Hi,
I know this should be posted on alt.home.repair (and it was) but since
woodworking is definately involved and from what I can tell, a number
of people who participate in this group are cabinet building pros, I
though I'd place it here also.
I'm planning to build a couple of floor to ceiling cabinets for my
family room. Right now the room is carpeted but we are pulling out
the carpet and putting in a hardwood floor. We have plans to live
here for about ten more years (if that matters). Building the
cabinets is no problem as I have built furniture in the past. What I
can't decide on is whether the cabinets should sit on the flooring
material or not. My two thought are as follows:
1. Pull up the carpeting and build the cabinets on the subfloor. Then
install the hardwood floor up to the cabinet bases and trim it out as
you would any wall. My concern is what if it's decided in the future
to remove the cabinets, you now have spaces with no flooring.
2. Pull up the carpet and install the floor. Build the cabinets on
the hardwood floor. My concern here is what if it's decided in the
future to replace the flooring material, do the cabinets have to
removed or do they somehow cut around them.
Thanks in advance,
Jo
"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
: Hi,
:
: I know this should be posted on alt.home.repair (and it was) but since
: woodworking is definately involved and from what I can tell, a number
: of people who participate in this group are cabinet building pros, I
: though I'd place it here also.
:
: I'm planning to build a couple of floor to ceiling cabinets for my
: family room. Right now the room is carpeted but we are pulling out
: the carpet and putting in a hardwood floor. We have plans to live
: here for about ten more years (if that matters). Building the
: cabinets is no problem as I have built furniture in the past. What I
: can't decide on is whether the cabinets should sit on the flooring
: material or not. My two thought are as follows:
:
: 1. Pull up the carpeting and build the cabinets on the subfloor. Then
: install the hardwood floor up to the cabinet bases and trim it out as
: you would any wall. My concern is what if it's decided in the future
: to remove the cabinets, you now have spaces with no flooring.
:
: 2. Pull up the carpet and install the floor. Build the cabinets on
: the hardwood floor. My concern here is what if it's decided in the
: future to replace the flooring material, do the cabinets have to
: removed or do they somehow cut around them.
:
: Thanks in advance,
: Jo
If you build the cabinets on top of the new flooring ( which is what I would do ) and you decide to
replace the flooring you can rent a saw of the name I cannot recall right now that allows you to cut
right next to a wall or panel. The blade runs right along the wall and lets you cut the flooring. OK
guys what is the name of the saw ?
Bob Gramza wrote:
> If you build the cabinets on top of the new flooring ( which is what I would do ) and you decide to
> replace the flooring you can rent a saw of the name I cannot recall right now that allows you to cut
> right next to a wall or panel. The blade runs right along the wall and lets you cut the flooring. OK
> guys what is the name of the saw ?
Are you thinking of a toe-kick saw Bob?
Scott
--
An unkind remark is like a killing frost. No matter how much it warms
up later, the damage remains.
Or build 'em in two sections. If you have an 8' ceiling, you gotta
lose just under 3" on the diagonal measurement in order to be able to
tip it into place. Depending on the style of cabinet, that may or may
not be too much. In my kitchen, I didn't want to use a "heavy" crown,
so I built the pantry units in two sections and slid one ot top of the
other without a glitch.
BTW, I concur with building them on top of the finished flooring.
Renata
On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 20:09:06 GMT, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:
--snip--
>
>Only "gotcha" is to be careful that the diagonal distance from the bottom
>front, to the top back of the cabinets does not exceed the height of the
>ceiling, otherwise you won't be able to tip them into place. Tall and/ or
>creative moldings for the interface between the ceiling and top front/sides
>of the cabinets can generally be finesses to look stunning, still allowing
>for easy removal.
>
>Future flexibility was a necessity in this particular instance and these,
>for all practical purposes, look, and act, like built-ins.
I'd build them on top of the new hardwood floor. I built a set recently by
building the cabinets stand-alone, slightly shorter than ceiling height (by
the height of the crown molding), and then used French cleats to hold them
flush to the wall. Once the cabinets were in place and the crown molding
attached, all that is necessary to remove them is to take off the crown
molding and lift the cabinets up and away from the wall.
Only "gotcha" is to be careful that the diagonal distance from the bottom
front, to the top back of the cabinets does not exceed the height of the
ceiling, otherwise you won't be able to tip them into place. Tall and/ or
creative moldings for the interface between the ceiling and top front/sides
of the cabinets can generally be finesses to look stunning, still allowing
for easy removal.
Future flexibility was a necessity in this particular instance and these,
for all practical purposes, look, and act, like built-ins.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 9/21/03
"John" wrote in message
> 2. Pull up the carpet and install the floor. Build the cabinets on
> the hardwood floor. My concern here is what if it's decided in the
> future to replace the flooring material, do the cabinets have to
> removed or do they somehow cut around them.
Build cabinet 3 1/2-4 inches shorter then ceiling height. Attach adjustable
legs , sold for cabinets , which are adjustable from 3-4 1/2 inches.
Adjust legs full extension or level to ceiling then trim top and bottom of
cabinet.
Ken
"Renata" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Or build 'em in two sections. If you have an 8' ceiling, you gotta
> lose just under 3" on the diagonal measurement in order to be able to
> tip it into place. Depending on the style of cabinet, that may or may
> not be too much. In my kitchen, I didn't want to use a "heavy" crown,
> so I built the pantry units in two sections and slid one ot top of the
> other without a glitch.
>
> BTW, I concur with building them on top of the finished flooring.
>
> Renata
>
> On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 20:09:06 GMT, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:
> --snip--
> >
> >Only "gotcha" is to be careful that the diagonal distance from the bottom
> >front, to the top back of the cabinets does not exceed the height of the
> >ceiling, otherwise you won't be able to tip them into place. Tall and/ or
> >creative moldings for the interface between the ceiling and top
front/sides
> >of the cabinets can generally be finesses to look stunning, still
allowing
> >for easy removal.
> >
> >Future flexibility was a necessity in this particular instance and these,
> >for all practical purposes, look, and act, like built-ins.
>
"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> 2. Pull up the carpet and install the floor. Build the cabinets on
> the hardwood floor. My concern here is what if it's decided in the
> future to replace the flooring material, do the cabinets have to
> removed or do they somehow cut around them.
There are ways to cut around them. Odds are, you'd want to redecorate and
remove or change the built-ins before you'd change the flooring.