Removing Underlayment From Around Base Cabinets

Remove any furniture away from the base cabinets.

Remove the molding base from the cabinets by prying them out of place with a crowbar or hammer. Start at one end of the base cabinet and work your way down, slowly pulling the molding away as you work.

Remove any molding around the rest of the walls in the room where the base cabinets are, if needed. This step is necessary with some types of laminate flooring but not with smaller tile or adhesive vinyl flooring. In the case of laminate, for example, if the laminate runs parallel with the base cabinets, you won't have to remove any additional molding. If the laminate runs perpendicular to the cabinets, you'll need to remove additional molding around the room so you can access the underlayment.

Pull the flooring out from around the base cabinets. How this is done will depend on the type of flooring. Remove a tile floor by sawing the grout around the tile edges and then prying the tile out of place. Most types of vinyl flooring can be cut away with a putty blade and a sharp knife. For laminate floors, start with the laminate closest to the wall by the base cabinets and begin prying the laminate up piece by piece.

Remove any padding or moisture barriers on top of the underlayment by cutting it away with a sharp utility knife.

Check the underlayment for screws holding it in place. Loosen the screws with a screwdriver and lift up the underlayment pieces, using a pry bar if needed. If the underlayment is nailed into place, cut it apart into small pieces with a circular saw. Use a pry bar to remove the pieces until the area around the base cabinets is clear.