When choosing new flooring in your home, be sure to keep your pets in mind. Luckily, there are many options for customizing floors for durability, longevity, and style to keep your home clean and comfortable.
4 Pet-Friendly Flooring Options
- Water-Resistant Laminate
Laminate flooring is a practical option for pet owners seeking the appearance of wood, stone, or tile as it is affordable, easy to clean, and stands up against scratches and stains. Pet owners should go with a water-resistant laminate though, as regular laminate flooring may be damaged by liquids if they are not cleaned up quickly.
- Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is an excellent option for homeowners with pets since it’s waterproof, easy to clean, and slip resistant. It’s usually made of four layers – foam or cork backing, waterproof plastic, a design layer, and a wear layer to protect the surface. With vinyl flooring, you can choose from scratch-resistant, stain-resistant, and skid-resistant, making your floor lasting and easy to maintain. If you want to mimic natural stone or wood, it’s best to choose vinyl planking flooring. Vinyl flooring also works with radiant heating systems to warm your feet in the winter.
- Hardwood
Hardwood flooring, like oak, hickory, maple, and tauari adds to a home’s resale value with its classic warm appearance, and also stands up to pet claws. Hardwood flooring is also easy to rejuvenate by sanding it to make it look refreshed and new. Most hardwood is not waterproof, however there are waterproof hardwood options that will provide some moisture protection. Engineered hardwood is the best option when it comes to purchasing hardwood as it allows for more durability and style, which few other materials can offer, and may be the best flooring for dogs in high-traffic spaces. For the best protection, opt for the hardest type of hardwood. You can check a wood’s durability with the Janka Test, which measures the hardness of wood.
- Tile
Tile is one of the best flooring for dogs because it’s durable, and stain and scratch-resistant. Its timeless style also adds value to a home. Porcelain tile, ceramic tile and stone tile have been known to be the go-to options for pet owners as they are sturdy and long-lasting. Tile can be expensive, but it offers beautiful designs and allows for easy cleanup of spills and pet accidents. Dogs may find tile slippery, so it’s best to look for slip-resistant tiles and consider using wider grout to allow pets to gain traction. Tile is great for keeping your floor cool in the summer months to give extra comfort for both you and your furry friend. For the colder months, tile flooring can work well with radiant heating.
A Flooring and Installations Company Can Help with Your Pet-Friendly Flooring
E_M Custom Flooring & Installations has been an industry leader in laminate, vinyl, hardwood, and engineered wood flooring for more than 75 years. We are here to help provide you with the best pet flooring that is suitable for your needs. Call us at (631) 924-4437 to schedule a flooring consultation.
