Pets are virtually members of our families. They live among us, they are with us in our most joyful and our saddest moments. They can also wreck your floor, whether they are scratching on it, or using it as an outhouse. There is, however, a solution: you can use flooring options that are adapted for your pet owners.
Vinyl Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank flooring has come a long way over the decades. Today’s vinyl plank flooring has the feel and appearance of wood flooring. The most popular kinds of flooring are:
- Luxury Vinyl Plank or Tile: this is glued down, with the top layer being water resistant.
- Wood Plastic Composite: the core is a wood and plastic composite, and in some cases, an underlayment padding may be attached.
- Stone Plastic Composite: the core is made from a stone and plastic composite, and in some cases, an underlayment padding may be attached.
The best choice for pet owners are the wood plastic composite and the stone plastic composite vinyl plank flooring. This is because these planks are waterproof and because they are installed as “floating floors”, rather than being fixed to the subfloor. So, if disaster strikes, it won’t hurt your flooring.
Source: Mannington
Tile
Tile is an all-time favorite for a reason. There are an infinite number of tile styles, and so many materials to choose from. Full Coverage Painting & Flooring believes that the best options for pet owners are porcelain and ceramic tiles. This is because these tiles are sealed as well as glazed, which gives them added protection compared to natural stone.
Tiles are very hard to stain or damage. If you are particularly worried, you can get added sealing for the grout, or getting stain-resistant grout. Tiles will save you from cleaning hassles and costs and any staining.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a great alternative to traditional wood floors. They share many of the qualities of wood plastic and stone plastic composite vinyl plank flooring. This is because it is also a “floating floor”. However, laminate flooring is not usually waterproof.
Laminate flooring highlights the quality and aesthetic of a wood’s grains. This makes it a very striking flooring option to use.
The top layer in laminate plank flooring is moisture resistant. If you are quick to clean any spills, then, you will not face any risks of damage due to moisture. If, however, the spillage is allowed to sit on the laminate, the moisture gets absorbed, swelling and buckling the flooring.
Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring is the gold standard of flooring. They are fixed to the subfloor, rather than being floating floors. The wood’s species will determine the kind of grain or pattern, although you can select the color of the stain. Get a urethane finish as well, and you will have yourself a great protective layer. Your pet’s nails will no longer be a concern for you. For buyers who want environmentally friendly solutions, a water-based polyurethane is a superior option to oil-based urethanes.
Source: The Spruce
Solid wood flooring is resistant to spills, surface moisture, and other risk factors. You can also refinish solid wood several times, extending their lifespan. You should avoid softer solid woods, such as pine and bamboo, because they absorb too much moisture, and aren’t strong enough to resist your pet’s nails.
