Technology for most of us has become an integral part of our lives through entertainment, news, communication and even time management therefore it should have a consideration for your future kitchen.   Even if technology has not driven your life personally it has for potential buyers so if you do intend on selling apply some basic inexpensive options and instantly set your home apart from the rest.

 Are You Wired?

 Let’s first start with the power since it provides the backbone to all we will discuss in this article.  Of course, it’s best to obtain the professional service of a licensed electrician but make sure you have enough power in your kitchen to add the necessary lighting or appliance changes.  Keep in mind that appliance electrical work tends to be more expensive than say standard lighting.

An entire article is planned on the topic of lighting alone due to the overwhelming influence in a kitchen renovation project however, for the purpose of this article allow me to briefly point out what lighting options should be considered. 

1. If upper cabinets do not extend to the ceiling consider over cabinet lighting with dedicated switch.  This makes for great party impact to have a soft glow above the cabinet area not to mention Christmas light installation.  Lighting should be considered for all upper cabinets and can be added quickly with rope lighting hidden behind the crown molding at the top of your cabinet run.
2. In addition, under cabinet lighting is almost a given with every kitchen project so research this option well.  At the time of this article I suggest Xeon lighting since it can be hard wired to a switch, it’s generally dimmable but most importantly it’s fairly inexpensive.  Until LED lighting comes down in cost this remains the best budget conscious choice in my opinion.
3. Last but not least – recessed lighting over every 4 feet of kitchen counter space, placed directly above the counter area.  You cannot go wrong with recessed lighting unless you don’t plan on placing it directly above your counter tops.  If you simply create lighting additions in the room center shadows will be viewable on the counter when you stand to work unless under cabinet lighting is turned on.  We always recommend to clients to add lighting over the counters and in the general room area and consider switches on both groups if you can afford the nominal increase.  At the time of this article the going rate for recessed lights is about $125.00 per light with everything included.

Wiring a Kitchen for the Future

When you consider what life was like less than twenty years ago and what it’s become today, most of us wouldn’t have had a clue that DVDs, CDs, LCD readouts, the Internet and cell phones would be as common.

Dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers and much more are ruled by high-tech advances. Overall, families have adjusted quickly to these changes. But what will the next wave bring? If you’re going to be remodeling your kitchen, you’ll want to ensure that your new cooking area is as ready as it can be for the next wave of high technology which is why I want to point out the following.  Networking.

Don’t just think of the internet as a source of information.  Consider it the avenue to control your appliances.   Is this hard to believe?  Currently, various cable and satellite companies are advertising the ability to program your receiver to record your favorite shows.  This is done through the use of the internet.  Although not yet cost effective but coming down in price in the not so distant future is the ability to turn on/off coffee makers, check temperatures within the refrigerator or even turn the household HVAC system down to the desired vacation setting after you’ve gone to the beach.  All this and more is here and is coming down in price as more people turn high-tech.

That being said, consider running several CAT6 network cables within your kitchen and do so in pairs.  Meaning, run two cables not just one for each “drop” location.  High Definition television can now be transferred from your main living room to another room simply through CAT6 network cable (when run in pairs).. but the networking cable offers other options too.

Two other smart kitchen innovations, both of which are paperless, include a digital calendar that displays on a large screen and accessible remotely.  Ever through about a recipe projection device that downloads recipes off the Internet and projects the image onto a selected surface?

In closing, if you are renovating your kitchen, then the best time to prepare for the future is when the walls are exposed. Run Internet cables with Internet outlets. Also, it’s more proactive to run a conduit or two through which you can fish additional wires or cables.

Hard to know for sure what tomorrow brings.. but we do know that multimedia, internet, and communication will be integrated very soon.  Visit us at www.lyndencraft.com

Both the popularity as well as the increasing materials available to the “do it yourself” community both suggest you should seriously consider hardwoods for your own home and we hope to address a few of the reasons for our position as well as provide some pointers for those of you looking for a hardwood contractor.  Please read carefully if you are thinking about doing this yourself because you could waste the entire amount spent if you do not install hardwoods correctly… More on that shortly.

The location of your home could impact this next statement but generally speaking hardwood floors in any room generally add value and beauty to your home but adding hardwoods in the kitchen, even if carpeted rooms are adjoining, will set the kitchen apart as a centerpiece room.

There is another factor to consider.  If your family utilizes the kitchen for more than just quick stop in and grab a snack moments.  Meaning, you actually cook, clean up the dishes, and spend time sitting at the table… then you might want to closely look at the main differences between tile and wood floor.  If tile is not an option for you, then please skip this article but for those of you weighing the two options as equals, please understand they are not. 

