Tiles down first or kitchen?

[Berkshire_selfbuild]

Hey all.

 

My UFH and screed is down ready for finished floor which will be 120 x 120 porcelain tiles. What should I do.. have the tiles laid down first and then install kitchen on top? Or kitchen down first and then tiles finished around it? I’m after the best result possible rather than making life easier for either the tiler or kitchen fitter.

 

[JamesP]

Not a professional tiler but tiles first, @nod will confirm.

[nod]

6 minutes ago, JamesP said:

Not a professional tiler but tiles first, @nod will confirm.

Thanks James 

Tiles first 

Tile the floor as if there is no kitchen covering any of them Nice uniform expansion around the perimeter 

[Spinny]

Is the answer different for LVT flooring ?

I am being told by flooring company, kitchen first then they will lay LVT under the edge of the units up to the legs (and in under the floor standing appliance recesses) , then plinths go onto units ?

 

And sorry to hijack a bit. We are having a 'waterfall' end on kitchen island quartz worktop. So waterfall end on to top of flooring, or flooring (LVT) laid around waterfall end ?

(A complication for templating)

[nod]

4 minutes ago, Spinny said:

Is the answer different for LVT flooring ?

I am being told by flooring company, kitchen first then they will lay LVT under the edge of the units up to the legs (and in under the floor standing appliance recesses) , then plinths go onto units ?

 

And sorry to hijack a bit. We are having a 'waterfall' end on kitchen island quartz worktop. So waterfall end on to top of flooring, or flooring (LVT) laid around waterfall end ?

(A complication for templating)

We only do LVT on commercial jobs and there’s never anything in there when we are there 

If it was my own house I’d do the whole floor Then tape hardboard down as protection same as tiles 

Also if you ever have a flood in there it’s less likely to get under the vinyl 

[JamesP]

19 minutes ago, Spinny said:

Is the answer different for LVT flooring ?

I am being told by flooring company, kitchen first then they will lay LVT under the edge of the units up to the legs (and in under the floor standing appliance recesses) , then plinths go onto units ?

 

And sorry to hijack a bit. We are having a 'waterfall' end on kitchen island quartz worktop. So waterfall end on to top of flooring, or flooring (LVT) laid around waterfall end ?

(A complication for templating)

Good question as LVT does require space for expansion especially if in direct sunlight.

As SWMBO changed their mind I then laid LVT on top of the tiles up to the legs as I had already  installed the kitchen units.

Ask the flooring company why.

 

[Spinny]

I think the flooring company want to be last in so the flooring doesn't get damaged by other trades. The plan is currently to put levelling compound over the concrete, then fit the kitchen, then come back to latex the LVT down. I guess they may come back to fit the floor while we wait for the worktops to be templated - but not sure how the waterfall end should work.

 

Plank LVT, so there is also the issue of trying to get reasonable lines between the planks, the walls in the hall & kitchen, and the line of the island and kitchen units ?

 

Never ever had a new kitchen before, and not in a new extension. Glass splashback presumably has to be templated after worktops are fitted. Presumably sinks can't be fitted until the worktop comes ? Seems like maybe floorstanding appliances need to be stored in another room and only fitted into the recesses after the LVT has gone down - although you would think fitting them is going to be dangerous for damaging the LVT. Fridge-freezer is integrated - but obviously might have to be removed for any maintenance need - so should that go in before the flooring like a cabinet. Then there is sparky and plumber to come in and out - potentially like windy miller ?

 

I also have plasterer saying he can plaster the ceiling but come back later to fill in strips near the bifolds after the upstand is finished.

 

Anyone got a full order of works as it seems quite tricky ?

 

[JohnMo]

Not sure there is right or wrong answer just preference. We have done both before and after kitchens, really makes no difference.

