Pet-Friendly Flooring Options for Homeowners

09/13/2020

Choosing the flooring type is one of the most daunting tasks while remodelling an existing house or building a new one. Things can be even more difficult for homeowners that have a pet. Along with maintenance and wear and tear of the floor, these homeowners must also take the effect of the flooring on the pets into consideration. 

All pet owners understand that pets are often heavy on the floors. Their nails can very easily leave scratches on delicate floor surfaces. Occasional accidents are possible even with the most well trained pets, causing stains and odours that are difficult to manage. Shedding would mean even more work for the homeowners to keep the floor clean.

Points to Consider

If you are looking for pet-friendly flooring alternatives for your home, these are the primary factors for you to consider.

• Resistance to damage
• Resistance to water
• Resistance to scratches
• Pet comfort
• Pet traction

Pet-Friendly Flooring

Mentioned below are some of the most appropriate flooring choices for households with a pet. 

Hardwood: Hardwood is almost always the top choice amongst individuals that appreciate neat, plush-looking flooring. It is also a suitable flooring option for your pets. However, the use of hardwood as pet-friendly flooring is limited only to the hardest of the varieties such as mahogany, oak, and walnut. Fur-shedding is not likely to be a great concern because these floors can be vacuumed very easily. However, over a period of time, these floors tend to sustain scratches and stains. High-quality engineered hardwood can be used to minimise these hassles. 

Cork Flooring: Cork flooring is an excellent option because it is attractive, microbial, and often resembles hardwood flooring. When a pet has an accident, the likelihood of development of mold, bacteria, and other harmful allergens is much lower if the flooring is microbial. Cork is known for its ability to absorb sound. Therefore, it can be a great option for pet parents that don’t like too much sound. Though cork can resist scratches, cork floors do get scratched over time. Therefore, keep your pet’s nails trimmed. Also, the look of scratch marks can be minimised by opting for a lighter shade of cork.

Bamboo Flooring: The durability, scratch resistance, and stain resistance properties of bamboo makes it a great choice for a house with pets.  However, be sure to choose the right kind of bamboo flooring because all of them are not the same. Ideally, you should opt for one with very high hardness rating as per the Janka test. Maintaining bamboo flooring is simple, and just proper cleaning is sufficient to protect the floor from damage caused by pet accidents and food or water spills.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring: If you have pets, this can be another excellent choice for flooring. Luxury vinyl is extremely durable, and can stand up to most of the challenges posed by the pets. This material is water resistant, and holds up well against water bowl or food spills as well as accidents.  

Whether you have a pet at home or not, Enoak provides you an unlimited choice of flooring options that are visually pleasing, extremely functional, durable, and easy on your budget. Please contact our experts to find out more.