On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 17:52:11 GMT, "Bill" wrote:

I want to remodel my entire kitchen, including adding ceramic tile flooring.
Is it better to:

1) Remove all cabinets & appliances and tile the entire floor? Then replace
the cabinets & appliances over the new tile?

OR

2) Replace and fix all cabinets first, then only tile up to the cabinets?

Thanks.

The usual advice is to tile the whole floor, and then place the base
cabinets. This makes an easier tile job, places the countertops at a
true 36", avoids having to deal with trying to get the dishwasher in
and out over the edge of the tile, and, in theory, could allow you to
rearrange things in future without redoing floor.

Having said that... I wish the guy who did my kitchen had placed the
base cabinets first, and then tiled, because I would really like to
replace the floor with something more to my liking, and that would
mean ripping out all the cabinets now, since the tile runs under them.
The rest of the kitchen is in good shape, but the floor has got to go.

I I were remodeling now, I think I'd lay a 3/4" (or whatever will
match the finished tile height) plywood spacer down where the base
cabinets are going to go, including under the dishwasher, tile up to
that, and then place the cabinets on top of the plywood. The cabinets
wouldn't be in the way while tileing, and all the heights would work
out.

My $.02

Paul