Should kitchen cabinets be installed before wood flooring? That’s something most of us overlook during renovations, but it can actually cost us a lot of time and money to make the wrong decision.
There are some conflicting opinions out there, but after experimenting and consulting with a few flooring companies, I’ve come to the conclusion that you should install wood flooring before kitchen cabinets. For logistical and practical reasons, it is far easier and simpler to begin with the floors before moving onto the furniture. You will save money, time, and energy with this approach.
Granted, that’s not to say you can’t install the kitchen cabinets first before installing the wood flooring.
There are some people who believe that this makes it easier to ensure the appropriate height is considered and adhered to. For leveling purposes, this makes sense. Furthermore, some say that it can save you space to install kitchen cabinets flush on the ground because you would only need to install wood flooring up to the edges of the cabinets.
One could argue that this would be cheaper because you’d need less wood flooring.
But I don’t really find this to be a good long term decision.
In the event that you were to ever remove and change the kitchen cabinets, you’d have a big chunk of flooring that doesn’t match. Trying to locate a replica of the wood flooring used at that point is going to be costly and inconvenient.
It’s always better to have wood flooring installed from wall to wall before installing furniture, as it helps with the moving process as well. If you were to ever sell your home, these little details would affect the asking price and the marketability of the property.
We have to think about the long term effects of our home renovation and interior decorating decisions.
Be that as it may, let’s take a closer look at some of the other reasons why you should install wood flooring before kitchen cabinets.
Reasons to Install Floors Before Cabinets
1. The installation process is easier.
There’s a lot that goes into installing kitchen cabinets, and it’s not as clear cut as you would think.
You have to consider the level, height, width, and drag that could be caused by incorrect positioning.
Having to work around pre-installed furniture while installing floors is a nightmare. Without a doubt, it involves more work.
It’s just simpler to just complete the floors before moving onto the cabinets.
You can build cabinets right on top of the wood floor without having to worry about whether it’s going to affect the way the wood flooring is installed or appears.
2. Time saving.
It takes a long time to install wood flooring, and there are a lot of things that have to be done during the preparation phase.
From ensuring that the subfloor is perfect to getting accurate measurements, cutting and adjusting, placing, and installing the wood floor, and applying a sealant, there’s a lot to be done, and it takes time.
Finishing the hardest and longest part of the kitchen frees up more time for you to work on the cabinets.
Addressing all these things while maneuvering around cabinets doesn’t seem like a recipe for efficiency or ease.
3. Wall-to-wall flooring looks better.
As we’ve discussed earlier, there’s a lot of merit to having the wood floor meet all four walls in a room.
It looks more seamless, you can protect all areas with a sealant before installing furniture, and you have the option of changing the layout of the room without worrying about areas that are left un-tiled or un-floored.
It’s also a factor that affects the overall market value of your house.
Buyers prefer floors without patches because it provides them with the freedom to make adjustments or changes without having to incur unnecessary expenses.
4. More flexibility with adjustments.
Making adjustments to wood flooring after the installation is a lot more problematic and costly than making adjustments to kitchen cabinets.
If you install the cabinets first and run into a problem with the flooring, you’d have to go through all the trouble of removing the cabinets and then making adjustments.
That’s a waste of time and energy.
5. It safeguards your furniture.
Believe me when I tell you that it’s not a clean or problem free job to install wood flooring.
Sometimes, there’s a lot of cutting and adjusting that takes place, apart from the other unforeseen issues that may pop up along the way.
There’s a risk that during the installation of wood floors or the sealing that takes place afterwards, your furniture or cabinets could be damaged.
Even professional companies are capable of making mistakes.
Taking this into consideration, it doesn’t seem worthwhile to install the kitchen cabinets before the wood floors.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this article on should kitchen cabinets be installed before wood flooring.
Personally, I think it is far more sensible and safer to install wood floors before kitchen cabinets.
This safeguards your kitchen cabinets from any damage that could occur while installing floors.
Furthermore, wall to wall flooring is usually a preferable standard in the event that you want to make changes to the layout of your kitchen or if you plan to sell your home in the future.
Granted, there are instances when you could install kitchen cabinets first, especially if they’re going to be floating because you’d be able to factor in the height and space needed to install the floors underneath the cabinets before construction.
For the most parth, though, it’s best to start with the floors and end with the cabinets.
With that being said, I hope this article made a compelling enough argument for you to install the wood floors before the kitchen cabinets. If you’d like to read more helpful articles like this, check out some of the links below before you leave.
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