How To Install Hardwood Floors Under Kitchen Cabinets

It may be tempting to just work around your stove or refrigerator since the floor under these never sees the light of day anyway but doing so can cause problems down the road when you cannot move the appliance over the hardwood lip install an appliance with different dimensions.

How to install hardwood floors under kitchen cabinets.

The potential of mismatched flooring one downside of installing risers or different flooring is that you add a complication if you wish to change the kitchen footprint in the future. To keep the floor flush consider installing a different cheaper type of flooring underneath cabinets and appliances or even plywood risers. Why it s better to install the hardwood floors before the cabinets. First it s important that the cabinets are the standard 36 inches above the floor and it s important that the appliances are at this same height so that there aren t issues later if when you want to change the appliances e g.

It would be a shame for you or the future owner to want to change the kitchen footprint and need to replace all of the flooring in the areas where you did not install it. Often without planning these appliances can get locked in when the hardwood guy is done installing the floor. To start you ll need to expose as much of the kitchen floor as possible by moving the appliances to another room. This is more common with solid 3 4 inch floors opposed to thinner hardwoods.

The type of installation you choose will depend on your subfloor budget lifestyle and the type of wood flooring you select. For instance solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down. One way to combat a potential locked in appliance dilemma is by installing plywood same thickness as flooring in the area under the dishwasher. Includes how to install hardwood flooring around cabinets tools needed to install wood floors and how to finish up.

If there s something in your path when you re laying wood flooring including a cabinet you have to move it if you want to get the flooring underneath. How to install wood floors under cabinets.