While hardwood floors are difficult to beat when it comes to selling your home, if you are a pet owner, especially if you have large dogs, hardwood may be a trend worth ignoring. Animal claws can scratch a hardwood floor and if they have an accident, urine can seep deep down into the wood, causing stains.
What are the Best Pet Friendly Floor Options for your Home?
First, it depends on the pet or pets you live with. Consider what abuse any floor coverings will take from the presence of your animals. Goldfish may not have much of an effect on your flooring, but dogs and cats will.
Carpet is a poor choice for untrained puppies and kittens who may have accidents which are hard to clean up. Hardwood can also be similarly damaged from potty-training accidents and a polished floor is easily scratched by pet claws running across it. Training your dog is one of the best ways in which to ensure that your chosen flooring remains in good condition and you can use Healthy Dog Treats in order to do this.
Vinyl and Laminate Flooring
Vinyl flooring is a great option if you have pets in the home, as it is durable, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. Laminate floors are very scratch-resistant, and pet owners and those with active young families are increasingly opting for this flooring solution in their homes.
Natural Wood and Stone Textures
If you are concerned that laminate and vinyl floors will not look like traditional hardwood flooring, do not despair. The technological advances in the design process have allowed these materials to be created in such a way that they are very hard to tell the difference between their manmade design and that of real hardwood, especially in the vinyl and laminate planks.
Manufacturers have developed the ability to replicate natural textures and wood grains to give laminate and vinyl plank flooring a beautiful hardwood look, along with the durability that you need with pets at home. They can also replicate the look of stone flooring, which can add a beautiful touch to your kitchen for example, but with the advantages of having some cushioning and warmth underfoot.
Textures and finishes also help to disguise any pet damage or scratches that do occur. The ease of cleaning these types of flooring means that pet hairs are kept to a minimum, and the floor does not harbour dust mites like carpet does.
