Install units before levelling floor?

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by james762, Feb 24, 2019.

  1. james762

    james762 New Member

    Situation... I removed the wall between the old kitchen and the lounge in my house. The lounge floor is suspended timber but the kitchen floor is concrete. The concrete is pretty flat but a bit bumpy with remains of tile adhesive, I've removed most of it with an SDS chisel. The wooden floor is slightly lower and also is not quite level. On one side it's about 10mm lower than the concrete, on the other side it's only slightly lower.

    Now we need to get the whole floor level to install laminate throughout... I'm thinking ply over the floorboards then SLC over the whole lot.

    My question is, is it OK to install the kitchen units first? As the new kitchen is almost entirely on the concrete area which is already pretty flat, and I'm thinking there is no need to get the compound under the units as we won't be installing flooring under the units anyway.

    The main reason I want to do it this way is to get the kitchen in sooner, and also because to level the entire floor before installing would mean clearing the room. The kitchen has already been delivered and there's nowhere else to put all the boxes.

    Any advice welcome.
     
  2. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    You will need to put flooring in where the w/m, d/w etc are going.
     
  3. james762

    james762 New Member

    Thanks @chippie244 - all appliances are integrated, so no problems there.
     
  4. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    They still need flooring.
     
  5. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    Why?
     
  6. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    Work it out for yourself.
     
  7. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Better to level whole floor when you have a completely empty room,easier to get levels.
     
    CGN likes this.
  8. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    You don’t need finished flooring under a integrated appliance
     
  9. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    As much of a pain as it is, I’d get the floor levelled first. I’ve fitted kitchens before and made allowances for flooring but a bit trickier in this case as if you need to self level the lot, you can only guess what thickness compound you’ll need.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  10. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    So why did you ask?
     
  11. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    James, if you don't put flooring where the w/m etc go you will have difficulty sliding sliding them in or out.
     
  12. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member

    If you fit the units first and then level the floor you will need to take into account the depth of the kickboards so you are not faffing about cutting them to fit after levelling the floor.

    I would level the floor first and be done with it.
     
  13. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    And I've taken out kitchens where the cabinets supports are buried in the leveling compound, had it here,& slc wasn't even laid level, ended up removing the lot & starting again,was the easier option.
     
    CGN likes this.
  14. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    I definitely would level under the appliances.

    If it was a complete rip out I would probably level the entire room.
     
  15. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    You don’t slide intergrated appliances out they get installed with the base units and are on adjustable legs and more often the not a platform is built below them to raise them up and you defiantly would waste your money putting a finished floor underneath!!

    Regards self levelling the floor it’s easier to do it after you rip kitchen out and do the whole room but will take more gear, have done it both ways and scribe plinths most kitchens anyway
     
  16. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    Just wanted to hear you excuse
     
  17. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

     
  18. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member


    Why would you bother building a platform.

    Surely if the option and the rest of the floor is being levelled is there just whack a bit more SLC down to do the same job.

    If you don't want to level under the cabinets then just run a bead of expanding foam round the approx position of the appliance and that will dam it.

    Cannot see why on earth you would make your life difficult when a much easier way is possible.

    Have got exactly this to do in near future.

    Kitchen will come out.

    Will level the whole floor.

    I wont put finished floor under the cabinets obviously.

    But I will put "second grade/damaged" click vinyl under the integrated DW as if it ever needs to be pulled out it will be an easy job and wont snag the floor.
     
  19. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    Intergrated washing machines nearly always need to be raised up so you don’t have a w*** gap when the doors open, as do most D/w
     
  20. Jimmycloutnail

    Jimmycloutnail Screwfix Select

    It’s nothing to do with levelling the floor, your mate said you needed to put finished flooring under intergrated appliances and I asked why, if you bothered reading the thread
     

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