I'm haiving a new kitchen fitted in the new year, my kitchen is above my cellar, which is not currently used, and has a bare wooden floor. My girlfriend wants a slate floor, now the question is do I get it installed before the units/appliances or after? The kitchen is around 3.5m * 4m the units and appliances will take up quite a large proportion of the floor space.
Kerry
I did it afterwards. You can run the slate to the cabinet leg positions since there is no real point in having the slate under the cupboards.
You then cut the kickboards to fit over the slate.
It is worth having slate in appliance positions simply to allow them to be pulled out easily.
.andy
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Good the answer I was wanting! I've been arguing the toss with my Girlfriend that she thinks it should be done first, and she's been driving me up the bloody wall about it! Both my builder and kitchen fitter set it was fine to do it after, and I'll be saving several £'s in slate!
Kerry
The governing factor is likely to be whether you can fit appliances under the worktops if you don't cover the entire floor to the same thickness. You will find it difficult to fit under-worktop appliances if the floor under them is not the same height as the slate, but, depending on the thickness of the slate and how much adjustment you have in the unit legs, that may not leave you enough clearance under the worktop. If cost is a factor, you could use MDF board to bring the whole floor up to a common level in those parts where it will not be seen.
Colin Bignell
I assume you mean slate tiles, not slate slabs. Slabs are about 2 inch thick and are very heavy.
I install the most permanent thing first, so the question is, which will be there longer ?
To let the appliances slide in and out you need a level surface right to the back of the appliance "slots".
Rick
Tell her that she can relax and you can also get a nicer slate for the same money.
The other point to mention is that depending on the nature of the wooden floor, it may be necessary to lay sheet ply, and perhaps use a flexible adhesive. Again, this can be done after the units are in.
If you are having the floor professionally laid, then the tiler should know about all of that.......
.andy
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Its up to you. SWMBO insisted I install it forst in case she din't like the kitchen layout and wanted to cahnge it.
Its a lot more exepnsive tho.
T'other kitchen wnet the other way about, and I saved on slates, just going under where the plinths were (subsequently) fitted.
I estimate fully finished slate around £100 a square meter, so point out to her that the money saved would buy that better cooker etc.
and are very heavy.
there longer ?
back of the appliance "slots".
You don't *NEED* it, but it does *HELP*.
In my case I did not tile the whole aperture - just enough to allow the sliding - essentially rails on which the units move.
Yeah its slate titles. My builder said exactly that, tile around the appliances and under the plinths where the appliances will go, in my case that's only a washing machine and cooker as the dishwasher and freezer are free standing.
Kerry
thick and are very heavy.
be there longer ?
the back of the appliance "slots".
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