05 Jun Hardwood Flooring & Your Pets

Having hardwood floors in your Parkland home can add exceptional beauty and increase the value of your property. Unfortunately, that’s only true if they survive your pets. With possible accidents, running, playing, and roughhousing, your pet can easily ruin your new flooring investment. Luckily, we have a few tips that can help the beautiful hardwood floors you have always wanted co-exist with your beloved pet.

Hardwood, a Few Tips

Though there is no wood flooring that is impenetrable to pets, there are a few things you can keep in mind when you want to have your dog, cat, and wood floor all happily under one roof. Here are some things to look for in your hardwood selection.

• Prefinished Wood:
  • Prefinished wood typically has a harder finish on it. These finishes are usually aluminum oxide finishes, which means they have bits of aluminum oxide in them. This added process makes the surface coating stronger and helps slow water or liquid from seeping into the wood. Additionally, the stronger surface assists with scratch and dent prevention.
• Color Matters:
  • Though, as you probably have figured out, the color of your hardwood flooring will not stop scratches, it can help hide them. Lighter colored wood with a lot of grain detail is the best option for homeowners with a dog. The grain camouflages the scratches, and the color prvents the light from reflecting off every dent.
• Added Texture
  • Textured floors may seem like they would cause more scratching; however, like the added grain, having hand scraped or textured wood minimizes the appearance of scratches in your flooring. The great thing is, hand scraped flooring has recently come back into style because of the character it adds to your home, and taking this step to help preserve your floor is now trendy and fashionable.
• Type of Wood
  • There are variations in the durability of wood-based upon from which species the material is harvested from. For example, American Cherry or White Birch are both relatively softer hardwoods, while Brazilian Walnut or Strand Bamboo are considerably harder. The harder or tougher the wood is, the less likely it is to dent or scratch, therefore making it a better selection for any pet owner.

Pet-Owning, A Few Tricks

Even if your pet is the most well-trained animal ever to walk on your new hardwood floor installation, he or she is likely to have an accident at some point. While your floors will likely not stay 100% forever, there are a few tricks that you can employ to help your wood remain as pristine as possible for as long as it can.

• Door Mats:
  • Though you can’t expect your dog or cat to wipe their feet as they come in the house, having a doormat will do two things for you. First, it collects any debris that may fall off your pet’s feet as he or she reenters your home. Secondly, if your pet is waiting to go outside to go to the bathroom, one of the more common places for them to have an accident is near the door they typically use to go out. Having the doormat with a plastic or waterproof backing can save your hardwood from any liquid damage.
• Floor Mats:
  • If you have a litter box or your dog uses a puppy pad, it may be prudent to put a waterproof floor mat underneath. Though Spot or Whiskers may not mean to miss their intended bathroom, accidents do happen. Using a floor mat provides one more layer of protection for your new hardwood flooring.
• When eating:
  • Ensure that your pet (regardless of cats or dogs) has a very sturdy food and water bowl. Having two separate, wide, flat bottom containers is best. This ensures a few things, the first of which is, if the food (more likely to get dumped from excitement than water) gets knocked over the water will not get spilled too. Next, if the liquid does get spilled, it doesn’t mix with the dry dog food causing piles of colored mush that can not only water damage your floor but also make unsightly stains. Lastly, the wide flat bottoms make it less likely that your pet will be able to spill the bowls at all.
  • They make floor mats specifically for feeding your pets. If you add one of these mats under your pet’s dishes, it can help protect your floor even further.

Khun Flooring and Pet-Friendly Hardwood Floors

With over 30 years in the flooring industry, Khun Flooring is the leading hardwood flooring company in the Parkland area. Contact our design team to discuss your home, pets, and flooring needs today!