We are putting in a brand new kitchen and are on a tight budget so plan to use a laminate floating floor. My question is should we put it down before we install cabinets and appliances, or install those first and then put the flooring around them? My husband wants to floor around them to save money, but I think it would look nicer to have the whole floor covered and then put everything on top. What do you think?
Floating floors need to have room to expand and contract so the cabinets should be installed first leaving space between them and the flooring. A base will be needed to cover the open space. If you don't leave this space floor may begin to pop when walked on because of pressure at joints.
Have you considered the fact that too much water doesn't go well on some floating laminates? We were cautioned to not put that floor in our new kitchen. What if you have a big leak in a pipe, or dishwasher? We have it in the living room, but not kitchen. Consider a tile or linoleum for the kitchen. We chose linoleum that is easy care, handles a bit of water if need be, and looks as tho it was a stone tile. It looks nice, is working out for us.
It's better if it goes under both though it can go around cabinets if necessary. Appliances, it should definitelygo underneath. However, are you sure you want to do this at all? Laminate can be competely ruined by exposure to water for any length of time, even splashes from the kitchen sink if you don't wipe them up. The cheaper the laminate the more likely it will happen, and it's very hard to fix. I'd use the vinyl planks which they have at Home Depot. Looks as good as laminate and much more practical in a kitchen.
Couple of basic tips will go a long way. Order at least 10% more than the area you intend to floor. Before you start pick a direction to follow, and establish a pattern. You want to make sure you don't waste too much product, but break your seams up so they are not too close together as you proceed across the room. This is not always the longest wall. Keep in mind closets and doorways you will have to work with. Also what is the look you want, how do you want it to flow into other rooms. Undercut door jams before you begin. Pull off all old trim starting at one corner in the room write a number on the back of the trim and on the wall, so you will know which piece goes where. This is not always done, you can install new shoe (1/4 round) over the new floor and against the old trim instead. Remember than no room is square or any wall is straight. The best thing to do is snap a line down the middle of the room then measure over to the wall you want to start at and snap a line about one board width from the wall, but measure from the line you snapped. You may find that you will need to trim a portion of your first board to start with a straight line. Don't forget to leave between 1/4 and 1/2 inch spacing as per manufacturers instructions. Use pieces of scrap against the wood if you need to pound on something, never directly on the piece you are installing. Buy the threshold and termination strips that are made for your flooring product ahead of time. Take your time! Do not rush yourself or the job. It is better to live with your house torn up during the week until the next weekend than to try and rush the job. And of course the old carpenters golden rule - Measure twice - cut once.
put in your cabinetry first, then your floor, then your appliances. different cabinets have different footprints, which is why you put them in first. your appliance should go on top of the new floor in case you want to replace them or move them for whatever reason. since you're on such a tight budget, comparison shop for the cabinets and counter top, with the economy the way it is, you may be able to get a good deal on cabinets & counters. you may also want to remove the old cabinets yourself, and if you don't damage them, you could donate them to habitat for humanity or another charitable organization. once the cabinets are installed, measure for your flooring, for appliances check out the scratch and dent departments, you can get a good deal for something that could have a dent that no one will notice or see.
