So, you're not putting your flooring (tile?) down first?

The gap is probably because the designer was basing it on the finished floor to ceiling height. Did you just hold up the crown molding and not include the mounting strip which adds a little bit of height?

If there really is a gap, you can probably address it by ordering more molding and doing a stacked molding which I think looks really nice. I couldn't get to the link you posted so if that was a photo of your problem it is not coming up.

I'm sorry, but this sounds like an inexperienced install error, not designer error. There are very very few crown moldings in the KM catalog whose vertical dimension is less than 3" unless you chose something like the small cove molding. Perhaps you are thinking that the moldings are attached directly to the cabinet face frame? That's not the case. The crown is mounted to blocking installed to the top of the cabinets by the installer so as to allow the full vertical height of the molding to be used in the overall height equation. It would also be an install error to not treat the cabinets as a whole and to have them at different heights.

Also, the base and tall cabinets are installed on or at the finished floor height, not on the subfloor.

You need to look at your design elevation drawings before you proceed any further. And please tell us which crown molding you chose, and I'll look up the horizontal and vertical dimensions for you. In the meantime, install your finished flooring or plywood of the equivalent height under your cabinets.

Cabinet installs look easy to an outsider, but there are many reasons I strongly suggest paying for an experienced professional installer to do the job.

Everything should end at 93" - don't move your wall cabinets up 1/2". This is not a serious problem. If your crown truly is 1.5" high, order a piece of profiled stock for a nice stacked crown.

Also, how did you get a 93" tall oven cabinet? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought Kraftmaid only offered them in 90" or 96" heights. Did you actually measure the cabinet? Maybe it's only 90" and that's why it's shorter than you expected? You've been given some good solutions already. Either install your finished floor or plywood underneath or add more molding for a stacked look. Good luck!

I have a 3-piece crown molding that fills the gap b/w the cabinets & ceiling. It uses a "filler" as the center piece to accommodate uneven floor-to-ceiling heights. Something similar should work for you. You may need a smaller top piece than we have, though.

In case your KD needs a picture:

Closeup:

Thanks to all who have responded. I was unable to get back to my computer since I posted so I will reply to all questions / suggestions in this response. Here goes:
To weedmeister: tile goes down lastâ¦after the cabinets are in. As you will (or already have read), many of the pro installers will install plywood or some suitable material over the Hardie board to bring the cabinet install up to finished floor height.
To monkeymo: You are correct. The solution is to use a stacked molding. My KD did not provide a crown diagram (she had to leave town on family business right after we ordered cabinets). When we met with our âÂÂnewâ KD yesterday to address this issue, she provided the crown diagram which showed the stacked molding. Our order did include the Single Bead Molding which is attached to blocking. As âÂÂlive wire oakâ remarked, the crown is installed on top of the SBM. Nonetheless, the crown that was ordered would still not have reached the ceiling. By ordering the Large Crown Molding (LCM8) we will get the necessary height.
To live wire oak: You are correct: this is my first kitchen install and it has been very challengingâ¦and will likely continue to be. However, I will get it done and it will look great! And, yes, had I been aware of the stacked molding that was intended to be used, that would have covered one base. The crown originally ordered has a vertical height of 1 15/16; the LCM8 that we will be ordering to replace it has a vertical height of 2 13/16 so all will be fine. Several installers, including the one that works with HD to install cabinets, have told me that installing the cabinet bases on the Hardie board is perfectly OK. I know where they live so IâÂÂm sure they werenâÂÂt setting me up. :-)
To lisa1 517: Thanks for your suggestion. You, too, are right on the money. Stacked it is!
To kitchenkrazed09: All I can tell you is that my cabinet, including the base, is 93â tall. Kraftmaid calls it an OC302493. The base is 4 ýâ and the cabinet is 88 1/2â (the front of the cabinet âÂÂoverlapsâ the base by ýâ so it appears to be 89 (does that count for 90âÂÂ? ;-) ).
To Buehl: Thanks for your picture. The link I posted and referred to in my post is of the same picture. Not trying to be a smart a**, I just didnâÂÂt want that look with painted cabinets. It really looks nice with your stained installation, however!
Once again, I sure appreciate everyoneâÂÂs comments, etc. This forumâÂÂs members are a tremendous resource! I will be posting some pictures as my installation progresses.

Hi there Keppie,

Usually don't post here and please take what I say in the spirit it is given:-)

A DIY kitchen project on one serious undertaking, just finishing up one, also great rewards. This is not to knock the folks at HD, they try very hard to give good advice.

However before one piece of tile is laid or even more cabs set why not stop over here
and run your project by these guys, real good bunch of folks.

Here is a link that might be useful: John Bridge's Tile forum

When tiling kitchen floors, unless there is a serious budget issue with very expensive tile, most folks choose to tile the entire floor before installing cabinetry, so that changes in layout can be possible in years to come. Since you're doing the work yourself, and saving on installation costs, I'd warmly recommend this. Besides saving you grief later, it's also much easier than making exact cuts around cabinetry, if you're new to it.

In any case, you will definitely want to install a subfloor/plywood under the cabinetry if you are putting in a dishwasher. That inch or 1.2" can make a huge difference and you really don't want to get caught not being able to remove (or install) the thing. It's a common installation error and folks only learn later how expensive it is when they need to tear up tile to get the machine out for repair.

