If you’re a pet owner, there are many things that come to mind when it comes to choosing the right flooring for your home. As much as you’d like to keep your floor looking clean and elegant, the floor type you select should also be durable, gentle on your pets, easy to clean and comfortable enough to offer a comfy nap spot for your feline or canine friends.
As you all know, one of the most attention-grabbing features of any room is definitely the floor. Although you’d like to see it clean and aesthetically appealing to you and your guests, making the floor appealing and comfortable to your furry friends is another demanding aspect that must be fulfilled.
Due to this reason, this post has dug deep into the world of pets to highlight four of the best pet-friendly floor types that will definitely meet all your pet’s demands while still maintaining the overall beauty and elegance in your living room.
Before we begin, there are four key pointers you need to keep in mind when shopping for a pet-friendly floor. Among these primary considerations include; your pet’s comfort, scratch resistance, pet traction and durability.
Pet-Friendly Flooring
Bamboo flooring
Of all wood flooring options, bamboo is by far the best thanks to its natural hardness, overall beauty and stain/scratch resistance characteristics. Being a pet-parent comes with so many commitments especially if your pets are the occasional outdoor pets.
With lots of mess to deal with, bamboo flooring is indeed a precise solution as it will make it easier for you to clean the mess while still maintaining its scratch-proof characteristic. Whether its dander, liquid spills, occasional accidents or any other damage caused by your playful pets, bamboo flooring is an excellent choice for any pet-parent searching for a durable flooring.
Cork flooring
Another excellent choice that will truly match with your flooring demands is cork. Quite similar to bamboo, cork is also hailed for its eco-friendly and antimicrobial characteristics that make it highly resistant to mold, bacteria, and other harmful allergens growing on the floor surface.
Another benefit of cork is that it’s warm and pliant making it both comfortable and safe to walk on. According to most experts, cork is also known to absorb sounds making it a perfect option for pet-parents with noisy pets. So, if you’re a pet lover and you’re not a fan of their disturbing noises, this type of floor will be of great benefit to you.
Although cork is said to be scratch and stain resistant, that’s not entirely the case. Therefore, to make it tolerable:
- You need to apply at least a coat or two of scratch-resistant finishing product.
- You need to groom your pets at all times through trimming their nails and combing their fur.
Vinyl flooring
Another great choice for all pet-parents out there is vinyl floor. Designed to mimic a tile or hardwood floor, vinyl is extremely affordable and perfect when installed in any part of the home. It’s hugely stain and scratch resistant making it very easy to clean in case of any mess caused by your playful pets.
When installed correctly, vinyl can be entirely waterproof and can provide great traction for your pets when playing. Since it doesn’t compromise with style, vinyl can be available in a variety of designs such as the naturally looking vinyl, luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl planks.
Stone and tile flooring
Stone and tile flooring is another perfect floor option for those people with multiple pets. Not only are they waterproof and durable, tile and stone floors are extremely forgiving and very easy to clean in case of messes or accidents caused by your felines or canine friends.
Tile and stone floors work with pets of all sizes and ages ranging from the most playful kittens and puppies to the oldest pets suffering from irregular bowel syndrome.
Pet-parents always on the go will also appreciate this floor types as they’re highly resistant to scratches caused by pets with long untrimmed nails. This simply means that you’ll not have to worry about grooming your feline or canine friend on a regular basis.
Now, although tile and stone floors are durable and scratch resistant, they aren’t the most comfortable for your pets. Therefore, to make them cozy, soothing and more bearable, you can think of adding fluffy rugs and mats.
Floors to avoid if you have pets
Having mentioned some of the best pet-friendly floorings to consider, this section will now highlight three-floor types that should be avoided at all cost. Now, since we’re all different, some people might opt to choose any of the three floorings mentioned below. Although you have the freedom to own any of them, you have to get ready to go an extra mile to maintain them.
Carpet
The most obvious floor type you need to be keen on is carpet. Carpets are hugely susceptible to every challenge your pet throws to them. Your feline can scratch on it while your dog might chew on it especially if it’s too fluffy. For those pet-parents who enjoy taking a fresh cup of coffee every morning, in case your pet knocks your cup over, washing off the mess will really cost you a lot.
Hardwood
Another floor type you need to avoid is hardwood flooring. These floors usually scratch easily and are not water resistant. In case of water spillage or if your pet urinates on this floor types, there are chances of irreparable damage. Finally, hardwood floors are hard and are not comfy enough for your pets to rest or relax on. You, therefore, need to add fluffy mats to create a comfy environment.
Laminate
Laminate floors have traditionally been avoided by pet-parents due to one setback—they’re extremely slippery. Pets such as dogs are susceptible to regular sliding accidents which can result in hip dislocation (a common health problem with most dog breeds).
Wrapping it up
From what we’ve seen, there are lots of perfect flooring options that will work both for you and your pets. Depending on your taste and the number of pets you’ve got, you’ll have the freedom to choose any of the floor types we’ve mentioned above.
Before parting with your money, always learn about the cleaning tips of each floor type as well as some major drawbacks with each floor type.
Lastly, accidents do happen. To avoid them as much as possible, always cultivate the ritual of grooming your pets and cleaning messes fast enough to keep your pets comfortable and your floor durable.
