When owning pets your flooring can be hard to choose. It is hard to avoid damage such as staining, scratching, and denting when it comes to pets and flooring. Therefore, we are going to talk about the different options there are for flooring when owning a pet, along with the pros and cons for some of the options that are out there for you.
Hardwood flooring can be susceptible to scratching from your pet’s nails. Dog’s nails are usually worse about this than other animals, especially large dogs. If you do want wood floors, then select a harder wood like hickory to help minimize damage. Bamboo flooring is a good option also, it is very hard and durable against pets and the damage they can cause. Of course, smaller animals are going to be much less damaging to wood than larger ones.
Ceramic tile can be a good option for your animals. Though tile is not going to stain, the grout lines can stain. Most tile flooring that is put into homes has to be grouted. Standard grout is very porous and it can be stained somewhat easily. You can get your grout sealed or use one of the new upgraded grouts available to minimize staining. Tile can be slippery for animals, and can be hard on the animal and their joints especially as they age.
Carpet flooring is very soft and comfortable for animals. Though with the comfort and softness, comes staining and odor. Carpet is made up of fibers that have been twisted together, which unless vacuumed regularly can allow pet hair and become embedded in them. That can also create an odor in your home, not because the animals are not clean, but because animals hair can have odor. Also, it is hard to keep your animals from ever having an accident in the home. Once that does happen the urine can soak into the cushion below the carpet and cause odors. Because animals have a keen sense of smell and you cannot remove the urine from the cushion they will frequently start visiting the same site to relieve themselves. There are carpets and padding that you can buy to help reduce the effects that pets have on them.
Laminate flooring is a good option for those who own animals. Laminate is scratch and dent resistant, there are also laminates available now that are moisture resistant. For example, if you have a pet that has an accident while you are not home, and it sits on your laminate all day long it will not damage the floor. Midwest Design Supply has laminates that have 30-hour moisture warranties. So if this happens, when you get home to clean the accident up your laminate will be okay. Laminate flooring can get you the wood look with the added durability that conventional hardwood flooring lacks.
In the end it is all going to be about what you want to get out of the flooring you are putting into your home. There are going to be advantages and disadvantages to all flooring types, especially when you add animals to the mix. The question is going to be what disadvantages are you willing to deal with. We hope that this blog helps you in your decision the next time you decide to make some flooring changes.