Should You Tile Under Kitchen Cabinets
When it comes to deciding whether to install tile under cabinets or around the cabinets ask a structural engineering expert to review your structure.
Should you tile under kitchen cabinets. You could use plywood to raise the level of the cabinets to the level of the floor. Its a damn sight easier covers all eventualities and only costs a wee bit more. Cover any vents and remove the moldings using a pry bar.
If the kitchen is already in place then remove the plinths tile to just beyond them trim and refit. Next put masking tape on the edges of the cabinets to protect them from damage. This piece should be at least 2 inches wide and about inch thicker than the total thickness of the flooring including any vapor barrier or cushion.
Cabinets should not go in until the tile is grouted both because the grout is needed to make the floor basically waterproof without it under cabients during any leak event water will go right down to the subflooring and wet it readily but also the grout is a major part of the strength of a tile floor without it the tiles readily pop free due to lack of lateral confinement. The ragged edge of the flooring is then covered over with quarter round or base molding. If you do tile under the cabinets be sure to get level specification from the cabinetcountertop contractors to provide to the tile contrator because he is then going to have to be the one to level any uneven flooring instead of the casbinet installer levelling with shims.
Remove the cabinets and screw a plywood filler piece to the subfloor about inch inside the line where it will be under the cabinets. To replace kitchen tiles without removing the cabinets begin by clearing out the unnecessary items in the kitchen. The concrete floor was also about 15cm lower than the tile so i had to raise up the dishwasher so that the bottom of it would match up with the tile.
Because it was not tiled under the cabinet you can see the concrete sub floor under the dishwasher. If you have saved spare tiles finish laying the floor up to the wall and then install your new cabinets. Personally i prefer to tile under the cabinets but if someone is putting in 15 per square foot tiles it can get expensive for something that will be hidden under the cabinets.
As noted earlier if you are installing thin flooring such as luxury vinyl laminate or tile it is possible to lay the flooring right up to the cabinets. He or she will calculate the anticipated dead load of the floor tile assembly cabinets and stone countertops as well as the live load which may include the significant temporary weight of holiday visitors gathered around the island. Fathands if the kitchen hasnt been installed yet then tile the whole floor no question.