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Whether you install flooring before or after kitchen cabinets depends primarily on the type of flooring you are using. For materials like hardwood, tile, and sheet flooring, the best practice is to install the flooring first. This ensures the cabinets are installed at the correct height and on a stable surface. However, you should not install cabinets on top of floating floors, such as laminate or luxury vinyl plank (LVP). These types of flooring need room to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Placing heavy cabinets on top can restrict this movement, potentially causing the floor to buckle and making the cabinets unstable. For floating floors, install the cabinets first and then lay the flooring up to them. Other reasons to consider installing cabinets before the flooring include saving money on materials (since you won't need flooring under the cabinets) and avoiding potential damage to your new floor during cabinet installation. Additionally, installing cabinets directly on the subfloor might prevent voiding your flooring's warranty.

You can tell a carpet is good quality if it’s made of a soft, durable material and has a good face weight and density. When comparing two similar carpets, the higher the face weight, the more durable the carpet tends to be. The same goes for carpet density. A higher density of two similar carpets often indicates better quality. The ideal carpet face weight and density values depend on the carpet material and type. 

Carpet stretching can be a worthwhile investment to increase the lifespan of your carpet and eliminate unsightly wrinkles, ridges, and ripples. For an older carpet that is in relatively good condition aside from some wrinkling or bubbling, restretching can make it look like new and extend its life by at least a couple of years. You should consider restretching when you notice looseness or other related issues.

However, it's important to note that stretching will not fix issues like stains, wear in the pile, or discoloration. Consider replacing the carpet instead if the repair cost is more than 50% of the price of a new one. Additionally, if your carpet is past its expected lifespan of five to 15 years, or if it has been stretched multiple times already, replacement is likely a better option.

While it may not always be ideal, you can fix a squeaky floorboard without removing the carpet. Pros use specialized carpet screws and drive them through the carpet into the subfloor, securing floorboards. They may also use nails instead of screws if they suspect the pile will get caught in the screw. While some types of carpet will hide the screws and nails, a low-pile carpet may not.