• Wood floors hold the warmth better in the winter.
• Wood floors are “softer” to your feet and ultimately for some… the back.
• Wood floors are more durable than vinyl tiles.
• Tile floors can actually cost more when you add up the installation and ALL the materials needed to properly install.
• Wood floors will not chip or break if something is dropped and can actually even “absorb” the bounce of a glass or dish.  This is not a guarantee nothing will break rather it is generally accepted as a rule of thumb that wood floors absorb the fall better.

This is why the wood floors create value in most homes since the popularity has increased tied directly to many of the points listed above.

What about spilt liquids?  Excellent question!  There have been several advances in sealing the wood and in coating with a durable finish to prevent moisture damage to hardwood floors.  This being said, it is still possible to damage should a leak occur in the dishwasher, sink, frig, etc.  However, if the finish is applied properly spilt liquids can remain on the surface for a short period of time until you are able to clean up the spill.

For our custom cabinets, we actually utilize a material that protects the wood from over 20 stains from Acetone to Wine… and the same advances are available to hardwood floor installers as well.  Beware, there IS a difference in the finish so study this carefully if you decide to do this yourself.

If you have visited a home improvement store recently you may have noticed that hardwood flooring options are becoming as extensive as tile and vinyl.  In fact, in most stores hardwood floor options have exceeded vinyl options.  Options related to plank length, width, finished or unfinished, stain colors, etc.

When you review, make sure you also look at the product from the side.  Is this a solid plank of say red Oak or a piece of plywood with a solid wood veneer on top referred to as “engineered wood floors”.  Nothing wrong with either but research the differences and compare that to the length of stay you anticipate in your home.  Believe it or not, in some cities you can obtain solid cherry wood floors for the same cost as oak… but in larger formats.  There are so many options out there to choose from and we recommend getting the option of an interior decorator to assist.  The goal is to allow the floor to compliment the room as a whole not become the center of attention (unless you plan on some appliqué technique.)

Finish Options:  If you plan on doing the hardwood floor project yourself I would highly recommend you purchase pre-finished flooring.  Please don’t get distracted and gravitate toward unfinished because it costs $2.00 less per square foot.  Finishing hardwood floors is not only a very physical job it will absolutely create a wood dust mess in your entire home and this is not an exaggeration.  Unless your home is vacant  and you can absolutely tent off the area and turn off your HVAC systems and not sleep there overnight… consider pre-finished.

Finishing a wood floor requires more technique than say just installing a pre-finished floor and they look very similar when done.  No one will notice that you used pre-finished unless it’s another “do it yourselfer”. 

Finishing is not like painting where you can just slap it on, avoid runs, and wait for it to dry.  (I’m speaking from experience here.) There are sanding preparations that must be done with caution so not to create ruts from a rogue sanding machine or should I say a rogue operator.  Sanding stages are required between each step not to mention a high filtration vacuum to remove all dust between these stages.  I’m just getting started.  The fumes alone will drive you out of your home. 

Consider pre-finished.  They look great and will be uniform in appearance.  I have not addressed the actual installation process since this is not an article on the step by step method of installation but I will mention the MOST common mistake among the DIY community, in my opinion.  Not letting the wood sit in your home for ONE WEEK doing nothing but acclimating to the temperature of your home could be the biggest impatient move you have made in your life.  I’ll let you research why this is important in other articles.. but I had to at least identify the major pitfall here.

If you decide to get a professional to install and finish your new hardwoods please keep in mind that the pre-finished is most likely going to maintain a better finish unless this hardwood installer has years of experience and you have checked their references and background.  A good installer could in fact improve on the finish from a pre-finished factory.

Once you’ve made the decision to pursue hardwoods you will need to start shopping both home improvement stores and general flooring stores.  Don’t cut corners by just hiring a cheap installer and go with the wood they recommend.  Builder Grade #1 would be the minimum I would suggest (when selecting unfinished hardwoods) but research this more on your own.

Couple of questions to think about and possibly ask when considering a hardwood store.

1. Does this store specialize in floorings?  Stores that specialize are a great resource because they typically have a knowledgeable sales staff.  A tremendous value if you know nothing about hardwoods and wish to educate yourself.  They can assist in winding through the jungle of hardwood decisions.
2. Do they offer their customers installation? If they have specialized in wood flooring and have a knowledgeable sales staff and a great product selection, most likely they also offer installation.  Since they sold you the product there is a good chance they want to see it installed correctly so this is an option to consider.
3.  Do they have references and pictures from previous jobs?  Boy is this critical.  We do the same with our custom cabinet customers.  References, before/after pictures and more are always available to our customers online.  Anyone that is seriously in business will have. A lack of either type of reference should throw up a red flag and let you know that your search for the best supplier is not over.