. The same rules apply when putting vinyl down in the lavatory or the kitchen. In particular, this applies to vinyl and linoleum, both of which are typically sold in sheet form.

    Waiting until after the cabinets have been installed means you'll have to take extra care when cutting around the base of each unit to guarantee perfectly straight lines. Wait until the cabinets have been installed if you want to. In some cases, shoe moulding will be required to conceal the vinyl's raw edges at the base of the cabinets. Working it around the outside of the cabinets will accomplish this.

    How are kitchen cabinets installed?

    Typically, screws are used to secure kitchen base cabinets to the wall. After the cabinets have been installed, they should be secured to a wall stud to prevent them from moving around. In the same way that base cabinets are mounted to the floor, wall cabinets are hung from the wall using stud finders. The procedure for installing base and wall cabinets is identical.

    How to install a kitchen island

    You can't put in an island in your kitchen either way. Install the kitchen island by driving screws through the lower cabinet and into the floor. As a result, the island's border will need to be trimmed in order to conceal the screw holes.

    The second, more permanent option is to first instal 24 blocks directly to the floor, and then screw into the two by fours through cabinets.

    Putting in screws along the front of the cabinets is simple because you can do so through the toe kick and then cover the screws with the toe kick trim.

    Installing a Kitchen Island on Concrete Floor

    You can secure a kitchen island to a concrete floor using either the 24 or toe kick method, but I prefer the latter. Attach the 2 x 4 to the floor by drilling pilot holes and using concrete screws. After the 2x4 is securely fastened to the ground, the cabinet can be attached to it with wood screws.

    There are benefits and drawbacks to both possible installation sequences. You need to assess the situation and make a call based on what you think is best for your project. If you're remodelling your kitchen, it's important to think about your long-term goals right from the start when deciding on materials and appliances. Ascertain whether or not you and a contractor are on the same page. A common purpose is required of all involved. You can make the most of your project and be content with your decisions if you take the time to learn about the circumstances.

    Conclusion

    As you remodel your kitchen, you may wonder which comes first: new flooring or new cabinets. It is more streamlined to instal flooring beneath base cabinets rather than quarter rounds. Since the weight of the cabinets will prevent the floor from expanding and contracting, floating floors cannot be installed under them. The kitchen could use new flooring, but you could save money by installing the base cabinets first. Hardwood floors are expensive to finish, so many people choose to conceal them by putting cabinets over them.

    Putting in flooring around base cabinets is a tedious and time-consuming task. These floors will trap built-in appliances, making it more difficult to replace them. If the finished floor height needs to be higher than standard, installing the flooring before the kitchen cabinets and appliances is recommended. Add another 14–12 inches to the thickness of your floor by using an underlayment. Gaps may appear if cabinets are set up directly on top of a floating floor.

    Before tiling a bathroom or kitchen, you should check the subfloor for any damage. If your ceiling is high enough, you can instal subfloor over a 1x6 plank float subfloor and then tile over that. The base cabinets can be replaced with new hardwood floors that extend all the way up to the ceiling. The trickiest part is figuring out how to get the toe kick of the base cabinet close enough to the wall to be cut without damaging the cabin. If you put off cutting until after the cabinets have been installed, you'll have to be extra careful when working near the legs.

    In order to make the installation of cabinets for plumbing fixtures like toilets easier, vinyl flooring should be installed in the kitchen or bathroom first. There are two phases involved in setting up a kitchen island on a concrete slab. Both possible installation orders have their advantages and disadvantages. When planning your kitchen remodel, it's crucial to keep your long-term plans in mind from the very beginning so you can choose the best materials and appliances.

    Content Summary

    • After the demolition is complete, the next step is to instal the new flooring and cabinets.
    • It is common practise for many people to instal the flooring first, as this allows them to avoid having to cut the material around the cabinets and appliances.
    • ConsPutting floors under cabinets wastes flooring.
    • A small gap should be left between the base of the cabinets and the floor.
    • Following are some of the most compelling arguments in favour of the time-honored practise of putting in kitchen base cabinets before the flooring.
    • Putting in the kitchen's base cabinets before the flooring could help you save money.
    • Despite this, the flooring should be replaced as soon as possible.
    • Your cabinet counter might not be the standard height of 34 to 36 inches if you have a thicker type of flooring such as solid hardwood.
    • It is recommended to instal the flooring prior to the kitchen cabinets and appliances if the total flooring height needs to be elevated and finished higher than normal (due to the appliance height or a construction anomaly).
    • Hardwood flooring would have to be installed at an incorrect height around base cabinets and appliances if they were first set up on the subfloor.
    • Taking out the cabinets and screwing in a plywood filler piece to the subfloor about 12 inches inside the line is the best solution.
    • Inspect the subfloor before installing tile in the bathroom or kitchen.
    • If you instal the hardwood floors after the cabinets, you have to be careful not to damage the dishwasher because of the hardwood floors.
    • The simplest solution is to instal a threshold over the transition from tile to hardwood.
    • He can't tile up to your hardwood floors unless the floor ends in a straight line.
    • Installing vinyl flooring in a kitchen or bathroom prior to putting in cabinets for plumbing fixtures like toilets makes the cabinet installation process much less complicated.
    • Wait until the cabinets have been installed if you want to.
    • Typically, screws are used to secure kitchen base cabinets to the wall.
    • The procedure for installing base and wall cabinets is identical.
    • Install the kitchen island by driving screws through the lower cabinet and into the floor.
    • As a result, the island's border will need to be trimmed in order to conceal the screw holes.
    • You can secure a kitchen island to a concrete floor using either the 24 or toe kick method, but I prefer the latter.
    • Attach the 2 x 4 to the floor by drilling pilot holes and using concrete screws.
    • If you're remodelling your kitchen, it's important to think about your long-term goals right from the start when deciding on materials and appliances.
    • You can make the most of your project and be content with your decisions if you take the time to learn about the circumstances.

    FAQs About kitchen renovation

    An average kitchen remodel will pay off more than a high-end renovation. According to Remodeling magazine's Cost Vs. Value Report, a major kitchen remodel costs $68,490 and homeowners recoup $40,127, which is 58.6 percent. An upscale kitchen remodel costs $135,547, with a 53.9 percent ROI.

    Kitchens and baths are by far the most expensive rooms in the house because they are not only finish- and material-intensive (full of countertops, tile, and cabinets), but also carry additional budgetary demands due to plumbing, electric, and mechanical requirements.

    Kitchen Remodel Components

    • Cabinets. Cabinets. ...
    • Appliances. ...
    • Countertops, Sink and Backsplash. ...
    • Lighting and Electrical. ...
    • Flooring. ...
    • Plumbing. ...
    • Painting. ...
    • Demolition and Removal.

    $3000 to $5000
    However, the average cost of a kitchen island usually ranges from $3000 to $5000. If you're ready to go for the relatively less expensive models, your budget can run as little as $100. On the other hand, a customized remodel for your kitchen island can add $10,000 to your kitchen remodel costs.

    When selecting your countertop for your kitchen island, you can choose the standard design or a waterfall design. The standard design is a single horizontal surface that ends at the edge of the island whereas a waterfall design drops vertically down the sides which creates a continuous flow to the floor.

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