Cabinets on top of laminate flooring - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Blackhawk · 08-13-2006, 07:59 AM

What do you guys think about laying the laminate floor to the wall then the cabinets on top? the cabinets will be only fastened to the wall..the customer wants it this way ...so is it a yes or no i tell him?

ATH · 08-13-2006, 10:56 AM

I would check with the recommendations of the flooring manufacturer.

Pergo, for example, recommends that the cabinets be installed first, but will allow for cabinets over an existing floor if they are not fastened to the floor. If they must be fastened to the floor, you have to make larger clearance holes through the Pergo to allow for floor movement.

Peladu · 08-13-2006, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhawk

..the customer wants it this way ...so is it a yes or no i tell him?

As a business you have already answered your own question within your post.

Blackhawk · 08-13-2006, 05:51 PM

Of course id do it .. what i was askng was.. can this be done with laminate flooring ...

lxdollarsxl · 08-13-2006, 06:15 PM

i wouldnt lay laminate under, laminate is a floating floor and needs to be able to move. Also i think you may invalidate the warranty - if they really want ya to do it i would put it in writing you dont advise it.

Mike Finley · 08-13-2006, 06:23 PM

I never understand the contractor who has to ask a question if they should do something because the customer wants it that way. Do things as you do them, do them that way all the time, everytime and never question yourself. Your customers should be hiring you for more than just muscle to get a job done, they should be hiring you for your professional expertese and respect your opinions and abilities and knowledge. When your customers start dictating how you do things you are nothing more than a hired-hand, which is the first step to downward spiralling profits. I've never had a problem telling a customer no, it's very liberating when you finally start doing it and amazingly your customers start respecting your abilities and paying you more for them.

dayspring · 08-13-2006, 06:27 PM

I wouldn't warranty my labor if I was the one installing the floor knowing that cabinets would go on top. Sometimes you have to do what the homeowner insist on, but your job is to let them know what to expect doing it their way. I'd do all I could to get them to let me cut the laminate back before installing the cabinets. That's just me.

PrecisionFloors · 08-13-2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

I never understand the contractor who has to ask a question if they should do something because the customer wants it that way. Do things as you do them, do them that way all the time, everytime and never question yourself. Your customers should be hiring you for more than just muscle to get a job done, they should be hiring you for your professional expertese and respect your opinions and abilities and knowledge. When your customers start dictating how you do things you are nothing more than a hired-hand, which is the first step to downward spiralling profits. I've never had a problem telling a customer no, it's very liberating when you finally start doing it and amazingly your customers start respecting your abilities and paying you more for them.

Great post Mike

As far as an answer to the question....

NO! NO! NO! NO!....did I mention NO! lxdollarsxl hit it on the head, a floating floor moves...if you trap it with cabinets you WILL void the warranty and it WILL at some point in time, buckle.

Blackhawk · 08-15-2006, 05:27 PM

Actually i have no problem tellng customers no it gets done my way. and like you say thats why they get us..but i wast so sure about laminate under cabinets so thats why i asked ..thank you all very much for your help....

Donedat · 08-16-2006, 12:02 AM

Laminate flooring is considered a temporary floor so I never recommend cabinets to be installed over laminate.

go dart · 08-16-2006, 06:54 AM

come on donedat. laminate flooring isn't temporary.

**Teetorbilt** · 08-16-2006, 09:08 AM

In kitchens and baths you just know that it's going to get wet sooner or later. I have played with some different brands to see how much they expand when wet and how quickly this happens. The question would be how much force is applied, could it lift the cabinets? If it can, then I see all sorts of potential problems.

I've never done it and wouldn't recommend it.

**AtlanticWBConst** · 08-16-2006, 03:35 PM

DON'T DO IT.

That is the advise from my Laminate and Flooring supplier. I had asked him this a while back to hear it from a trusted source. He said "NEVER, EVER do that.... it will eventually buckle".
2nd Source: My cabinet maker with 40 years in the business. He said the same.
The floor is designed to float, so it can expand and contract.

We have kitchen laminate flooring sitting at one job right now, while we wait for the kitchen cabinets to be finished.

Donedat · 08-16-2006, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go dart

come on donedat. laminate flooring isn't temporary.

Yep, temporary. And I enjoy getting calls to replace it with eternal hardwood flooring.

Donedat · 08-16-2006, 09:29 PM

Actually, my avitar picture is a job that I ripped out a floating floor and partical board underlayment to install a solid Clear Red Oak floor. I even lowered two doors to the new level of the hardwood.

reveivl · 08-17-2006, 12:06 AM

What about a water-bed or a grand piano or something else outrageously heavy? Will you be seeing problems down the road with lam?

**Floorwizard** · 08-17-2006, 11:26 PM

Should not see problems with that.
Although let's be honest...it depends on the quality you buy.

J DoubleD FLoor · 08-23-2006, 02:26 AM

I respect alot of the opinions on this post but the fact of Laminate flooring under cabinetry is this, If it is not attached and a 1/4" vertical gap is left between the floor and the cabinets then the warranties are fine. But, the catch in this is that the finished look is not pleasing to some. My suggestion is to have the Cabinets installed first, lay your floor and avoid a call back. Funny thing about laminates is that you will get all kinds of mixed views about them. The supposed Expertise from the BOX stores make there installers do it the customer's way. That is one of the reasons I left installing for HD. And won't for Lowe's. They will have you install laminates in bathrooms, it is a floating floor *NOT TEMPORARY* and will be attached by the toilet and will void the warranty. Basic lesson out of this is that laminates can keep their warranties if you follow there install guides. Hardwoods are much more forgiving then laminates. If I was in your shoes, I would tell the customer to install the cabinets and then you'll install the flooring. GL

JT Remod · 08-23-2006, 10:41 AM

I try to stay away from laminate in the kitchen. I would refin the hardwood but the customer is always right

I personally would not install lam under cabinets, but get the customer to sign a waiver to protect you should something happen.

I would install up to cabinets and either run a matching quarter round or you can try to carefully mod the toe kick so it runs perfectly under it.

Gordo · 08-23-2006, 08:53 PM

I have installed wilsonart in a powder room under a toilet 6 years ago. No problems.

Also, I left scraps outside on the wood pile for 2 years....no significant damage.

I like backyard testing.