• Clean of debris
• Treat with pesticide for, but not limited to, subterranean
  termites
• Install vapor retardant (this is plastic that is installed prior
  to slab on grade
• Wrap drain or other metal penetrations with plastic and seal top
  to pipe
• Fill all openings with concrete
• After curing check for cracks and voids and fill with
  elastomeric caulking to seal.
  

Kitchen Renovation / New Construction - Flooring

Whether building a new home with your dream kitchen or remodeling your existing one, when the flooring is to be installed should considered before starting the project.

 

Install Flooring First -

This is a BEST practice that Cianci Construction’s Bruce Cianci recommends to all clients! (See *Note)

 

Some may ask, why install flooring under the cabinets? This is a waste of money because you will never see it!

 

Let’s point out some reasons why:

1. Countertop Height - By installing the flooring first, the cabinet counter heights are set based on the finished floor and not the difference from the slab to the finish which with natural stone is typically 1-1/2” to 2”.
2.  Water Damage - By installing the flooring first, the space under the cabinets is at the same level as the floor in front of the cabinets. Why is this important? If there is water either in the kitchen or in another room, the cabinet areas will not be the lowest point in the room and will avoid unnecessary water damage. Additionally, depending on the cabinet manufacturer base details some cabinets have feet instead of cabinet sides that touch the floor which also helps to avoid damage.

 

*Note: if wood flooring is to be installed in the kitchen, we would recommend NOT installing under cabinets. In this case, we would suggest installing a stone or tile under the cabinet areas only.

This is also a water event preventive measure. If the wood floor get wet it is likely to expand and swell-up. This would damage the cabinets and would likely need to be removed to remedy.

 

Install Base in Recessed Areas -

The base should be stone or other non-pervious material. This is a preventive measure for water damage and assist in seeing a leak prior to it becoming to big or causing a lot of damage. After the cabinets are installed the non-pervious base should be installed on two or three sides of the opening (depending on configuration) and caulked thoroughly. If space requirements due to appliance size or details don’t allow space for a base to be installed then caulked the cabinets to the floor with a least ½” up on the side in the cabinet recess area.

Caulking and sealing all areas where water can get into where the appliances are will force the water to come out onto the kitchen floor where you can see it.

 

Caulk Base -

Caulk all baseboards and cabinet base to floor to prevent moisture, spills, dirt, and food from getting under them.

This is a quality detail often overlooked and should be completed when all work is done to make sure surfaces are clean.

Tree roots proximity to Pool and Pool Deck
Many trees have large damaging roots that seek water and are very close to the surface such as a Fichus Tree. These roots could potentially damage your deck, pool, plumbing lines, and foundation if
planted too close to these structures. Check with your local building department for preferred tree types, nuisance trees as in many cases they might allow you to remove or install a barrier such as Bio-Barrier or Deep Root Barrier to name a few to protect your investment against damage

Pool Deck Drainage
Drainage is an important consideration, especially here in south Florida as we get rain during a large portion of the year and occasionally large outburst with large amounts of water released. The water runoff onto the pool deck can over time damage the deck integrity by removing the fill under the concrete deck or paving resulting in sinking or cracking. The deck should be sloped 1/8" or as per code. I would recommend a greater slope between 1/8” to ¼” to avoid any flat spots that might occur where the water would stand. If drainage cannot be created only by sloping the deck due to limited height changes then installation of a Deco-drain, trench drain other drainage piping would be recommended. These drainage pipes are typically terminated in a dry well or tied into a site drainage system usually found in larger estate homes.