Kitchen Remodeling in Benson, Four Oaks and Smithfield: What Comes First

Start with what is staying

Before tile samples and paint colors, decide what in the kitchen is not changing. That one decision sets the size of the job.

If the cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works, an update can keep them: new doors or paint, new countertops, backsplash, lighting, hardware and flooring. If the layout does not work, the boxes are damaged by water, or you want an island where there is none, the cabinets come out, and the job becomes a full remodel with plumbing and electrical changes. Most Johnston County kitchens we see fall clearly into one group or the other once someone has looked inside the sink base and under the dishwasher.

The order of a full kitchen remodel

Once you know the scope, the work follows a set sequence. Each stage depends on the one before it being finished properly.

• ✓Design and selections: layout, cabinets, countertop material, flooring, appliances. Appliances are chosen early because cabinet openings are built around them.
• ✓Demolition: cabinets, counters, old flooring and sometimes drywall come out.
• ✓Repairs and rough-in: subfloor repair where the sink or dishwasher has leaked, then plumbing, electrical and any lighting changes while the walls are open.
• ✓Flooring: in most full remodels the new floor goes in here, before the cabinets. More on that below.
• ✓Cabinets: set, leveled and fastened.
• ✓Countertops: templated after the cabinets are in, then fabricated and installed, which often takes one to two weeks for stone or quartz.
• ✓Backsplash, fixtures and trim: tile, sink and faucet hookup, appliances, paint, and final trim.

Floors or cabinets first?

For most full remodels, the floor goes in first and runs wall to wall under the cabinets. It costs more in material, because you are flooring space nobody will see, but it has real advantages. The floor is continuous, so you can change the layout or replace a cabinet later without a hole in the floor. The dishwasher and range sit at the same height as the cabinets, so they can be pulled out for service. And the installer gets clean, straight cuts at the walls rather than fitting around every cabinet.

There is one important exception. Floating floors, such as most click-lock luxury vinyl and laminate, should not be pinned down under heavy cabinets, because a floating floor needs to move slightly with the seasons. With those floors the cabinets go in first and the floor is laid up to the toe kick, with the dishwasher opening floored so the appliance can still slide out. Tile and glue-down or nail-down hardwood are fine under cabinets.

If you are keeping your cabinets, the new floor goes around them. The thing to check is height: a new floor raises the level in front of the dishwasher, and it can trap the dishwasher under the countertop. We measure for that before the floor goes down.

Choosing a kitchen floor

A kitchen floor deals with water, dropped pans, chair legs and constant traffic, and in many Benson and Smithfield homes it also runs into the living area, so it needs to suit both rooms.

Waterproof luxury vinyl plank is the most common choice we install in kitchens: it handles spills and leaks, is comfortable to stand on and costs less than most alternatives. Porcelain tile is the hardest-wearing and fully waterproof, but it is hard underfoot and anything dropped on it breaks. Hardwood, solid or engineered, looks best running from kitchen into living space, as in the photo above, but standing water at the sink or a slow dishwasher leak will damage it. Our guide to waterproof flooring in North Carolina compares the waterproof options in more detail.

What older Johnston County kitchens tend to hide

Older homes in Smithfield and around downtown Benson and Four Oaks often have several layers of flooring in the kitchen: sheet vinyl over plywood underlayment over the original floor. Those layers add height, and they can hide water damage. We usually remove them back to the subfloor rather than adding another layer.

Under the sink, dishwasher and refrigerator, a long-running small leak softens the subfloor. It is far cheaper to fix while the kitchen is empty than after the cabinets go back. Our guide to soft spots and subfloor repair explains what that repair involves.

How long you will be without a kitchen

A cosmetic update that keeps the cabinets can often be done in one to two weeks. A full remodel usually takes several weeks from demolition to finished kitchen, and the longest single wait is often the countertop, which cannot be measured until the cabinets are in. Custom cabinets add lead time before work starts.

Plan a temporary kitchen in another room: a microwave, a coffee maker, the refrigerator if it can be moved, and a utility sink or bathroom for washing up. A single contractor managing the whole sequence helps here, because each trade can start as soon as the previous one finishes rather than waiting for a separate company to fit you in.

Kitchen remodeling in Benson, Four Oaks and Smithfield

Our Angier showroom is about 20 minutes from Benson and Four Oaks and 25 from Smithfield. APW handles kitchen remodels with one team from demolition to final trim, including the flooring, which we have been installing since 1973. At the consultation we look at the cabinets, check under the sink and dishwasher, discuss what is staying and what is changing, and give you a written, itemized quote.

Every project carries our 100% product and labor guarantee, and 0% financing (same as cash) is available on qualifying remodels. For budget ranges, read what a kitchen or bathroom remodel costs in Johnston County. See our kitchen remodeling page, luxury vinyl plank in Benson, tile flooring in Smithfield and hardwood flooring in Four Oaks, or book a free consultation.