Do you have to wait for backsplash before u/c lighting??

boone_2009

10 years ago

I'm so "kitchen-fatigued" by now that I can't decide on a backsplash ..the countertop will be in only the day after tomorrow and I'll have to see *then*what tile backsplash goes with it and the cabinets ...and I know how long *that* endeavor will take.
My electrician said he will put in the under cabinet lights only after the backsplash is done.
Can't the lights be put in now ? I have a feeling I will take *ages* to settle on a backsplash :-( and I'd rather have everything else done with so I won't feel so stressed and will only have to worry about one thing and needn't feel pressured ..it's like the sword of Damocles hanging over my head! :-(
Will it be difficult for the tile installer to put in the tiles with the lights already in? As you can see, I am no DIY-er, hence the question.

Featured Answer

luvmygucci8

10 years ago

No, you don't always have to have a backsplash first. We removed a backsplash and installed a new one without interfering with the u/c lighting.

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Comments (10)

karen_ohio
10 years ago
My electrician tells me that I have to have the backsplash installed first. I have the same issue -- can't decide on a backsplash!

Karen
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breezygirl
10 years ago
Interesting. I've had my UCLs in for almost two years and no backsplash. My sparky didn't say anything about having to remove the UCLs when we finally do the tiling.

I just looked at mine. My lights fit completely under the cab. There's nothing protruding that would make it impossible to tile while these are in place. Maybe this is because my cabs are custom and my light rail is different? It's not really extra molding attached to the bottom of the cab after the fact. Hmmmm. I've never heard your situation before.
taggie
10 years ago
Our uc lighting was done a couple days before the backsplash. No issues.
Kristen Hallock
10 years ago
We remodeled the entire kitchen with my husband doing 99.9% of the work himself. He did all of the electrical including the UCL and we do not have a backsplash yet. Our quartz counters are set to be installed tomorrow. Then I will start looking at backsplash tile. Our wires for the UCL poke out of the wall at the bottom lip of the cabinet, so it will not affect the tile installation.
eaga
10 years ago
Our ucl's were installed last week and we have not installed a backsplash yet. In fact, we wanted to have the lights in first so we will be able to see what the backsplash samples look like with the lights on. Perhaps you can ask your electrician why he wants to wait, and come up with a workaround that would address his concerns.
jakuvall
10 years ago
The only time it is an issue is frameless cabinets and then not always.
If you are hardwired 110volt then you (often) have wires coming out of the wall- gets the tile setter cranky. Framed cabinets the wires should be coming through the wall so not a big deal.
Most low voltage is typically a non issue - depending on how they run the wires- even then much smaller wires and done properly not a big deal for the tile installer.

If using plug mold for the driver or angled power outlets with built in transformer for lights that is another story.
karen_ohio
10 years ago
We are installing leGrand ucl which is some new-fangled European electrical source. We won't have traditional outlets in the wall, everything will be on a strip just below the upper cabinets (hopefully, invisible).

Kren
boone_2009
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, everyone, for your responses - I will talk to our electrician.
We do have light rails that will be put in last, though - our cabs are semi-custom ( Schulers from Lowes). I can see that the light rail might interfere with the tiling but not the wires for the uc lights.
Cercis141: that's an excellent point - to be able to see what the backsplash looks like with the uc lights on before I decide. Thanks!
Our wires for the ucl poke out of the wall at the bottom lip of the cabinets, too.
Thanks again, everyone! :-)
msl511
10 years ago
I'm confused. Can you explain this further, please:

>>The only time it is an issue is frameless cabinets and then not always. If you are hardwired 110volt then you (often) have wires coming out of the wall- gets the tile setter cranky. Framed cabinets the wires should be coming through the wall so not a big deal.
Most low voltage is typically a non issue - depending on how they run the wires- even then much smaller wires and done properly not a big deal for the tile installer.

What's the difference between wires coming out of the wall and wires coming through the wall?

Thx.