Good luck!

"It's a common installation error and folks only learn later how expensive it is when they need to tear up tile to get the machine out for repair. "

And then try to match new grout to grout that has been in place for a few years.

It will get dirty enough to NOT match well.

I have seen this on even high end jobs (million+ dollar houses).

Either the floor gets damaged or the granite counters.

You can guess which one everyone picks.

I sawed a DW oiut a few weeks ago (it needed a reapir but was trapped).

Lucky for the customer a 'handicapped height' DW just barely fit in the opening.

I wasn't able to access your link, Keppie. When I attempted to use it, I got a "Photobucket Exception". I think this is the link you were trying to use... (same as the pic I posted, as Keppie mentioned!)

Here is a link that might be useful:

For 1 I second the John Bridge Forums. I got awesome expert advice and completed 2 bathroom remodels. Even got a bathroom photo in one of John's books ;). Bill Vincent, who also comments on this forum from time to time, in regard to tile issues, is a regular on that forum.

The same advice given here was given to me for the bathrooms. You will want to tile the whole room first. This gives you the ability to easily pull appliances out. Will give you a more waterproof covering under the cabinets, in case of leaks and will allow you to make changes to the kitchen in the future without having to redo the job. Also, many of the end cuts will be hidden under the cabinetry allowing you to position your tile in the most optimum layout for field of view.

Again, you can install plywood under the cabinets to bring them up to the height of the finished tile. Yes you will spend less $$ on tile put a penny saved in some instances is a pound foolish. You will spend more labor and time cutting tiles around the cabinets, trying not to get caulk or grout on the finished cabinetry when installing the tiles, etc. IMHO

OK. Many thanks to âÂÂthusieâÂÂ, âÂÂcircuspeanutâÂÂ, brickeyee, âÂÂbuehlâÂÂ, and âÂÂtoddsâ for your recent comments and suggestions. Despite the fact I had already got a few cabinets installed, I took your and the previous posters advice to heart and decided to stop and reconsider my plan.

Today I went back to the tile store where we are buying our tile and spoke to a couple of tile installers who were picking up their goodies for the day. Told them a super short digest of the situation including the advice in the most recent posts here. They agreed that getting the cabinets at or very close to the finished floor was standard practice and I should start over.
So after getting your advice and their advice, I picked up some 19/32 plywood that will place the bottom of the cabinets about 1/8â inch below the finished floor elevation. My kitchen layout is such that cutting the tile to fit around the peninsula is not a big deal. Being that this is my first, and likely my last, kitchen install, I was not worried about having to redo things in the future. However, raising the cabinets, by installing them on the plywood will avoid the really bad things that could happen as was pointed out here.

By the end of the day, I had reset all the base cabinets previously âÂÂdoneâ as well as adding one more to finish the short run on west wall. Tomorrow the refrig gets itâÂÂs garage. It will be fun mounting that 7/8â thick Tall End Panel (93â H X 32â Deep). It will even be more fun mounting the 36 x 21 bridge over the refrig cabinet between the tall end panel and the tall oven cabinet. Pictures will be posted on Flickr so hope you will all take a look. If I figure out how to attach them to a post, they will be here. :-)

My experience consulting the place where we bought our flooring material was the same as yours - why would you lay expensive flooring material under cabinets? Floors wear harder than cabinets and if you lay the floor first you've made the job of changing or repairing the floor much more difficult. As you were advised you do need to raise the cabinets to account for the finished floor and you should run the floor material into the appliance spots including the dishwasher for the reasons already mentioned (it is also more aesthetically pleasing). This is an often debated subject here with no "right" answer (lots of flooring materials can't be laid under cabinets anyway). For a DIY job I would have thought laying the floor first might have been easier but you know what your up for. Good luck the rest of the way.

Thanks for the good luck wishes, caryscott! I plan to run the floor material - tile - into the DW and Refrig spots.

Today was a really good day. My helper and I moved the heavy Tall End Panel in and I set it next to the base cabinets already installed. Put a 3/16 shim at the rear of the cabinet to compensate for the 3/16 inch extension of the stile. Very happy with the plumb fore and aft...plus the height was exactly that of the tall oven cabinet. Then we mounted the ''over the frig'' cabinet. Set it on the temporary ledgers I installed. Fits like a glove! :-)

More later.... Now I have to find a design for a corner sink cabinet. Kraft Maid provides only the material for the corner cabinet floor ( a chunk of particle board laminated with the thin ''wood'' finish) and the front face panel with beveled side stiles!! Not one shred of information on next steps! Apparently, K-M and the HD designer expect everyone to hire an installer. Ironically, the old cabinet that was in place would have been a perfect design and it was the only cabinet I demoed before our cabs were delivered!

Anybody have a corner sink cabinet plan they're willing to share that will go with Kraft Maid or similar style cabinets?

Keppie...start a new thread asking for a plan. It's a new topic and since this thread has been around for a while, you may not get many more responses. A new thread with a subject that's to the point will probably net you more helpful results.

You might also try cross posting on the Woodworking or Building a Home Forums.

Good luck!