Dense question about new kitchen

[Aworryingtrend]

I really should know this, but I've got so much going on at the mo I can't think straight. plus I've never had a kitchen done before, thats my excuse .

We are having the wall between kitchen and dining room knocked down to make kitchen diner. We are also having a door blocked up. The resulting room will then be re-plastered.

My question is, at what stage do we paint the kitchen and have the floor fitted?

Do we paint first (but then decorator would paint bits that would be covered by cupboards, possibly) or wait til kitchen id fitted (but then he might get paint on my new units!) ?

Do we fit the floor (amtico/karndean) after the kitchen-but then it won't go under units?

I'm sure I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be.

TIA

Most kitchen cupboards have a plinth on the front which comes off - so you get the flooring done after the cupboards are fitted, but take the plinth off. then the flooring goes a little bit under the cupboard but not under the feet, as then you wouldn't be able to change it later.

I think you would usually paint after the fitting too, as they are likely to bump and scratch the paintwork a bit. A good decorator should be able to do it neatly and not get paint on the units.

Paint before units go in and then touch up if any damage during fitting.

Once the walls are plastered, allow them to dry right out. Reduces chance of the fresh plaster cracking under your paint quite so obviously.
Then paint the walls. The extra you pay in paint covering bits that will be covered up will be more than out weighed in the extra cost of having to paint neatly around the cupboards.
Then fit your floor. If you can afford it, fit your floor all over. This means you units are being installed on a level surface. If you only run your karndean up to the edge of the units, then the back of the units will need longer 'legs' to ensure a level fit. Espeically important to get a level fit if you are having slabs of granite as a work surface.
Depends a lot on whether you units have a floor plinth or not (mine did not).
Karndean is GREAT! I have both real oak and karndean in my house and I totally love the kandean (in a bathroom). We went for "shannon Oak" style in individual planks.

I could have written your post Aworryingtrend. We are having ours done in 2 weeks and the kitchen/diner knocked through. I can't wait. We are doing painting, flooring after the kitchen is fitted. I will have to look at this Karndean. I have heard lots of people on here talking about it. I have no idea what it is.

Karndean is basically posh vinyl flooring I think. It is produced to a high standard and may have a textured finish.
Whilst I have a general phobia about plastic things, I gave in to practicality for my children's bathroom and put karndean down (oak effect floorboards made of vinyl). the result is smart, not at all tacky, warm underfoot and I am pleased.
My kitchen has solid oak (engineered) floorboards,. They are, of course, the real deal but there is no knocking karndean. It's a great looking and practical floor choice.

Thankf leftandaright, I googled it, and it looks nice. Not sure if its WOW enough for a new kitchen but could be wrong. Do you use underlay with it?

Thanks everyone, I know what you eman about wanting to have a level floor but I can see that it would be advantageous to have the kitchne in first so you could imagine exactly what the flooring would look like?

CharlieBoo you will have to post pics on your profile when its done! Ours isn't getting fitted til April.

I am leaning towards painting beforehand and buying enough for touchups. Good point about plaster having to dry though, thanks L&R.

CharlieBoo - no underlay. There were basic sheets of plywood that were laid first then the karndean fitted ontop of that.

CB / AWT - I have attached 2 photos in my profile. One shows the vinyl and one shows the real oak.
not great pictures I'm afraid but maybe give you an idea of what the two look like.

I second what leftandright says about flooring - if you can fit it before the units, right up to the walls, then it's better. Obviously you mave to buy more flooring, but fitting is simpler.

In our old house we had a solid wood floor which was laid after the units. They didn't carry it quite far enough under the units, so we found that the floor plinths "fell off" the step down to the sub-floor at the slightest knock, and had to be pulled out and re-fitted upright each time - such a pain. Also, when our washing machine leaked the water was able to get under the floor, which caused more damage.

Painting-wise, when we had our new kitchen last year we did intend to paint first, but the fitter was too quick for us, so we ended up painting round the cupboards in the end.

Oooh I am right in the middle of having my kitchen done, wall between dining room and kitchen is down now and wall blocked up between living room and dining room.

The kitchen has been ripped out, and tiler is coming on Sat to do floor. My kitchen fitter said it is much better to put flooring down wall to wall rather than do it afterwards.

I am going to get it painted afterwards as plaster is still drying down one end!

Kitchen is going in next week.

I have to say its a nightmare choosing everything there is just too much choice!

Oh gawd I'm panicking now...I need to choose a floor QUICK!!

L&F I can't see your profile for some reason.

We were advised by the Karndean fitter to have the floor done after the units but before the plinths. It worked well and saved us a fair bit - and what is the point of flooring under the units? We had to have it under the freestanding units and washing machine, but that was simple enough. It looks great and feels great and best of all is SOOOO easy to clean!

Painting before is useful but not essential if time is short. BUT make sure your painting or kitchen fitting isn't even started until the plaster has dried out. There was a small patch of plaster not quite dry before our fitter put up one of our tall units and mould came through the back within a couple of weeks. It was a right palaver to take the back out, clean behind it thoroughly, bleach it several times, paint with mould-resistant paint and then wait till the fitter was available to come to put the new back in. It waste definitely more haste less speed!

ok - should read "it was a waste - more haste less speed!" (just like my typing!)

CharlieBoo - try now! have corrected my profile access ( I think)

Hey L&R...love the kitchen....its gorgeous. How long have you had it fitted? Your floors are both gorgeous too. So one is Karndean and the other real wood?

yeah - kitchen is real wood. bathroom (pale blue one) is the karndean. so nice to walk on but the wood is 'softer' to stand on that I thought. I find standing on tiles/stone a lot 'harder' (ie on the back/posture).
They were fitted all last summer - the end of a 7 month house refurb (7 onsite builders for 7 months!).