Top 5 Reasons Your Flooring Should Go In Before New Kitchen Cabinets
When renovating a kitchen, one of the biggest decisions is determining whether to install the flooring or cabinetry first. Both options have their own sets of pros and cons to weigh. Ultimately, putting down flooring before securing kitchen cabinets offers several advantages that make it the recommended choice in most situations.
Installing hardwood, tile, or resilient flooring materials prior to cabinet building provides greater flexibility in terms of potential changes down the road. It also allows the flooring to fully settle and avoid issues with shifting cabinets. Not to mention, new floors receive protection during other construction work when covered by installed cabinets.
Allows Floors to Settle Before Securing Cabinets
Floating laminate and vinyl floors require room to expand, contract, and settle into place after installation. If cabinets get permanently secured over top of flooring that continues to shift, it can throw off their positioning and leave them uneven or off-balance. By getting the flooring properly acclimated first, you avoid this issue.
Risk of Cabinet Movement if Installed Atop Unset Flooring
When flooring materials are still setting after they've been put in, small changes in positioning happen frequently. As the floors find their permanent placement, having overweight cabinetry fixed on top can cause the cabinets to move in conjunction. Even minimal cabinet shifting after they are leveled and secured leads to problems like doors and drawers not lining up properly.
Avoidance of Uneven Cabinets by Letting Floors Acclimate First
Installing cabinets over floors that then buckle or dip slightly as they settle can spell disaster. As the floor moves, the cabinets are knocked out of level. This means you either need to re-adjust the components and doors so they align again or live with crooked cabinetry. Getting flooring set ahead of time removes this risk.
Prevents Damage from Other Construction Work
While kitchen upgrades are happening, heavy-duty construction processes pose risks for vulnerable new flooring if left exposed. Freshly installed cabinets act like protective barriers. With cabinets already built in place before bringing in appliances, sink bases have stable supports without damaging floors. Countertops get installed without incident too.
Description of how cabinets protect vulnerable new floors from remodeling jobs that can damage flooring
Things like dragging in refrigerators and ovens, constructing countertops from natural stone slabs, knocking existing walls down for open concepts, and all sorts of dust and debris from upgrades threaten pristine new floors. Unprotected surfaces end up scratched, stained, cracked, or worse. Sturdy cabinets shield the flooring below from harm.
Benefits of shielding floors during countertop, sink, appliance installs
From heavy granite slabs and marble countertops placing concentrated weight in certain spots to leaky plumbing incidents under a new sink to appliance feet leaving marks across the floor, risks emerge. Having cabinets firmly in position to take that impact instead of subjecting softer flooring to it prevents damage and saves money on replacements.
Provides Flexibility for Future Layout Changes
While no one envisions changing up their new dream kitchen down the line, plans can change. Tastes change too. What works fantastic now for your lifestyle and family may differ in 5-10 years. Putting flooring underneath cabinet bases keeps all options open for future renovations or remodels if needed.
Possibilities of renovating or changing the kitchen down the road
Perhaps you grow your family and require more storage. Or maybe your children eventually move out and you scale back to a smaller footprint. Tastes transition too - what delights your design style today may shift later. Older homes need layout changes to accommodate mobility issues too. With flooring underneath, the room can transform easier.
Challenges of replacing flooring if cabinets are already permanently installed
Taking cabinetry out to access flooring entails prying it off the walls safely, potential damage, then reinstallation. If new flooring doesn't quite meet old seam lines, stretches of old floor remain visible. The risks, labor costs, and installation headaches add up. It usually means sacrificing cabinets too if they don't qualify as sturdy enough for reuse.
Allows for Easier Flooring Replacements and Refinishing
Inevitably, floors become worn and may necessitate replacements or resurfacing after years of use. Getting underneath for new flooring installation or sanding floors down for refinishing while working around fixed cabinetry poses challenges.
Issues with accessing floor surfaces under permanently secured cabinet bases
Navigating a floor sander or manipulating new flooring boards around pipes or awkward room edges that cabinetry now blocks access to can be nearly impossible. DIY projects require so much extra time and work, while professionals charge premiums for navigating obstructions.
Simple refinishing process if floors go in before cabinets are installed
Having open floor space to blanket with dust barriers for sanding and staining means manageable DIY refinishing. New flooring also gets inserted smoothly when the whole subfloor lies accessible. No cutting around pipes or cabinet posts necessary.
Reduces Custom Cutting Around Cabinets
When flooring goes down after cabinetry, precise measurements and cutouts around each base and support get required. Additional cuts accommodate appliances too. This custom work avoids waste if you install cabinets atop a wide-open floor expanse first though.
Precise cutting needed when flooring goes in after cabinets are already fixed in place
Each cabinet and kick plate requires custom measured cuts for a tight seamless fit. Support posts and plumbing stacks poking through floors necessitate unique cutouts too. Then cutting flooring to fit appliance bases and transistioning to different rooms with their own cabinetry means puzzle-like precision.
Lower material costs by avoiding scrap flooring from angled customized fits
With so many uniquely shaped pieces getting cut for around fixed cabinets and supports, excess flooring scrap piles up. Buying extra materials to accommodate one-off custom shapes counteracts savings too. Leaving floors open until after cabinet installation reduces waste.
Key Factors to Consider About Order of Installations
Ultimately, the ideal order boils down to a homeowner's specific kitchen plans. Material choices, layout, future renovations, and budget all contribute to the decision process. Seeking professional guidance applies as well since experiences remodeling contractors have valuable insights.
Type of flooring material chosen for the remodel
Durable surfaces like tiles often go down easier post-cabinet. Meanwhile, solid hardwoods typically serve best installed before them. How finished flooring withstands construction debris and traffic while other jobs occur factors too.
Intended plans for renovating the kitchen down the road
Homeowners planning to remain for over 10 years or so may prioritize future flexibility. Those looking to sell soon after completing upgrades likely focus more on immediate cosmetics or costs instead. Expected longevity guides decisions.
Consulting kitchen contractors and flooring companies for their recommendations
With extensive experience across countless kitchen remodels, reliable professionals have insider wisdom regarding flooring and cabinetry timelines. Local regulations, inspection needs, material properties, and layout considerations all go into their guidance.
Installing kitchen flooring before securing all cabinets allows for proper settling, protects floors during other construction, keeps future change options open, and limits waste. Although some materials work better going down after cabinet building instead, most flooring benefits from getting placed ahead of time.
Carefully weighing all the pros and cons for your specific kitchen plans with professional help gives homeowners the best results. Thinking through cabinet style, flooring choices, costs, and future needs ensures an informed decision when determining whether cabinets or flooring get handled first during the renovation process.