The Best Pet-Friendly Flooring Options For Pet Owners

Statistics from the American Pet Product Association show that more than 60% of American homes own a pet. That is the percentage of dog owners. Therefore, pets are part of a typical American family. If that is so, choosing pet-friendly flooring should not be an option.

If you have a furry friend, go for the best pet-friendly flooring. You will do so by considering the features of different flooring options when building a new home, moving to a new home, or renovating your home. As much as possible, the floor should be pet-friendly and sensitive to the pet family’s needs. We discuss the issue in detail while also listing the pros and cons of various flooring options that you should consider.

The Floor Should Be Easy on the Pet Family

With a pet, you need an easy-to-maintain floor, allergen-free and sound-proof to the pet’s claws. You also need a floor that your pets won’t destroy with their claws. Some pet owners usually trim the pet’s claws, which you must do regularly to be effective. The floor can get damaged by the pet’s urine. In this case, you can consider a urine-resistant floor, especially if you have an old dog with incontinence.

Using 2018 statistics, the most common pets are freshwater fish, cats, and dogs in that order. As such, we will consider cat and dog owners only in this article.

In this regard, you need to consider the size of your dog because cats are generally small in size. Large dogs will most likely cause more damage to a floor with their claws than small dog breeds, puppies, and cats.

The Best Flooring for Pets

The floor should be comfortable during winter and summer and have traction for your pet. Considering these factors, the best flooring options for pet owners are:

1. Vinyl

Most pet owners prefer vinyl floors. It is an affordable option, easy to clean, and has good traction. Vinyl is noise-proof, stain-resistant, and scratch-resistant. Unlike carpets, vinyl does not encourage allergens. What’s more, it is easy to clean. Coupled with the advantage of availability in various colors and designs. It can fit in almost any room in the house. It is also durable.

Moreover, your furry friends love the cool surfaces of vinyl during summer. If you have underneath heating, they will also enjoy it during winter because it is warm.

2. Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors are easy to clean after your dog’s accident. They are allergen resistant too. Additionally, laminates are scratch-resistant. However, they are quite slippery, and your pet may lack traction. As such, go for pet-friendly laminate flooring with more traction, for example, textured or embossed types. You can also put an area rug to give your dog traction. Also, when buying laminate floors, consider the Abrasion Class of the type you are buying. Laminates have Abrasion Class (AC) ratings numbered from AC 1 to AC 5. AC 1 and AC 2 are light and not suitable for dogs but are suitable for cats. Also, purchase laminate floors that are thick because they are more noise resistant.

4. Tile Flooring

Tiles are resistant to allergens. They are also sturdy, scratch-resistant, and urine-resistant because they are waterproof. While ordinary tiles may be perfect for the pet family because they are also easy to clean, they are not pet-friendly. They lack traction, and they are cold during winter. For traction, you can buy tiles with grout lines.

5. Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is stylish, warm, and pet-friendly. They are also resistant to allergens. However, they are prone to accidents from your pet, which reduces their lifespan. If you are considering fitting hardwood floors, it is highly advisable to settle for hardwood tree types and not softwood.

When purchasing a hardwood floor, consider the hardness of the floor using the Janka Hardness Scale. The higher the rating, the better is the floor. That means that it can resist damages from your dog. As such, avoid any ratings that are below 850 because it is softwood.

Hardwoods include cherry, walnut, oak, maple, bamboo, sycamore, mahogany, and hickory trees. Hardwoods are more resistant to a dog’s scratches and damage. You should avoid the following softwoods; hemlock, chestnut, pine, larch, and fir. Softwoods are susceptible to scratches and dents and especially if you have large breeds of dogs. You can also coat the floor with urethane to make it more resistant to stains and scratches.

If the hardwood is too soft, you should do regular re-sanding to restore it to shape after damage by the dog. Wooden floors have poor noise absorption, and a pet’s claws may make click-click sounds on them.

6. Carpets

Carpets are cozy for your pet and your family. They are also good for dogs because they have good traction. Unlike the noisy wooden floors, carpets are noise-resistant. However, carpets have their disadvantages.

First, carpets are prone to allergens. Secondly, carpets are sensitive to liquids and stains. If your pet occasionally does accidents due to incontinence, it will ruin the carpet, and the carpet will also have an odor. Unfortunately, cleaning a carpet is quite a hassle. It requires a strong washing formula with hydrogen peroxide to remove odors from pet accidents. Additionally, a pet’s fur clings on carpets.

Apart from that, a dog’s claws can damage a carpet. Worth noting, technological advancements have developed carpet flooring types that are more pet-friendly. In this regard, shop around for carpets without loops to prevent the dog’s claws from tearing the carpet. There is a cushion that can prevent urine from penetrating your carpet’s padding and sub-floor. Also, regular vacuuming will remove the pet’s fur from the carpet.

When installing carpets, you should consider nylon, wool, and polyester because they are abrasion-resistant and more durable.

There are many dog-friendly and cat-friendly flooring ideas. Other measures that pet owners can take include cleaning accidents on waterproof floors or hardwood floors immediately. To prevent noise and scratches on your floors, you can buy nail caps for your dogs. Because your dog lies on the floor, you should use a pet-friendly flooring cleaner.