While thinking about what your pets may do to your floors, it is also important to think about what your floors might do to your pets. For example, slick laminate floors are hard for animals to walk on, and may actually damage their hips because they have to walk in an abnormal manner to keep from slipping and sliding on the flooring.
Key Factors in Choice of Pet-Friendly Flooring
Over 65% of homes provide a family and shelter for at least one pet. So, choosing the right flooring when building or remodeling is important.
The key factors when choosing flooring that will be good for both you and your pet are:
- Durability: The flooring will need to be able to withstand kitty claws and doggie toenails. Both can easily scratch floor surfaces when not trimmed. Flooring also needs to be able to stand up to “accidents.” No matter how well house trained a pet maybe, there is always the chance of not making the pan or pad. Then there is the occasional “temper tantrum” miss.
- Easy Care: With the busy lifestyles we all live these days, no one wants to spend a lot of time scrubbing or sweeping. Flooring needs to require minimal care, a quick wipe or sweep.
- Style and Beauty: Let’s be honest, what you want most of all is a beautiful floor that adds beauty and value to your home. You want a floor that acts as a canvas upon which you can design your interior landscape.
Best Floor Material for Happy Pet and Pet Owners
Almost any type of flooring can be adapted for pets, but carpeting and hardwood floors are the two worst choices when owning pets. Carpeting is easily damaged from cat scratching, and it is very hard to get pet stains out once they sit for any length of time. Hardwood, while it can be sealed with a polyurethane coating that can make it more durable, can still be stained by urine that will soak into the floor and can’t be removed. It can be sanded out and the floor re-stained, but salts from the urine can cause ghost stains to reappear.
The best flooring for homes with pets are Luxury vinyl flooring; embossed or textured laminate flooring; stone or tile.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl can give you the look and feel of hardwood without the minuses. Advances in manufacturing using a high-definition printing process to emulate top species of hardwood produces highly authentic looking plank flooring that can be laid like natural wood. Manufacturers add texture to give it an authentic feel. It is hard to tell the difference between the vinyl flooring and the real thing. But, the planks lock together making it waterproof.
Because luxury vinyl tile is waterproof, it can be used in areas where your beloved cat or dog may leave unappreciated urine or fecal matter. It can be cleaned up with a quick wipe, and the moisture will not cause damage that will mean costly repairs. Another plus offered by this resilient flooring is that it is strong, durable, flexible, and conceals the imperfections of the what is underneath.
Embossed or Textured Laminate
Today’s laminate is incredibly durable, easy care, and it keeps allergens away because it does not trap dirt or dust, making it a great choice to keep pet dander and shedding at bay because it is an easy clean up. All it takes is a quick weekly vacuuming, and an annual deep cleansing.
While many laminate floors are smooth, make sure to get the more realistic, cutting-edge planks that have the look and feel of hand-rubbed wood-grain or subtly varied slate appearance that will enhance the beauty of any room, and provide traction for pets.
Tile or Stone
Probably the best option is tile or stone. Both can be sealed for easy cleaning and neither absorbs pet odors, nor do they hold on to pet stains.
The best part about tile is that with all of the new technology being used in the industry, there are more options than with any other flooring. Ceramic and porcelain tile is being made to look like every type of flooring imaginable, from wood planks to cement to beautiful patterned small and large format tiles in an array of colors, shapes, and designs. When using tile, your floor can be a canvas or a statement. Either way, it will stand up to all that pets throw its way, and remain stylish and elegant. Stone is a product of nature, and it will take a bit more care, but like tile, it is not easily damaged by toenails, claws, shedding hair and fur, or “accidents.”
Let us know which flooring option you will choose for your pets!
