I just bought a house that had some quick renovations done by bargain contractors. They installed floating vinyl flooring all the way to the walls before putting in the kitchen cabinets, and now I'm looking to replace the floors. My question is: can I install new flooring without completely removing the kitchen cabinets? I plan to take out the oven and dishwasher, and I'm thinking about cutting around the cabinets to keep everything level. Is this a feasible solution? Here are some images to show you what I'm dealing with: [https://imgur.com/a/indl6lM](https://imgur.com/a/indl6lM)
2 Answers
Yeah, this is pretty straightforward! Just cut the old vinyl floor flush with the cabinets and lay down the new flooring. You might want to use quarter round molding to cover any gaps or imperfections afterward. It'll look neat!
What I did was remove the toe kicks and cut the vinyl flush with the cabinets. Then, I laid the new flooring beneath the dishwasher and range, and covered the gap with shoe mold. It's a bit of a hassle, but definitely doable. Using a multi-tool will make it easier, but you can also cut through the vinyl with multiple passes of a box cutter. Just be patient, and it’ll turn out fine!
Good tip! I found that cutting through a few times with a box knife is actually less messy than using a tool. Just have to be careful!