I’ve laid an engineered hardwood floor throughout my entire first floor including the kitchen. The fridge will go at the end of a row of cabinets and I have a cabinet side panel to install that will enclose the fridge and attach to the overhead cabinets. I’m thinking that if the side panel rests directly on the floating floor that this will impede expansion and the floor could buckle or break apart. Any suggestions on how to handle this? Thinking I could secure the side panel to a stud, let it hang slightly above the floor and then trim the bottom of the panel with shoe molding to hide the gap. Just worried the panel will feel a little loose or wobbly by virtue of the fact it is not resting on the floor. Any other way to handle this?

The panel will not be touching the fridge if you leave a little gap. Screw the panel into the flooring but bot into the sub-floor. A shoe would be a good trim piece at the base of the panel. The flooring can still expand or contract and the panel will move with the floor.

The panel will be screwed into the cabinets above the fridge. Won’t that inhibit the floor from moving if the panel is also fastened to the Floor?

Just fasten the front of the panel with a short screw that doesn't penetrate the sub-floor. If the panel is fastened to the wall, do not fasten into the wall for 3 feet above the floor

Make this Christmas even more special by being Santa for your grandma and grandpa. Buy
best gifts for grandma, unique gifts for Christmas for your grandparents. gifts for beer lovers