Expert: Jamie Yocono - 5/28/2009

Question
I am about to buy a house.  Before we move in we have to put down laminate floors throughout (incl. kitchen).  Before that can happen I need to move a floor island cabinet (holding a drop-in range) that is anchored to an adjacent wall and I guess to the floor.  I also need to make it a longer cabinet.  A couple questions: First, how do I extend the length of the cabinet?  I thought about trying to find a skinny (12") cabinet and put it between the wall and the existing cabinet after it is moved to it's new location.  Any other ideas?  Second, do I have to floor around where I figure the cabinet will be or can I floor over everything and just set the cabinet on top.  I am laying laminate flooring that requires expansion space around its perimeter.  This would be preferred since I am going to be pressed for time between closing and move-in (about a week).  Also, if I can exercise the latter option, can I anchor the cabinet to the floor even through the laminate or just to the wall if that's adequate.

Answer
JD,

The best way to extend that cabinet is to probably build a narrow cabinet to fit the opening, and squeeze it into place. It will look bad if you find something that doesn't match, though, so try to find something that is a decent match. Or if it doesn't match that well, consider pulling off the face frame (if it has one) and extending the face frame from the existing box over across the front of the new box. That way, they will appear to have been made at the same time.

If that isn't a possibility, you might be able to make do with some sort of open shelving in that space.  That may be easier to make, but without seeing the space, I can't say for sure. Or just an opening, not a closed cabinet, maybe for a bookshelf, trash can area, or a small wine rack. Think outside the box for it, and make something work there.

I would do the floor first, and then lay the cabinet on top of it. That way, you have a nice, level surface to start upon. Also, laying in flooring around an existing box like that can be difficult. So I suggest flooring first, then cabinets on top. It's much neater.

I suggest anchoring the cabinet to both the wall and the floor. Gravity will work in your favor, so the cabinet isn't really going anywhere, but you want it to stay in place, so anchoring in those two planes will secure it from being bumped and moved.  Depending on what's under your wooden floor, make sure you use the proper fastener. Obviously, if it's wood joists, then long screws will work fine. You may have to fabricate some sort of blocking for this, since you wouldn't use a 6" wood screw. But if you can attach that kick plate area to the floor, you're on the right track.

Good luck, write back if you have more questions. It's not a hard task, but requires proper planning before you start.


Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com