Cabinets or finished floor first?

[Richard McComas]

I’m doing the cabinets for a customer who is having her living room/kitchen remodeled. I am only doing the cabinets and the cabinets install. Other trades are doing the other work.

The flooring installer is pushing customer and myself to let him install the Pergo floating floor before I install the cabinets.


I say no for a couple reasons, one, its not the normal construction progression, at least to what I’ am use to. All the jobs Ive been involved with over the years the finished flooring goes in last. I really believe the floor installer is just trying to make his job easier at everyone else’s expense.

Because this is a floating floor that expands and contract quite a bit thru the seasons I believe constraining the movement of the flooring by attaching the cabinets (wall and Island) to the floating floor is a good thing to do.


So what do you guys think if it were you would you let the flooring be installed before the cabinets?

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Richard, you have hit the nail on the head! You do NOT want this flooring installed first. Any floating floor professional that would suggest to do so, is not one that would be doing my house.

The reason that he wants to install it first is that it is a royal pain to install it around the cabinets, the right way.

[Donnie Raines]

If the flooring is a solid wood product I could see the wood movement issue for sure. If it is a composite(laminate of some type), it seems as though there would be little to no movement.....??..... :confused:

[Jeremy Bracey]

I have a similar question. I am installing my own 3/4 hardwood floor and new cabinets, both myself. My intention was to nail down the hardwood floor first. Is this a bad idea, or the real concern for floating floors. My parent have tile floor and they installed it before the cabinets.


Help!

[Ray Dockrey]

Seems to me that placing the cabinets over the flooring would make it very difficault if the floor needs to be repaired. I have never heard of doing it that way.

[Richard Wolf]

Pre finished laminate floor should not be installed before the cabinets. Other floor types can go either way. Pergo is a floating floor which should be allowed to move without being impedied by the cabinets.

Richard

[Per Swenson]

For a 3/4 hardwood floor it is fine to put it in first,
then finished and topcoated last. Except for your toe kick installation,
The flooring guys are the last ones out the door.
Especially laminate.
Per

[Steve Clardy]

My contractor I do cabinets for won't let me install cabs on top of a floating laminate floor, due to the warranty of the flooring.
Hardwood, tile, I set cabinets after the flooring is done.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Pergo is a "floating floor system" and should go down after the cabinets.

[Michael Perata]

For a 3/4 hardwood floor it is fine to put it in first

Per
Per

I respectfully disagree.

A customer of mine many years ago DEMANDED I put the 3/4" T&G floor in before her store bought cabinets were installed. She was buying pre-finished modular cabinets and didn't want them dinged by the floor installer.

Long story short - the Sub-Zero leaked, oak floor swelled under cabinets and ripped the tiles and cabinets off the wall.

She tried to sue, but I showed her the change order.

I usually had my cabinet subs lay 3/4" plywood down where the base would go so if the wood/tile floor had to go in early, the installer had a line to cut to.

[Jim Becker]

Naa....for a floater, cabinets in first. No question. And it will use less material for the floor, too!

[Matt Allan]

Forgive my ignorance on this matter.. I may be installed a new floor/cabinets myself soon. If you install the cabinets first, do you raise them the height of the finished floor with another material under just the cabinets?

I was thinking if you installed say cement board+tile or hardwood after the cabinets the floor would be raised the amount of the floor material, thus lowering the height of the counter but my real concern was leaving a lip in front of the cabinets for a dishwasher or something which slides in. Are they made with enough room to lift up/out if you have a lip from the floor once a countertop is in? So they can easily be removed/switched at a later time for replacement/repair?

Would sure hate to lock one of those in place and discover that a few years down the line

[Kelly C. Hanna]

No matter what....ALWAYS do floors last!!!

[Richard McComas]

Forgive my ignorance on this matter.. I may be installed a new floor/cabinets myself soon. If you install the cabinets first, do you raise them the height of the finished floor with another material under just the cabinets?

I was thinking if you installed say cement board+tile or hardwood after the cabinets the floor would be raised the amount of the floor material, thus lowering the height of the counter but my real concern was leaving a lip in front of the cabinets for a dishwasher or something which slides in. Are they made with enough room to lift up/out if you have a lip from the floor once a countertop is in? So they can easily be removed/switched at a later time for replacement/repair?

Would sure hate to lock one of those in place and discover that a few years down the line

You are correct; you would need to raise the cabinets the same amount as the thickness of your finished flooring.

I build my cabinets and toe kicks as two separate units. I typically build my boxes 30-1/2 inches tall and my plan the toe kicks according to the finish floor thickness. I like a 4 inch of toe kick exposed so if the flooring is ¾ my toe kick will be 4-3/4 inches tall. I install the toe kick nice and level the then set the cabinet boxes on them. This is much easier than cutting cabinets with build in toe kicks to fit the floor.

In the dishware area just lay some ¾ plywood back in the area that does not show.
At least that's the way I do it.

[jack duren]

if its 3/4 T&G it should be installed first,floating floor second.

if your on schedule you have a good case. if not its a flip of a coin. its always easier on the flooring guy if he can go in before the cabinets.

if its a warranty issue on a floating floor and "in print" on the product not to be installed before cabinets then use it as your argument. if not again its a flip of a coin.

i would simply state to the owner you can not guarantee the floors protection when installing the cabinets.....jack

[Ellen Benkin]

I'm no expert, but my logic would be that a homeowner is much more likely to replace a kitchen floor than the kitchen cabinets. Thus, the cabinet installation is more "permanent". If the floors extend under the cabinets, replacing the floor would be a nightmare. I'd put the cabinets in first and run the flooring around them regardless of the type of flooring used.