When you have pets, choosing flooring materials for your home isn’t always easy and lots of homeowners will question which flooring solutions are most suitable, especially if they have a dog. It isn’t uncommon for people to assume they can’t have wooden floors when they have a pet, but this isn’t the case. Sometimes, wood flooring is the best option for busy households with pets and young children, and you don’t need to compromise on the appearance of your interior design because your floors will experience a lot of wear and tear.
Solid hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring and laminate wood flooring are all excellent options for any home and they can work well when you have a dog. To help you find the perfect flooring solution, below we have answered some of the questions we’re frequently asked about pets and wood flooring.
Can you install wood flooring when you have a pet?
The simple answer to this question is Yes, you can still install wood flooring throughout your home when you have a pet and there are several benefits to this type of flooring. Wood flooring is incredibly durable and easy to clean, making it ideal for busy households. When you have a four-legged friend running around your home, you just need to take extra care of your wooden floors to keep them in good condition.
What type of wood flooring is most pet-friendly?
Any type of wooden flooring can be installed in a busy home, yet we recommend laminate flooring for homeowners who have pets. Solid wood flooring requires quite a lot of maintenance to keep it looking its best and it can warp and discolour over time if it’s not looked after. Although engineered wood flooring is more forgiving, it’s not suitable for areas exposed to lots of moisture and needs extra care and attention compared to laminate.
There is such a diverse range of laminate flooring on the market these days and there is a colour and design for every modern home. This type of flooring is ideal for any home with pets as it’s more resistant to scratches and dents, and it will be able to withstand almost anything that it comes up against. The protective layer on laminate floors makes them very easy to maintain too and they can simply be wiped clean when they get dirty.
How do you protect wood flooring from damage caused by pets?
Regardless of which type of wood flooring you install, there are a few ways you can protect your floors from common damage caused by dogs. It’s beneficial to lay rugs in the rooms where your pets spend most of their time, this will provide another layer of protection in high-traffic areas. We would also recommend that you use a protective mat underneath your pet’s water bowls to prevent the damage that liquid can cause when it’s left sitting on wooden floors.
It’s useful to keep your pet’s claws short when you have wood flooring throughout your home too. They can then run around and play as much as they’d like without scratching your floors and leaving marks that are very difficult to remove. Make sure you always dry your dog once you’ve walked them as well. Getting the worst of the water and dirt off them with a towel will prevent it from being traipsed through your home and damaging your wood flooring.
Is it easy to clean wood flooring?
As mentioned above, laminate flooring is the easiest to clean, yet when compared to flooring materials like carpet, all wooden flooring solutions are much easier to keep clean when you have pets. You can simply sweep or dry mop your floor with something like a microfibre mop to remove everyday dust and dirt, and this will help to keep your wood flooring looking its best. You can even vacuum wooden floors, as long as you’re careful when doing so.
If you have any stubborn stains that you’re struggling to remove, there are also several floor-cleaning products available that are safe to use on wooden floors.
Visiting a wood floor showroom near you
Ultimately, when you have a pet, you can still install a variety of flooring solutions and if you would like some help finding the perfect flooring for your home, visit our Canadia flooring showroom in Dublin. Our Design Showroom is home to our full range of floors and you can view them all in person to help you determine which option is best for your specific needs.
Our specialist team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have when you visit our flooring showroom in Dublin too and they will go the extra mile to help you. We have extensive product knowledge and can provide you with the impartial advice you need when narrowing down different wooden floors.