If you have hardwood floors or are thinking about getting hardwood floors but don’t want them completely destroyed by your pets, then you might want to follow these helpful tips.
We all want to have nice looking floors in our home, but with pets it might be a little bit challenging. Taking the proper precautions to help protect your floors is important to keep your floors looking nice. Also it’s beneficial to do some research beforehand to determine what type of wood will hold up best against scratches from our animal’s claws and the damage that might come from an accidental potty in the house.
Although we all want that fancy look of the real hardwood, laminate or luxury vinyl flooring can sometimes be a great second best option that doesn’t look all that bad – and they will be a better option if you have pets! If you absolutely just have to have the authentic hardwood lumber though, you should go with a three-quarter-inch flooring so that you are able to refinish it several times if need be. Listed below are some options for hardwood that would go best in a pet friendly home.
- Brazilian teak
- Brazilian walnut
- Brazilian ebony
- Natural strand bamboo
- Acacia
- Brazilian cherry
- Hickory
- Red Oak
- White Oak
- Hard Maple
If you’re looking for a good pet friendly floor that isn’t hardwood but still looks really nice, consider checking out Pet Friendly Flooring. Their flooring is designed for the active lifestyle of children and pets. They use natural cork plank flooring and then finish with a rich vinyl that is virtually impervious to spills, stains and scratches. Also, they are easy to install and come in a variety of patterns and colors.
Whichever flooring you choose, you still probably want to keep your floors looking nice and keep damage to a minimum.
How to Keep the Damage to a Minimum with Pets:
- Trim your pet’s nails – it will help reduce the amount of scratches on your floor and it will make your pet happier!
- Make sure to wipe your dog’s paws off after they’ve been outside to get any dirt, sand or mess off before they step on your wood floors.
- If you have a pet that sheds, it might be beneficial to pick a floor color that’s similar to the color of your dog’s hair – because there will be a lot of hair on your floors!
- Keep liquids off the flooring as best as possible. Place a mat under your animal’s drinking bowl to keep water off the floor and also make sure to clean up any urine or vomit as quickly as possible. To clean a mess off the floor, use a damp cloth with a mixture of plain vinegar and warm water.
- Place rugs in high-traffic areas. If your dog runs to the door every time the doorbell rings then it might be a good idea to place a rug along that path to save your floors and help your pet’s traction which will also lessen their chances of injury.
Scratches will probably be the biggest pet-related problem you face with having hardwood floors. To try and prevent those scratches you can use more finish on the floor. If you have scratches in the finish, they can be fixed with a new coat of polyurethane. Scratches in the wood have to be sanded out, so the more finish you use, the less work you’ll have to do. Going with a tougher finish might be expensive at first, but it will save you money in the end when you don’t have to sand the whole room.
Hardwood floors can still be an option if you have pets. Just remember your pets and flooring can live in harmony if you plan ahead, research and give extra care to both your floor and pets.
