Should we put in flooring 1st or wall materials?

Chrissi
by Chrissi
We're converting an off grid cabin into a full time residence. Right now we're in the middle of having it wired so we had to tear out the old chip board walls. Would we put down the new vinyl (linoleum) flooring before we put up the new drywall or vice versa?
  19 answers
  • William William on Dec 13, 2016

    Flooring goes in last in any remodel. You wouldn't want a new floor to get damaged during demolition and renovation.

  • Bcl3201613 Bcl3201613 on Dec 13, 2016

    Flooring last

  • KBorkey KBorkey on Dec 13, 2016

    Start at the top and work down - Flooring Last!

  • Shawna Bailey Shawna Bailey on Dec 13, 2016

    Flooring last. But also this is my dream! I'm so jealous of your little house.

  • The11171134 The11171134 on Dec 13, 2016

    They all may be correct above , but if the floor was down first , then the walls to it , I would think any cold air below the floor could not come up inside the house ! All the other respondents way they suggested , cold may want to "seep" between the walls and floor !

    • William William on Dec 13, 2016

      Subfloor prevents air intrusion. Walls go up. Flooring goes last.

  • Linda Broer Reagan Linda Broer Reagan on Dec 13, 2016

    I would suggest wall materials before hardwood so that you do not get paint and other material onto the new wood. I just did a special finish with several layers of paint on my walls and had the hardwood floor installed last. If I had done it the other way around, it would have been a disaster. Same with carpet only worse! :-)

  • Lisa Battisti Lisa Battisti on Dec 13, 2016

    Have to agree...walls first

  • Sun1740629 Sun1740629 on Dec 14, 2016

    flooring first so you can put baseboards on top...and run the flooring all the way under any kind of cabinets, dishwasher etc, you can protect it with paper...

  • Pet4452245 Pet4452245 on Dec 14, 2016

    If this house is already an year round residence then I would assume that it has insulation. If not , you need to insulate the walls, put subfloor down 1/8th from walls , then studs with pressure treated floorplates that have mould resistant underlaying then put up drywall then flooring then trim

  • Ray Phillips Ray Phillips on Dec 15, 2016
    walls first, floor last always. if it was me after the dry wall is up I would put black plastic down the I would put hardwood the plastic is a vapor barrier and helps keep the cold air out.
  • Aime Aime on Dec 15, 2016

    As a flooring retailer, the floors are always the very last material to install. Electrician final, drywall, carpenter, plumber, painter and we even go as far as landscaping before the floors go in. Some goober with muddy boots always takesa short cut through the house to get to the back yard! (No offense to the landscaping profession!!!)

  • Judy Riley Judy Riley on Dec 15, 2016

    subflooring, insulation, vapor barrier, walls then flooring. you don't want heavy tools dropped onto your brand new tiles, breaking a few

  • Melissa V Melissa V on Dec 15, 2016

    I am hearing a lot of great advice-LOVE this site!!! So it sort of goes from the floor up, then back down to the final floor covering and detail last. Off grid...are you doing that in Tennessee? Beautiful place!

    • Chrissi Chrissi on Dec 23, 2016

      Yes in middle TN, it was built as a hunting/weekend cabin off grid, we're converting it into our full time home w/electric & water etc. then we'll be selling our house that we have a mortgage on. Can't wait!



  • Barb Barb on Dec 16, 2016

    subflooring, then walls and lastly flooring. Then baseboard and trim.

  • A A on Dec 16, 2016

    I watch a few design/remodel shows (you know the channels) and I've always wondered why they put the floors down first, then cover them with plastic or paper to finish the walls. I'm sure there is a reason - maybe it's related to when the trades can do the job, but it's seems very backward to me. Like many have said, if it were my house (new or remodeled), I would put down the sub-floors (need something to walk on), then all the wall stuff, including crown molding. I'd finish the floors & baseboards after all of that.


    And just to be totally reactionary - I don't like stainless steel appliances or granite counter tops and I don't want an island in my kitchen.

    • See 2 previous
    • Barb Barb on Dec 29, 2016

      white appliances are back in style again. Don't have to worry about fingerprints as with stainless or black

  • Sue Kiene Sue Kiene on Dec 16, 2016

    I agree with several of the people who detailed specific orders which of course means finish flooring last.

  • Judy Judy on Dec 16, 2016

    Firstly, Good Luck! Sencondly, WALLS first! I have just spent 6 months trying to protect my beautiful new wood floors as I did everything else! I was barely successful and did get quite a few boo boos on my newly refinished floors. My mistake!

  • Jr511832711 Jr511832711 on Dec 16, 2016

    Finish floor last always.

  • PRESIDENTSAC PRESIDENTSAC on Dec 28, 2016

    I agree with the walls first and floors last. Have you considered panelling rather than drywall? It is more in keeping with a natural theme, less expensive and time-consuming on the installation.