New kitchen - Shoud the floor be tiled first?

[europameister]

Hi,

1st post - so please be gentle and helpful!

We are having a new kitchen fitted - plans drawn and ready for the units to be ordered. I've gutted the room and sparky is due to do first fix this week and the plasterer tidying up afterwards.

The floor is concrete and reasonably level but will need self levelling screed I imagine.

My question is should the tiler come in first and tile the floor or should this be done after the units are in situ?

Any other practical tips to ensure everything goes somoothly would be appreciated!!

Cheers

Mark

[pmanson]

I'm no expert, but I would say if you need to level the floor it would be easier to do that with no units in place.

The tiler will probably find it easier to floor without the units in place, then the kitchen fitters can fit the unit on top and cut the running boards to suit.

[Nolar Dog]

I've fitted or had fitted about 30 kitchens in the last few years and they have all been tiled before units have been fitted.

[mrmaggit]

europameister said:

Hi,

1st post - so please be gentle and helpful!

We are having a new kitchen fitted - plans drawn and ready for the units to be ordered. I've gutted the room and sparky is due to do first fix this week and the plasterer tidying up afterwards.

The floor is concrete and reasonably level but will need self levelling screed I imagine.

My question is should the tiler come in first and tile the floor or should this be done after the units are in situ?

Any other practical tips to ensure everything goes somoothly would be appreciated!!

Cheers

Mark

Assuming the floor is reasonably level, the tiler will usually make up any small dips with the tile adhesive, bigger hollows and he'll use a floor leveller first. In both cases, they'll want the floor clear of obstructions. Any underfloor heating will be installed before tiling (obviously) and will not normally be installed under where the units are going, so the tiler will want a floor plan for the units, in this case.

[Dr_Rick]

We did the same, and ended up tiling under all the units first. And that included the breakfast bar.

Dr Rick

[GTO-3R]

The only time we recommend tiling under the units is when an island is being fitted. Otherwise we put the units in and tile up to the legs with the plinth going on top of that to seal it

If your kitchen is quite large and your having a quite a few units you can end up paying for a load of flooring you never see, plus you have the cost for someone to fit it!

[GreenDog]

Depends on the type of kitchen you're installing I'd have thought. If you're having kick-boards then no point in tiling much beyond them as it'll never be seen, however if you can see under the cabinets once fitted you'll need to tile to the wall so this will have to be done before they're fitted.

[mrmaggit]

GTO-3R said:

The only time we recommend tiling under the units is when an island is being fitted. Otherwise we put the units in and tile up to the legs with the plinth going on top of that to seal it

If your kitchen is quite large and your having a quite a few units you can end up paying for a load of flooring you never see, plus you have the cost for someone to fit it!

Good point, I'd always thought it was easier to tile the whole floor, but I see your reasoning. As always, you learn something new every day in this game.

[GingerWizard]

It would be sensible to tile just beyond the units. Unless all your furniture is movable then save the cash and do'nt bother doing the whole room. If your worried about making sure they fit the room, just mark out a border and align them using this. Remember to pick a straight line through a door way or another room border and then tile from that. A leading line makes rooms seem bigger and coherant.

[odyssey2200]

We had a new kitchen installed last year.
They tiled the floor last, but it was a conctete floor and very even.

Tilingthe floot before means you are wasting a lot of tiles that will never be seen :/

[B17NNS]

Install kitchen first, when fitting cabinets allow for a plinth plus a tile and adhesive.

Then tile up to the legs and fit the plinths after.

[Simpo Two]

^^^ that worked for me. Just because it's the floor doesn't mean you have to do it first. I like to start at the top and work down (the only exception being electrics, which have to be planned and installed before you get too far!)

[europameister]

Thanks for your replies everyone!