New Laminate floor in a Kitchen

[DIYC]

Laminate floor in a kitchen...

Details:

It's a complete kitchen re-fit; new cupboards, appliances and floor.
All appliances are integral.
The base is a concrete floor, I've bought a suitable underlay.
The laminate is click/lock and is suitable for kitchens (water resistant).
There's also no skirting at the moment, I plan to fit that last, over the top of the laminate.

Questions:

1, I'm pretty sure you don't stand the new base units on the laminate, right?
Instead, you put the base units in first, laminate up to the legs and then clip the plinth on the legs so it looks like the laminate goes under the cupboards?

2, What about the appliances? Can I do the same thing? laminate up to the feet of the appliance and then put the plinth across the front?
I'm assuming that in-order to get the appliance in/out you wind the adjustable legs down to give you enough clearance (height) and then wind them up again once it's in place?
Bearing in mind that you'll need to lift the appliance to get the feet over the edge of the laminate.

4, Edges.
When the laminate comes to a wall they recommend you put a cork strip between the last piece and the wall to allow for expansion.
Is that strip supposed to be continuous, or just a length of the cork edging every metre or so?

What about the edge that's under the cupboards?
The laminate is the kind that clicks together, do I need to battern the floor under the cupboards to give it some support?


Sorry if my post seems direct/short, I'm just trying not to ramble! ;o)


Thanks




C.

 

[Chukka63]

depending how big the kitchen is and how much spare cash you have.you could laminate the whole kitchen if cost isnt an issue but yes most people fit the units,then the laminate to the feet etc as you mentioned.
lay the laminate all the way under any appliances tho as its easier to get them in and out.cork all the way round the edge if i was you AND ina wet area you should really use a waterproof jointer as water can seep into the joints and then your boards will pop.

 

[WoodYouLike]

NEVER use cork to fill your expansion gap! Gaps are there for a reason, not to be filled with anything!
Read Gaps! They are there for a very good reason!

As for your appliances, install same thickness plywood underneath them - and leave expansion gaps again all around - so you don't have to lift your appliances up when they need to be removed later.

Besides the click system you could glue the T&G of the boards also with PVAC wood-glue fro extra sealant.

Kitchen first, floor last.

 

[Mark Elvin]

When we bought our Quick Step the guy told us NOT to fit it under the units as it would restrict the expansion/contraction of the floor.

 

[Jonnyspin]

I have used laminate flooring in my kitchen twice - and several other rooms - fitted by me.
if the room is north facing, in a coldish house - like my 1930's house, there is very little expansion. However, do leave a small gap.
the real problem with installing in a kitchen is spills. if you spill water, make sure you dry it immediately.

 

[Lespet]

As Jonnyspin points out, water causes huge problems for the flooring as I found out to my cost. Having a small kitchen and no utility room, the washing machine is in the kitchen too. The cold feed started to weep (probably due to the machine's movement working the connection loose) and it buckled the entire floor. Insurance covered the cost of the new floor, but we opted for Amtico (?) rather than laminate again.