How to Choose the Best Floor for Dog Owners
Your Pet Isn’t Necessarily Your Floor’s Best Friend
While your pet pooch pal might be your best friend, the damage they can do to floors can put a strain on even the closest canine companionship.
Carpet Catastrophes – Especially if you’re in the process of house-training your dog, the chance of a mess on the carpet is a very real possibility. For some animals the carpet’s texture seems to make it even more appealing for a little indoor toilet relief! Not only is the clean-up far from pleasant, but the smell can linger, and the marks can be permanent.
Wood Isn’t Good – Your precious wood flooring can be especially vulnerable to the scratches and dents left by exuberant dogs. Even small dogs can leave so many small scratches that overtime that hardwood flooring loses its lustre and will need a professional repair to restore it.
Hair There and Everywhere – Seasonal shedding can be especially distressing if you have carpets. Depending on the size and floofiness of your dog it can take constant vacuuming to keep your floor looking and smelling fresh.
How to Choose the Right Floor
When deciding on the best pet-friendly flooring, focus on these two main areas:
Moisture and Stain Resistance – The more resistant your flooring is to moisture and stains, the less likely your pet can cause your flooring significant or permanent damage. Even if it’s not a ‘bathroom’ accident, dogs love to bring their puddle-rolling and rainy day walks inside. Regular exposure to moisture created by your pets can be very damaging to flooring.
Toughness Against Claws and Toenails – The best pet-friendly floor should be tough enough that claws and toenails are less likely to leave permanent marks. If you wince with worry every time you hear the clickity clack of your dog’s claws making its way across the room, then it’s time to re-think your flooring.
What’s The Best Flooring for Pets?
At Floor Factory our top recommendation is LVT. They’re not bulletproof, but luxury vinyl tiles have been time tested to offer improved resistance to pet damage over many other flooring types. LVT has a built-in wear layer to improve its lifespan and offers superior moisture resistance.
One of the other great advantages of LVT is its versatility (you can get almost any flooring style replicated in LVT), its comfortable and warmer underfoot than many hard floors, and its great at reducing the noise of dogs running across the floor compared to wood or tiles.
What Flooring Isn’t Pet Friendly?
Depending on the size of your pet, how house trained it is, and what animal you share your home with, there’s some flooring that’s not as pet friendly.
Hardwood and Engineered Wood – Even engineered wood can be vulnerable to pet damage. So, check with the Floor Factory team whether it’s going to be easily damaged by your St Bernard.
Laminate – Floor Factory stocks a range of laminate and some are more suitable than others for pet owners. But in general, laminate is more prone to scratch marks and not as moisture resistant than LVT.
As always, for impartial advice, design ideas and to find your perfect flooring, contact Floor Factory today to discuss your flooring options. Call us on 01332 986261, make an appointment at our showroom or fill out our online contact form!
