Menu
In today’s society, more and more people will keep pets. Pets can relieve stress and increase fun; they can also reduce loneliness and bring companionship.
But you will need to choose suitable flooring if you want to keep pets. Cause pets damage the floors a lot more than humans. They scratch, they make stains, they lose hair. In a word they will make a lot of problems. If you are planning to build a home or renovate your current home, consider pet-friendliness when considering what flooring to install.
Scratch resistance. Some pets have long, sharp nails, which can easily damage the floor, especially when the pet is playing. Unfortunately, scratching is actually part of the pet’s instinctive behavior. Grabbing helps wild pets create a safe and comfortable place where they can sleep or rest. Pet friendly flooring can provide a high level of scratch resistance.
Slip resistance: When choose the flooring, safety is the top priority for the pets. Some floors provide very little traction, which may cause slips and injuries. While some other flooring is slip resistance which will make the pets walk and run safely.
Water proof. No matter how well your pets are trained, it is unavoidable that they will pee at home, or they will hit some items by accident, so the flooring will become wet. A water proof flooring will definitely help to protect the flooring and keep the long flooring expectancy life.
Easy to clean. When the pets make the floor dirty, easy to clean is also important. It will be a huge problem if you need to spend 2-3 hours to clean the floor everyday. While it is easy if you just spend couple minutes to clean and wipe the floor.
Comfort and warm. When we choosing flooring for pets, we will need to make sure we are providing them a home which is warm and comfort. For the flooring with high resilient and not cold when sleep, these will make pet easy to walk and comfortable to sleep.
In this article we will talk about different flooring options for pets, their advantages and disadvantages. So you will know what is the best flooring for pets.
It’s an in-depth article that takes 25 minutes to read.
Vinyl flooring is our best suggestions for pet owners. It provides a full range of benefits.
2. It is water proof, very easy to clean and maintain. If the floor is wet, no matter it is water or urine, you can easily wipe it in 1 minute and it will look like new.
3. It is scratch resistant and durable. One of the biggest concerns for pet owners is the scratches they may cause to the floor. Vinyl flooring has high scratch resistance. Even for dogs with long nails, vinyl can resist this damage.
4. It is slip resistant and safe. It provides significant traction during exercise. This reduces the risk of pets slipping and getting injured on the floor.
5. It is warm and comfortable. Due to high resilient, it is comfortable to walk and sleep. And it is not cold which is very good for pets.
Vinyl flooring is an ideal flooring choice for pet owners and can be installed anywhere.
This is second recommended flooring options. Homeowners who use it report that they are happy with its strength and resistance to dog scratching. In general, laminate floors are designed to to the appearance of hard wood and stones. But the truth is: laminate flooring is composed of synthetic materials. Therefore, you can enjoy the decorative advantages of wooden floors without any negative effects. Laminate flooring is also easy to clean and has very few stains, which makes it a good choice for pets.
But laminate does have its own shortcomings. Before you decide to install it, you should be aware of these shortcomings. First, it may be damaged after being frequently spilled on the floor cause it is not water proof. What happens is that urine or water seeps into the space between the boards, it will cause damage day by day. After a long period of time, you may even be forced to replace the floor due to excessive damage. In addition, laminates tend to be very smooth, making it difficult for pets to walk on them. They are prone to slips and injuries, especially for very active pets. The best way to solve this problem is try not to choose high-gloss laminate flooring with a smooth surface. Instead, look for floors with embossed or textured finishes. Although it is not as good looking as carpet or vinyl, the textured finish will provide your pet with some grip.
Cork is the third flooring option recommended to pet owners. In addition to being hypoallergenic and antibacterial, it also has excellent resistance to scratches and other forms of pet traffic injuries. Cork flooring is environmental friendly, which makes it a good choice for homeowners who love environmental friendly products. When it comes to liquids, the floor performs well, but to a certain extent. Although the floor is resistant to urine and other liquids, it must be cleaned quickly to prevent permanent damage. Cork flooring is water resistant, but not water proof. Fortunately, cork flooring is easy to clean, not as easily soiled as some floors. If you are looking for a warm and comfortable floor for your pet, cork flooring is a good choice. It is not as hard as hardwood, so it is very comfortable to walk. In addition, when your pet runs on it, it makes very little noise.
But Cork still has its problems. First, some smooth flooring may be slippery, which poses a safety risk to pets. Second, the flooring is not suitable for rooms with heavy furniture because it can withstand permanent damage. You should also notice that it tends to fade over time. But it should be ok if you don’t expect the very long life usage of the flooring.
There is a lot of debate about how good bamboo flooring is for pets. Bamboo flooring is hard which makes it ideal for large and heavy pets, but it does not perform well in scratch resistance. Many homeowners complained that using bamboo for only one or two years, there are now scratches and dents everywhere. The situation is even worse if with quite large pets in the house. As far as pets are concerned, the best feature of bamboo is that it is resistant to contamination and easy to clean. This is very convenient for pets who tend to urinate indoors. Urine is unlikely to cause permanent stains and can be removed easily and quickly. Some homeowners also like bamboo because of its environmental protection. There are very few pesticides needed to keep bamboo healthy and no chemical fertilizers are needed. After bamboo is planted, it has a positive impact on the environment by reducing its carbon footprint and preventing erosion. But this is not enough to conceal the fact that it is easy to scratch. Therefore, you really need to think about it carefully if you pets are big.
