before or after

[jane10001]

I am having a new kitchen fitted. I want to use the klick lok tile effect laminate boards for the floor. The fitter has said that it is best to lay this after the kitchen is fitted. He will leave the bottom plinths or whatever they are called off and I lay the floor so it fits approx 1 inch under plinth when it is put on.
1. How do I stop the boards from moving if they are not being taken right to the walls and will I be able to get my integrated washing machine and fridge out easily if the floor is slightly unlevel.
What do you think?

 

[JohnD]

I think your kitchen fitter doesn't want to be bothered with the flooring.

I hope you haven't got a cat or dog, water from their bowls will get into the joints and make it swell and separate.

It will be difficult to move your appliances if they haven't got the same flooring under them, as you will have to manoeuvre them over a little step.

 

[WoodYouLike]

It is common practice to install floors in kitchens this way, for a very good reason: if anything should happen, like leaking washing machine, you don't have to rip out the whole kitchen again to restore the floor.
The floor will not move when it's properly installed, the weight of the floor and all the furniture will make sure of that.
To solve your problem of moving appliances in and out, place them on sheets of hardboard/plywood the same thickness of the flooring and install the floor just a bit in so the other materials doesn't show.

 

[Nestor_Kelebay]

I also think it's a good idea to caulk between the flooring and the bottom of any kitchen cabinets. If you spill any liquid foods (like soup) on the floor and it runs under the cabinets, you've got a bug's idea of heaven; a food source in a place where no one can get to to clean up. Also, bugs will instinctively crawl into tight crevices when they sense danger, so that no bigger bug can crawl in there after them and eat them, and a cabinet sitting on a typically slightly uneven floor will have such crevices that bugs want to be near.

Exterminators will drill holes into the kick boards under cabinets to blow or spray insecticide in there if necessary. But I think it makes more sense just to caulk around the cabinet to keep any food out of there so that those spaces can't support a bug population in the first place.

 

[JohnD]

Very good point. You can also get a insect spray that dries to a hard lacquer, stays there and kills insects by soaking in through their feet. I believe it's pet and child safe. Handy behind kitchen cabinets. In the UK about the only thing you'll get is ants or silverfish, unless you're unlucky and get cockroaches (I've never even seen one here).

 

[jane10001]

fanx alot mateys i enjoyed reading your replies

 

[Brightness]

Hi Jane,

I'm probably a bit late here seeing as you've already read the other replies But....

I had a new kitchen just over 12mths ago and also have klik-loc laminate flooring out there. My hubby laid the flooring himself but where we have integrated appliances we went right under them with the laminate and where we don't we just went under the plinths by about 2".

We also have special clips on the plinths so that they don't fall off but can be released if necessary & boy was I glad of this when my dishwasher leaked!

Only took me about 15 minutes to mop the water up and then put a dehumidifier out there to suck out the rest. If I couldn't have moved those plinths I'd have been really stuck

I have also got two dogs and I get round the water slopping issue by putting their water bowl on one of those 'dirt grabber' type mats (thick cotton with a rubber backing). Any slops go onto the mat and the mat can be slung in the washing machine when needs be

 

[JohnD]

Washable dog mat, good idea, I'll get my mum one.