I'm currently remodeling my basement and planning to install a wall of built-in cabinets. I'm debating whether to install the cabinets directly on the concrete slab before laying down the insulated LVP flooring or to wait until after the flooring is in place. I'm concerned that installing the cabinets first might cause them to draw in cold from the slab. However, if I put the flooring in first, I've heard that it might lead to issues like warping. Any advice on which option is better?
3 Answers
You definitely don’t want cabinets on a floating floor; they would buckle over time with all the expansion and contraction. Install the cabinets first, then leave a 1/4" gap from the flooring to the cabinets and cover it with shoe molding. And keep some extra flooring just in case you remove the cabinets later.
I recommend doing the cabinets after the flooring. Sometimes what seems permanent can end up being not so permanent, and taking that extra step now will save you from headaches down the road.
I'd suggest putting the cabinets on a proper vapor barrier right on the slab, then flooring up to them to maintain the necessary expansion gap. Just remember to keep a few extra boxes of LVP in case you want to fill that section in later.
That’s a good point! But how does that compare to, say, a heavy pool table on the same flooring? Is there a difference treating weight distribution?