KITCHEN GUIDE · 11 FLOORING
Before new cabinets or a new floor go into a kitchen, you need to know what the existing floor is doing. A dip near the sink, a fall towards one wall or a soft patch underfoot will affect how the cabinets sit, how the benchtop joins line up and how a new floor finish holds up. This guide covers why that matters, what gets checked, the usual levelling options and when the floor structure needs a qualified practitioner.
By Ivan Bodnar · Independent Home Renovation Specialist · Approx. 15 years’ personal renovation experience
Cabinets, benchtop joins and new finishes all depend on the floor beneath them.
Floor type, how far it is out of level, moisture, old coverings and movement.
Practical options, and why the order of work matters as much as the method.
The signs that a qualified practitioner needs to look at the floor before work goes ahead.
#01
WHY IT MATTERS
Base cabinets are set to a level line so that the benchtop sits flat, doors and drawers line up and the sink drains properly. Adjustable legs and packing can take up some variation. If the floor falls noticeably along the run, though, the gaps at the toe kick become uneven and the benchtop joins come under strain.
#02 · SUBSTRATE CHECKS
FLOOR TYPE
Timber boards on joists, a concrete slab or sheet flooring over a timber frame. Each one is levelled differently.
EXTENT OF THE FALL
A straightedge and level show whether you have a local dip, a general fall towards one wall or a hump along a joist line.
MOISTURE
Damp or staining near the sink, the dishwasher or an external wall needs to be explained before anything is covered over.
EXISTING COVERINGS
Layers of old vinyl, tile or underlay may need to come up before the substrate can be seen. Older coverings can contain hazardous materials. These are tested and handled by appropriately qualified specialists.
MOVEMENT
Springiness, squeaks or soft spots underfoot suggest the problem may be below the floor surface rather than in it.
#03 · LEVELLING CONSIDERATIONS
— Minor variation under cabinets: taken up with adjustable legs or packing, with the benchtop set to a true level line.
— Localised dips on a sound substrate: a suitable levelling or patching product, prepared and applied to suit the floor type and the finish going on top.
— Loose or uneven timber boards: re-fixing, packing or replacing sections, provided the framing below is sound.
— Floor before or after cabinets: whether the new floor runs under the cabinets or stops at the toe kick affects levelling, appliance heights and any later changes.
#04 · STRUCTURAL INPUT
Ivan Bodnar is an independent sole trader. He doesn’t provide structural engineering or building certification, and he doesn’t claim trade licences or builder registration that haven’t been verified. If the floor structure is in question, it is referred to an appropriately qualified practitioner, and the renovation scope waits on their advice. Any plumbing or electrical changes are carried out by authorised specialists.
SIGNS THAT GO BEYOND LEVELLING
Noticeable bounce or spring when you walk across the room
A sag between walls, or a fall that keeps getting worse
Cracking in a slab, or new cracks in nearby walls
Decay, ongoing damp or damaged framing in the subfloor
FURTHER READING
