What’s the best flooring for my dogs?
Sometimes, dogs are more than just pets. They’re a part of the family. But they can wreak havoc on your floors. Dirt. Scratches. Stains from accidents.
What floor could possibly stand up to all that abuse and still look beautiful?
Best of the Best
Perhaps the ultimate floor for pet owners is luxury vinyl – LVT/P and WPC/MLF. (Learn More.)
These offer great visuals in a wide range of affordable price points. Scratch and dent resistance, easy maintenance, great against moisture, texture (for traction), and a certain softness underfoot (or is it underpaw?) that no other floor can match. Choose a better LVT if you’ve got either a lot of pets or large ones. You won’t regret it.
Laminate
Another one of the better options for pets is laminate flooring. Laminate offers superior scratch resistance, is easy to clean and can handle pet messes. One thing, laminate is prone to damage from liquids, meaning those nasty little pet accidents could ruin your floor if left for a long time.
The good news is that many laminate floors now offer protection against spills – water resistant treatments that give you plenty of time to clean up after a pet accident without worries. It does cost a bit more, but is well worth it. Your dog will thank you for the added protection.
Laminate also provides some traction for when your pup gets a little too excited; textured surfaces help prevent the dogs from sliding around. Plus, dogs love the realistic visuals of laminate flooring.
I’ll include cork here because it is similarly constructed, has many of the same performance features as laminate flooring but also has even better acoustical properties.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile can certainly stand up to anything a dog can throw at it (here, boy, fetch), but it too can get expensive and doesn’t offer a lot in terms of traction for your pet. You might want to consider adding a throw rug here and there for naptime (the dog’s, not yours).
Hardwood
Hardwood: This is a tough one. Hardwood flooring is most vulnerable to moisture, scratching, staining – in other words, everything that has to do with pets and dogs.
You might not want to take the chance of ruining your beautiful and expensive wood floor. However, there are some hardwood floors featuring improved scratch-resistant wear layers that can take it. Ask your retailer if he carries those.
One other wood flooring option is bamboo. Very strong, very tough, very hard. It can definitely do the job in both standard and even harder strand bamboo formats. Of course, it’s really all about the wear layer so don’t skimp if you want to protect your investment.
Carpet
Carpet may not be the first flooring option that comes to mind for pets. But, believe it or not, carpet has answered the call for pet owners with specially treated fibers that prevent spills and accidents from seeping into the fiber and backing. Combined with odor prevention, this helps carpet deal with the most common pet issues. Keep pets’ nails trimmed though to avoid snagging.
Natural Stone
Stone floors work too but can get pricey. But even here you should choose a stone that won’t flake (slate), won’t stain (like marble), and if it requires sealing – as many stone floors do – it can be a slippery and extremely hard surface for our four legged friends.
- Sandy
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