[nod]

Bifolds plus any fist fix joinery 

First fix plumbing 

first fix Electrical 

Plasterers to complete everything 

Mist coat 

Floor down and protect 

They will need to self level and use adhesive You don’t want that all over your nice new kitchen  

Units 

Second fix joinery

Quarts 

Second fix plumb & Electrical 

Paint 

Enjoy 

[Berkshire_selfbuild]

Thanks all. Will crack on the getting the flooring laid prior to the kitchen - this appears to the consensus! 😎

[Mr Punter]

1 hour ago, Berkshire_selfbuild said:

Thanks all. Will crack on the getting the flooring laid prior to the kitchen - this appears to the consensus! 😎

 

Get the ceilings plastered, painted, second fixed and snagged first.

[Spinny]

Thanks Nod & Mr Punter.

I am getting very worried now. I have a kitchen fit booked for 6 weeks time and mutiple issues:

 

My plumber has cancelled.

I am waiting on delivery of blind boxes before studwork and boarding can be done around bifold and window upstand. And the carpenter guy seems too busy with his own renovation to ever turn up to do anything.

Extra kitchen cabinet has to be ordered due to enforced design change - no surety of delivery in time yet.

Plasterer has proposed boarding and skimming the ceiling to within 12-18'' of the bifold & window, then coming back to skim the edge and downstands after the kitchen and floor are fitted. Claims he can do this and protect the floor. (Plastering is unbelievably messy though)

Plasterer wants every light hole cut before he skims (is this really necessary ?) - we still have some lights to finalise and buy.

Plasterer wants ceiling speaker holes cut before he skims - but speakers not chosen and position still debatable.

Decorator not fully committed.

Flooring - suspended floor areas not ready yet - still covered to protect from plaster and damage.

 

Can you partly skim plaster a ceiling, then come back and skim what remains ?

 

 

 

[Mr Punter]

22 minutes ago, Spinny said:

Plasterer wants every light hole cut before he skims (is this really necessary ?) - we still have some lights to finalise and buy.

Plasterer wants ceiling speaker holes cut before he skims - but speakers not chosen and position still debatable.

 

I would have thought he would prefer to skim first and leave it to the sparky to make holes after, as long as the wires are not poking through.

[Nickfromwales]

7 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

 

I would have thought he would prefer to skim first and leave it to the sparky to make holes after, as long as the wires are not poking through.

Yup. 
 

@Spinny  

 

If you can record cable positions, then YOU dictate to the plasterer, not the other way around!!

 

Tell him you are fine cutting out after he’s skimmed it, as you are now all grown up and can make such choices. 

 

Bonkers?!

 

WRT the door reveal, that’s doable re stop / start of plastering. The mess is something in your control, so just lay 2 layers of Antinox sheets in the area that needs plastering later on, taping joints with duct tape. Then put cloth dust sheets down so any wet skim gets dried out nearly immediately making it less likely to be spread about.

 

Plasterer sounds like a clown tbh. 

[Spinny]

I think the plasterer had the view that cutting the holes afterwards could then lead to a poorer finish with some making good around the holes and may also be concerned that everything in the ceiling ought to be fully located and indeed connected up before he skims. Then if there is an issue or problem the relevant ceiling board can be taken down again to sort it. Whereas if he has already skimmed it becomes a whole bigger problem.

It is a valid thing I guess - we had to get him to take one board back down because they had missed pulling through a wire. But then I was measuring and cutting holes out at 10pm so he could skim the following day.

 

 

[Mr Punter]

If it is recessed lights the holes are best made after the ceiling is skimmed and painted.  Obviously you need to know where the wires are and mark carefully and accurately on a plan.

[Canski]

55 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

If it is recessed lights the holes are best made after the ceiling is skimmed and painted.  Obviously you need to know where the wires are and mark carefully and accurately on a plan.

That is if the plasterer hasn’t managed to trap 4 out of 18 cables. 😡

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Canski said:

That is if the plasterer hasn’t managed to trap 4 out of 18 cables. 😡

Good to see you're not bitter  

[Canski]

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Good to see you're not bitter  

Another thing that would have taken 5 minutes to do properly but added 2 hours to the overall task. 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Canski said:

Another thing that would have taken 5 minutes to do properly but added 2 hours to the overall task. 

2hrs is getting off lightly lol.

 

Frustrating though.