Kitchen renovation: just beginning, and already overwhelmed

[withm]

Actually, install the new cabinets before the floor, unless it is a subfloor we are talking about. No need to put new flooring under cabinets, and putting in floors before cabinets just means you have to worry about damaging floors while putting in cabinets.

Sure - if you want to economize. If you are guaranteed that the new cabinets will be exactly the same size as the old you might be able to get away with this. But there are some things to consider first - height difference of the 2 floors, matching up the cabinets with the old cabinet line. Location of heat ducts - do you have/want heat registers in the toe kicks? Height of the toe kicks.

But the biggest issue is the mold - likely caused by a leak sometime in the last 40 years. The sub floor under the existing cabinets is probably compromised. When you remove the vinyl or whatever the current finish floor is you may find rotted areas, mold, and very inviting area for termites. You need to fix the root problem before you apply cosmetic solutions.

You really don't want to have extra seams for future spills to seep into an already rotting subfloor. Knock a glass of water off new countertop, it spills onto floor, water runs to nearest seam and penetrates the subfloor. You can not clean that up. And say it was coffee with cream and sugar, or a soft drink. Now you are continuing to create a lovely environment for mold, mildew, rot, and bugs.

Maybe your floor isn't rotten - but then where is the odor coming from? Is your crawlspace properly sealed and insulated from the 1st floor of your house? If it were me, I'd be pulling the old floor under the cabinets.

Whether you salvage your existing cabinets or not is up to you - we've not seen them and can not attest to their condition, if they are standard sizes, or even if they are level and square. Nor do we know if they fit in your vision for the new kitchen - for example, if you are looking for a modern, urban, or Euro style they are probably not going to contribute much to that design.

Remodeling a kitchen is not as easy as some might think.