Flooring in front of or under cabinet toekick?
#1
09-21-16, 10:47 AM
Flooring in front of or under cabinet toekick?
I'm putting in 3/8" strand bamboo flooring throughout my condo, including the kitchen. The sub-floor is concrete slab.
The kitchen base cabinets are already installed and sit directly on the concrete slab. The previous flooring was linoleum which butt up against the cabinet toekick with quarter-round tacked onto the toekick.
I ripped out the linoleum and the quarter-round and decided the toekicks are really beat up and need to be replaced.
So if I'm going to make some new toekicks, my question is:
Option A. Should I put in the flooring the same as it was before, with the flooring butt up against the toekick and quarter-round tacked to the toekick?
-or-
Option B. Should I put in the flooring butt up against the cabinet before installing the toekick, and then make toekicks to fit above the flooring and skip the quarter-round?
The kitchen base cabinets are already installed and sit directly on the concrete slab. The previous flooring was linoleum which butt up against the cabinet toekick with quarter-round tacked onto the toekick.
I ripped out the linoleum and the quarter-round and decided the toekicks are really beat up and need to be replaced.
So if I'm going to make some new toekicks, my question is:
Option A. Should I put in the flooring the same as it was before, with the flooring butt up against the toekick and quarter-round tacked to the toekick?
-or-
Option B. Should I put in the flooring butt up against the cabinet before installing the toekick, and then make toekicks to fit above the flooring and skip the quarter-round?
#5
09-21-16, 02:11 PM
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You should still leave the recommended expansion gap where the flooring meets the cabinets; it will be covered by your toe kick. And if you have a dishwasher, make sure you don't make it a permanent install 
with the greater height of the new flooring.
with the greater height of the new flooring.
#6
09-21-16, 06:12 PM
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I would go with option B plus the quarter round, depending on the look you want.
Removing the toe kicks will make installing the floor easier either way.
I want to emphasize what CT said. Remove the dishwasher and install the flooring inside the opening, or keep it in place and install flooring at least far enough back to where the front feet can sit on the new floor.
You don't want the new floor to butt up against the front legs of the dishwasher, that can lock it in or cause problems adjusting the legs.
Removing the toe kicks will make installing the floor easier either way.
I want to emphasize what CT said. Remove the dishwasher and install the flooring inside the opening, or keep it in place and install flooring at least far enough back to where the front feet can sit on the new floor.
You don't want the new floor to butt up against the front legs of the dishwasher, that can lock it in or cause problems adjusting the legs.
#7
09-22-16, 03:29 AM
First you need to figure out if the dishwasher can be raised. Often when hardwood is installed the cabinets are also raised by either running the hardwood under the cabinet or the same thickness of plywood.
#9
09-22-16, 06:04 AM
You don't want the new floor to butt up against the front legs of the dishwasher, that can lock it in or cause problems adjusting the legs.
A problem may come up with the dishwasher metal bottom cover panel, which may not have a 1/2-inch gap between the bottom of it to allow for the bamboo floor, but I suppose I can make a new bottom panel out of the same toekick material as the toekicks for the base cabinets.
