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dalepres

Tile floor under applicances and cabinets?

dalepres
13 years ago

We are in the middle (or is it just the beginning?) of remodeling our kitchen and will soon be putting down a new tile floor. We haven't put in the cabinets yet.

All of the videos and instructions I found in the last hour or so on Google (but I am sure I haven't found every viewpoint on it) show doing tile with cabinets in place.

I'd like to know what others think about putting the tile wall-to-wall under the cabinets and appliances. If we don't do that, how will the appliances slide out as needed?

Comments (6)

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    You an tile under cabinets & appliances or lay down plywood equal to the tile thickness to raise up the cabinets and appliances.

    If the room is clear now it is liable to be faster and depending on the cost of extra tile vs. labor to install cheaper.

    It is not as important for the cabinets as for the appliances to prevent trapping them in place.

    I get a couple calls a year for trapped dishwashers from tile floors.

    Sometimes you can lower the DW height enough to squeeze them out, but i have seen plenty of them trapped by backer board and tile over an inch thick (and under granite counters).

    Either some tile comes up or the DW is demod in place to get it out.

    Plywood is than used to raise the floor under the DW, and most of the time a 'handicapped' DW is short enough to fint back in.

    One customer had to replace the granite counter.
    There was no way to get another DW back in and the tiles were VERY expensive (and large).

  • don92
    13 years ago

    definitely put tile under appliances. As for under cabinets, makes no real difference. If cabinets are installed first the toe kick will be reduced in hieght and that could be an issue with some. also, any change in footprint of cabinets down the road will pose a problem.

  • dalepres
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. Considering your suggestions, I think I will tile wall to wall.

  • MCMesprit
    13 years ago

    I agree with your decision to tile wall-to-wall. We are in the final stages of a major kitchen remodel that included porcelain tile. Everyone (GC, kitchen designer etc...) assumed we would tile wall-to-wall; in fact, our tile installer said she would never do otherwise. She cited several reasons, including the ability to renovate later without changing the flooring and durability issues (plywood subfloor is more easily damaged by water and tile can be compromised where the plywood meets the tile).

  • mike_home
    13 years ago

    Tile installers don't like having to tile around kitchen cabinets. It is more work for them. They are going to suggest tiling wall to wall everytime. If the tiling substrate is plywood, then I don't see any problem having the kitchen cabinets sitting on it. I do see a potential problem if you are placing the cabinets on a tile which has an uneven profile. I assume the proper amount of shimming will take care of this.

    At a minimum you want to tile under the refrigerator so there is no problem rolling it out to clean behind it. It is good idea to tile under the stove and dishwasher. If you don't then make sure the surfaces are flush in case they need to be pulled out for repairs.

  • glennsfc
    13 years ago

    This topic comes up often and it all comes down to whatever installation method is chosen (old-fashioned mud job or thin profile membrane) the thing that must be foremost is that cabinet heights must be preserved and appliances must be able to be moved out when needed. How you do that is up to the customer and the installer.

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