Wood Flooring for Your Kitchen: Why It's A Classy And Practical Choice

The kitchen is one of the busiest areas in your house. It gets a lot of foot traffic and as such, it needs to have a durable flooring system. While strength is a major deciding factor in choosing your flooring material, you shouldn’t compromise aesthetics. If you’re wondering if light wood floors in your kitchen are a classy and a practical choice, this article is for you. 

The Benefits of Wood Flooring

Ask local kitchen cabinet makers why homeowners choose hard wood as their main kitchen cabinet and flooring material, and you’ll most likely receive this answer: It is durable and has a warm appeal. 

Hard and light wood floors in your kitchen showcase a great combination of function and aesthetics. They can make your kitchen look — and feel — cozy. Compared with other flooring materials, wood is more comfortable underfoot. It also evokes a sense of calm and continuity. 

Additionally, wood is a natural resource that boasts the resale value of your home. In the past, moisture was a huge concern for this type of flooring material. But thanks to modern advances (e.g., the use of sealers and premium polyurethane finishes), this issue can now be addressed. 

When it’s properly finished, wood requires low maintenance. And given the proper maintenance, it can last for decades.

Another great thing about wood as a flooring material is the sustainability of wood. Should you choose to sell your house for whatever reason, you can guarantee a price higher than when it may use a manufactures material such as vinyl.

Different Types of Wood Flooring

When speaking with custom kitchen cabinet makers and flooring experts, you’ll learn that there is a range of wood flooring options that you can choose from. Each has its advantages, which you can leverage depending on your specific needs, preferences, and household lifestyle. 

Solid hardwood. As its name implies, this flooring material is 100% hardwood. It is timeless when maintained, and extremely durable. Some of our favorite hardwoods for flooring are oak, hickory, and maple species. These three are the hardest wood species found domestically in the US and are least susceptible to wear and tear. 

Engineered hardwood. This wood flooring option is only 100% natural wood on top. The bottommost part is a material and in between is a stable core consisting of several layers of plywood. Because of its complex anatomy, it’s more resistant to expansion or contraction, which is a common problem when a material is exposed to moisture and humidity. The thicker the top layer is, the more durable the flooring system will be. 

Reclaimed wood. Can be solid or engineered, reclaimed wood is ideal for the environmentally conscious homeowner. If you wish to minimize your carbon footprint of your kitchen project, this reused wood material is a great choice. Though it’s not new, its capability to resist decay and pests is still top-notch. Its natural look can also help create a cozy atmosphere in your kitchen. 

Bamboo. Though bamboo is a woody grass, it’s commonly grouped with other wood flooring materials. Whether it’s solid, engineered, or strand woven bamboo flooring, it’s consistently durable and moisture resistant. It’s also more environmentally friendly because bamboo is fast to grow and can be quickly replaced.

Automating Millwork for Semi-Custom Kitchen Cabinets

When you think of robotics, probably something along the lines of the Jetsons or Stark Industries comes to mind. It may seem futuristic or only relevant to businesses in the technology sector. But did you know you can also find robotics in the cabinet-making industry? Cabinet companies use robots to improve the manufacturing process, meaning a more consistent, higher-quality product for you.

Millwork Automation

Cabinetry manufacturing requires CNC machining, which involves a computer controlling mechanical tools used in the manufacturing process. One such tool is as a milling machine that carves out designs in solid materials, specifically wood in this case. Robots come into play by quickly loading and unloading CNC machines for faster production times because robots don’t need to take breaks. Other advantages of automating a factory that makes cabinets:

• Lower costs in all areas of manufacturing
• Better utilization of materials
• Improved safety for workers, resulting in reduced workers compensation costs
• Consistency in final product appearance and durability
• More floor space available for other operations
• Increased competitiveness with offshore companies

Contrary to what you may believe, implementing robotics doesn’t necessarily mean less jobs for humans. In fact, it opens more jobs in programming, engineering, equipment maintenance, and management, all of which are more relevant to today’s tech-geared society. The greater productivity also leads to more business, increasing the need for employees.

What This Means for Customers

You may think all of this is fascinating but not important to you as a customer. However, the benefits of automating the milling process trickles down to you, too. When you order new kitchen cabinets, your cost should be lower, and you should receive a precision crafted product in a shorter amount of time. You may also have a better selection of designs to choose from since the design process can also be automated.

What about for custom cabinetry? Does robotics matter when you order a customizedset of kitchen cabinets? The answer is yes. Even though your cabinets may be unique, they require the same fundamental programming, materials and workmanship. Robots are involved in the basic manufacturing and still give you the benefits of a better price than having a carpenter make your cabinets by hand. Computer Aided Design (CAD) has been used for years in the cabinet making industry but plant automation is still a novel concept for smaller and mid-sized production facilities. A kitchen designer is your best resource for a new kitchen cabinet design since most work with cabinet makers in New Jersey that are automated. Robotic technology is applicable to almost every industry, including cabinetry and home improvement products. As you look for a kitchen designer in Monmouth County, ask each company if it uses automated millwork so you can ensure you get the best price and product.