Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Can I Install Cabinets on Top of My Flooring?

For floating floors, install cabinets first and leave a 1/4" expansion gap. For glue-down and nail-down installs, either order works.

Floating floors need room to expand and contract with seasonal humidity changes. Cabinets installed on top of a floating floor pin it in place, which can cause buckling or joint failure over time. The correct installation sequence depends on whether your floor is floating or fixed.

Appliances — including refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and washing machines — are not a concern and can be placed on any Flooret floor after installation. 

  • Modin LVP (floating): cabinets before floors, leave 1/4" expansion gap
  • Arista Laminate (floating): cabinets before floors, leave 1/4" expansion gap
  • Silvan Hardwood (floating): cabinets before floors, leave 1/4" expansion gap
  • Silvan Hardwood (glue-down): either order is fine
  • Provence Hardwood (nail or glue-down): either order is fine

Modin and Arista

Both are floating floors. Install cabinets before the planks and leave 1/4" of expansion space at the cabinet base. Installing cabinets after may not cause immediate issues, but it introduces long-term risk of buckling or joint failure. Installing cabinets first eliminates that risk.


Silvan

Floating install: cabinets before, with 1/4" expansion space.

Glue-down install: either order is fine, a fixed floor doesn't need the same 1/4" expansion space.


Provence

Provence Hardwood must be installed by a certified installer using a nail-down or glue-down method. Because it is a fixed installation, cabinets can go in before or after the flooring in either order.

 

Common Questions

What happens if I install cabinets on a floating floor?

The cabinet weight pins the floor. Seasonal humidity changes cause expansion with nowhere to go, buckling, gapping, or joint failure. 

How much expansion gap do I need?

For floating installations, leave at least 1/4", the same gap used at walls. Covered by the toe kick, quarter round, or baseboard, so it's not visible after installation. 

What about kitchen islands?

Freestanding islands that are not anchored to the floor can be placed on top of the flooring after installation. Built-in islands bolted to the subfloor should be treated like cabinets — installed before the floating floor with a 1/4" gap.