Hardwood flooring is a very popular flooring choice, but it is not our first choice for homeowners. Most types of hardwoods have poor leakage resistance and are prone to wear, especially when there are large pets or more than one pet around. It is also prone to stains, especially after repeated contact with the spill. But this does not apply to all types of hardwood floors. If you must choose this option, we strongly recommend that you choose the more difficult option. The harder the floor, the more resistant it is to pets’ scratches and wear. A good idea is to check the hardness rating of a particular wood before choosing. Some good durable hardwoods include cherry, maple, oak, hickory, mahogany, and elm. Some of the trees we recommend against include cedar, pine, birch, fir and redwood. They are too soft to withstand the abuse of pets. Even with durable hardwoods, it is still important to protect them. We recommend that you apply polyurethane on the floor. This makes the floor more resistant to scratches and stains, and minimizes damage caused by liquids such as urine. If you want a wooden look, but are worried about pet damage, we recommend that you use laminate flooring. It will withstand the clean and classic appearance of hardwood, but has better performance in terms of resistance to scratches and stains.
Natural stone flooring can be expensive, but if you have pets, this is not a bad choice. It has achieved perfect results in almost all areas that pet owners care about. Stone bricks are very scratch resistant. Even a big dog with big nails will not cause any damage to the natural stone floor. When it comes to resisting damage from liquid leaks (whether urine or water), the floor is equally impressive. It will not stain or cause damage. Speaking of cleaning, stone bricks provide a lot of convenience. Any mess caused by pets can be cleaned up in a few seconds. However, some soft stones (such as marble) require more maintenance.
The main problem with stone bricks is the discomfort it brings to pets.
Cold and hard, this is not the most comfortable place. But this can be easily solved by buying a pet bed. Also check whether the floor has a suitable finishing to provide traction for the pet while walking.
The benefits of ceramic tiles and ceramic tiles to pet owners are similar to those of stone tiles. They are scratch resistant and are not easily damaged by liquids. They provide some of the best flooring options for pet owners. Considering that ceramics and tiles are commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms, you can be sure that there will not be any spills causing permanent damage. Generally speaking, cleaning and maintenance are simple and low-cost. The disadvantages are similar to stone bricks; they are hard and cold, making pets uncomfortable. But the pet bed should be able to solve this problem. However, in cold weather, pets may have difficulty walking on the cold floor. Interestingly, the coldness of the tiles is a good thing for pet owners living in hot climates. Basically ceramic tile and stone tile are on the same level for pets, but ceramic tile might be much lower cost.
Many pet owners will agree that carpets can easily become the worst flooring for pets. It wears very quickly, is easily damaged by urine, stains easily, attracts hair, and is difficult to clean. Even without pets, carpets are still the main source of frustration. Nevertheless, you can still own a carpet and a pet. Yes, you will have more work in your hands, but neither is impossible. If you plan to use carpet or carpet tiles, here are some tips. Keep a well-trained dog. Make sure your pet will not break the house and will not pee in it. This will extend the life of the carpet. Keep your pet tidy. Remove excess hair and wash and trim your nails regularly to minimize potential damage to the floor. Choose a carpet that is designed not to be entangled by dog nails. Be prepared to clean the carpet regularly. Frequent vacuuming is especially important to keep the floor clean. Consider additional products, such as pet sanctuary carpets, to add more protection to your carpets. From the front, the carpet provides a comfortable and warm place for pets to walk and lie down. If you don’t mind the extra work, do it.
Rubber flooring and vinyl flooring are functioning the same, so we can say rubber flooring is also very suitable for pets. But the problem is rubber flooring is much more expensive than vinyl flooring which makes it meaningless to choose when vinyl flooring is available. That’s why you can barely find any rubber flooring at home.
As a matter of fact, rubber flooring is mainly use in heavy traffic area such as transportable tools and traffic stations for its supper wear resistance. We will not talk about rubber flooring for residential usage.
Clean up pet accidents as soon as possible. Even anti-fouling tiles, if left on the floor for too long, will leave an unpleasant smell. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions for specific types of floors. Some floors require special cleaning agents, while others only require water and soap.
Train your pet to minimize accidents.
Keep your pet tidy.
This can reduce the damage and chaos caused by pets in the house.
If you have carpet, consider switching to a stronger and more durable floor.
You will be happy for easier maintenance and longer service life. Choose the right floor for your home and make you and your pet happy.
Of course you can still have other choice even though it is not perfect: If you want to keep your budget low, our suggestions include ceramic tile, laminate flooring, and cork flooring. If you don’t mind spending money, you can also try hard hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring and natural stone floorings. No matter what you choose, make sure you consider both your pet and yourself.
Carpet is the least recommended choice.
This article is written by Longda Flooring (www.longdaflooring.com), a leading vinyl sheet flooring manufacturer from China.
Please contact Longda flooring for a free quote on your vinyl flooring needs. We have quick response, efficient communication, quality products, on time delivery, and competitive price.
Copy right by Longda China