Planning a kitchen remodel

[rogerwa]

As said above I am planning a kitchen remodel with myself and the general contractor, carpenter, plumber, electrician,etc.. I am only going to have the floor and drywall taping and painting done. That was a deal to my wife that I was not going to do it all..

Its going to be a near gut and I am just starting to think about the best sequence to get it done the right way with as little kitchen downtime as possible.

One question I am wrangling with is the floor. My current cabinets do not sit on the flooring, they sit on the subflooring. Is that the way it is normally done or should I have the floor installed in the whole room before installing the cabinets.

I am guessing the former as it minimizes the amount of flooring to install and enable the changing of the flooring without removing cabinets, but wanted to hear how it is done in new houses..

Also any tips on cabinet suppliers would be helpful. I am narrowing it down to a few, but never hurts to get other experiences..

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I am assuming you are going with tile or a wood floor. Generally goes in after the cabinets.

I went with the high end Kraftmaids at Home Depot. They had an incredible sale that made them very hard to beat. Also had a sale on the granite as well. Installation was done by HD's contractors. I could never have duplicated the workmanship that they did installing the cabinets.

I had HD's contractors install the cabinets and granite. I had a tile guy do the floor and back splash. i did everything else which was electrical, plumbing and ripping everything out.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

When I re-did my kitchen, the floor went down after the cabinets . . .

 

[Bayou Dave]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I would put the flooring down and then install the cabinets. That way if your boss makes any last minute changes in the design you will have flooring everywhere.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I've actually done it both ways. If I were laying down a laminate or a linoleum, I'd definitely rest the cabinets on the sub-floor. If you change flooring later, and don't have your seam perfectly aligned with the cabinets you'll have a doozy of a time getting everything out.

Conversely, if you do something like a tile and expect you may want new cabinets in a several years - it might make sense to do the whole floor.

 

[captmello]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I've done it both ways as well. I would prefer to do it after the cabinets so there is less chance of damaging the new floor and it uses less materials. I would consider paying for the cabinet and countertop install as there's a lot of technique that goes into that type of finish work, and they don't take that much labor. Let the guys that do it every day, do it.

Minimizing the down time of the kitchen can be tricky. Between scheduling all the subs and getting the materials, it can be a dance. That is what the General Contractor is for. I would suggest having all the cabinets ordered and delivered before starting. Anything that needs to be ordered ahead of time, get them in your possession first. Usually, the counter tops cannot be ordered until the cabinets are installed and measured exactly, unless it is a very simple design...

I would suggest using subcontractors that the general contractor is familiar with. Subs are loyal to contractors and work to earn future work from them. They don't care so much about the "Current" job, they're looking for the next one. But it's all up to you, its your house!

imo.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Interesting comments about the cabinet install. I have done some of this before and even have the specialized clamps. But as you have said it may be one of those things that is a no-brainer once you look at the cost benefit comparison.

I will also have the counter tops, whether it be granite or some other material, installed as that truly is a no-brainer. I would do laminate myself and have done it, but we are not going to do laminate.

I am looking at www.cliqstudios.com as my cabinet supplier. They are local to me and the reviews are uniformly positive. They also have free desinger services (which is not uncommon) that I will leverage to get the layout and BOM correct.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I built all of my own cabinets and installed them before I put the floor down, which I am now really thankful for, as we had a dishwasher leak about 6 months after I finished the kitchen and it ruined a lot of the flooring, which I can't match again, so I am going to be able to pull the floor and install another one with no problems at all. I also did all of my own counter tops, not very difficult at all, unless you don't have the correct tools to do it. Saved a bunch of money by doing it myself, but don't know that I would again in the future, it took me much longer than it would have taken a pro to do it.

 

[captmello]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Interesting comments about the cabinet install. I have done some of this before and even have the specialized clamps. But as you have said it may be one of those things that is a no-brainer once you look at the cost benefit comparison.

Well, with that info, perhaps you could do it with Professional results. I just hate a customer who ruins a pro looking job with some amateur looking work to save a few bucks. Painting is a classic. I saw you're not painting...

If you're installing granite, or another product other than laminate, ya, it's a no brainer. Let the pros drop and break it.:facepalm:

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I hate painting and putzy wall prep. Especially ceilings.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I don't think it really matters. I would be of the mind set to put them on the subfloor that way if I ever decide to replace the floor I won't have old flooring under the cabanates.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

I re-modeled my kitchen about 10 years ago, Went from about 4' of counter top in a galley layout to about 20' of counter in a open plan with a huge island (all myself)- One word of advice, Don't design the kitchen yourself, every time the wife has to move a pot to get to another pot or pan or dish or whatever I hear "I don't know who designed this kitchen" very sarcastically - Get a designer to lay it out and have her give it the ok and then you are off the hook. Wish I had done that.

LK

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Get a designer to lay it out and have her give it the ok and then you are off the hook. Wish I had done that.

Ditto. I had a designer help me lay out my kitchen. I love it. Had a peninsula counter and switched to an island.

I also went with undercounter LED lights. I can't recommend these enough. The ones I went with were on the pricey side but you could go the DIY flexible strip lighting for a lot less. I did the strip attached to some aluminum bar for a desk bookcase. Very good way to go.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Most of the pros do the the cabs first and then the floor. If tile I prefer to do the floor first then then the cabs and then the baseboards and toe.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Most of the pros do the the cabs first and then the floor. If tile I prefer to do the floor first then then the cabs and then the baseboards and toe.

Are you talking ceramic tile? Not sure why you would want ceramic tile under cabinets. Would be a bear to change tile later wouldn't it?

 

[colbyt]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Are you talking ceramic tile? Not sure why you would want ceramic tile under cabinets. Would be a bear to change tile later wouldn't it?

Properly installed tile should outlast the cabinets.
Spill, leaks etc can run under the cabinets and reach the sub floor below. Once that happens ............ it's all over.
Makes swapping out the dishwasher a lot easier.

I can probably think of 4-5 more good reasons not save $50 on tile.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

My tile went in after the cabinets an extends into where the dishwasher is.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

Thanks for all the comments. As it stands I will be doing prefinished hardwood for the flooring and putting in cabinets first. As I thought about this, it was really an academic question as we will not be in the house long enough to change either the floor or the cabinets out again. The flooring will last as it can be resurfaced and the cabinets in there are original from 1969. I don't plan to be in the house longer than 10 more years.

I am working with a few cabinet companies that all provide freee design assistance. Looking to leverage that and have a number of different design alternatives to feed from.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Planning a kitchen remodel

No one has mentioned it but,, you are putting down cement board under the tile aren't you? If not you'll be re-grouting on a regular basis. The wood sub-floor flexes too much. (I wouldn't use anything but stainless screws to put the cement board down.)

He's using hardwood.