I'm currently working on a kitchen renovation and I've removed the cabinets. The flooring in the kitchen is tile, and underneath the cabinets, the concrete is about 3/4 inch lower than the tile. I plan to install vinyl flooring over the existing tile. I'm wondering whether I should use leveling compound or leveling concrete under the cabinets to make it level with the tile.
Additionally, for the existing kitchen tile, do I need to use leveling compound to fill the grout lines? We're going to use vinyl with a ridged core and foam backing or pad. Is there anything else I need to do to the existing tile before installing the vinyl? This is my first house, and I'm hoping to save money while doing it right!
1 Answer
You could actually just place the cabinets back on the bare concrete without leveling, which is often simpler. Raising the floor will require cutting out more wood in your cabinets, which can be a hassle. The main exception is for the dishwasher, where you might need to put down a few layers of plywood to make sure it fits nicely underneath. That said, it sounds like you might want to go the leveling route to keep things uniform! If you're leaning toward that, make sure it doesn’t throw off any alignments with the cabinets.
Thanks, that makes sense! I just thought it’s better to have everything aligned. Should I consider leveling under the cabinets anyway or just go without it?