[craignlisa]

OK Floorman and Thanks for the quick response.

That said,

Do I lay the cementboard underneath the future cabinet areas (which occupy standard 24" from walls) or do I install my new cabinets directly onto my 3/4" ply sub-floor then lay the 1/2" cementboard around them. If I do the latter isn't THAT a lot of cutting and sizing to fit this stuff around all these cabinets?

Before the cabinets are installed, I would like to simply lay the cementboard everywhere she plans to have ceramic plus or minus a couple of inches, then lay 1/2" ply everywhere else, staggering the joints as I go. Once completed, a plan view would resemble a puzzle. I could simply install the cabinets on top of this then get Mr. Ceramic to do his thing.

Can this work?

Craig

Ps It was a lot of work, but considering the lowest points of the floor were 2-1/2 to 3" below the rest of the floor and some of the joists were actually rotten, now the floor is level and flat and solid, I'd say it was worth it. The only downside was that I did it alone. From the demolition to now (only the floor is complete) I had no help so it took a heck of a bite out of the schedule (4 weeks).
I need a vacation!