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Choosing Flooring for Pets

Flooring for Pets: 7 Candidates and Which to Avoid

by Dylan Johnson

When you have pets at home, finding out the right flooring for pets can be challenging.

Let’s say that you want to install hardwood so your house can be beautiful with homey vibe in it.

But hardwood is sensitive to scratches, and your pets’ nails will certainly bring damages to the floor.

Okay, so you finally decide that ceramic tiles are probably the best answer because they are sturdy and resistant to scratches.

But then, the floor is hard and rigid. Not to mention that it can also be slippery when wet. You are worried that your four-legged friends may be hurt.

Such a headache, right?

Concrete

Most homeowners may not consider this floor indoor, as concrete flooring is generally associated with the garage and driveway.

However, modern concrete floor can actually look great and gorgeous if you know how to treat it right.

It doesn’t have to be so industrial anymore, especially if you can texture it, polish it, stain it, or using chemical treatments to create stunning visual effects.

Poured and sealed concrete can be a great option of flooring for pets. It is hard, so it is resistant to scratch or dent. And if you seal it, it can repel pet stains quite well too.

If you think it is too hard, you can always use area carpets or throw rugs to soften the look not to mention that you can easily wash them or replace them.

What about the cold?

Simply install radiant heating system underneath the floor so you can warm it up.

You don’t have to worry about the look or the design concrete can look great for the house.

However, the polished floor can be quite slippery underfoot. If your pets like to run around inside the house, then it may not be the best option because they may slip.

There are cases of pets suffering from hip injuries because they slid on the (slippery) floor.

Read Also: 4 Most Popular Inexpensive Kitchen Flooring Options

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic floor is another option of flooring for pets. Both the porcelain tile and ceramic tile are great for pets because of their durability and toughness.

They are both resistant to dent or scratch, so the paws won’t be much of an issue for the floor.

You can even expect better sturdiness if you are using glazed ceramics such floor would be resistant to liquid penetration and stains.

Glazed surface can deliver various styles, patterns, and designs because you can print them on the surface.

You won’t have to worry that the floor would be boring or plain!

Even better, you can also seal the grout lines so they won’t be stained by your pets.

However, if you use the unglazed ceramics (like terracotta), they need extra seal because they aren’t stain-resistant.

Not to mention that this kind of unglazed floor is basically softer when compared to the glazed type. Your pet paws and claws will definitely damage it.

If you want to choose the best ceramic flooring for your house (with pets), you should go with the glazed and matt-surface ones.

Pick it and you won’t have to worry about anything else!

Natural Stone

Natural stone, like slate, has its own natural appeal and charm. Imagine having the floor at home and see how it can significantly affect the vibe of the house.

Basically, natural stone shares similar features and characteristics as ceramic tiles.

However, most homeowners would find natural stone to be somewhat more natural and beautiful when compared to ceramics but again, it all depends on your personal preference and like.

When it comes to look, natural stone exudes more charm and appeal than the ceramics.

However, you will have to deal with the extra care with natural stones. They require chemical sealing agent for the treatment, so they are resistant to stains and also water penetration.

Yes, it may take a lot of work, but a lot of homeowners think that it is one of the best options of flooring for pets.

Moreover, the floor can last for a long time and it will remain in a great condition when properly and correctly cared for.

If you want to choose a floor that is completely resistant to pets’ nails, you shouldn’t go with honed or polished materials, like granite or marble.

They may look tough and solid, but they easily scratch beneath your pets claws.

You may want to go with naturally clefted items, like limestone and slate. Their naturally rougher texture is helpful to avoid surface damage.

You can also choose the multi-colored stone so the debris, hair, or dirt won’t be visible.

Luxury Vinyl

This is the higher level of vinyl flooring, usually available in planks and can be installed within a floating manner. The planks have the so-called click-and-lock mechanism that makes it easy for you to install it on your own.

When compared to the standard and regular vinyl sheet or tile, the luxury vinyl is thicker and stronger. It has better wear layer, making it resistant to dents or scratches.

That’s why the floor is one of the good options of flooring for pets.

Today’s luxury vinyl comes with various types of styles and designs. The manufacturers can produce vinyl planks imitating the look of ceramic, wood, and stone.

If you don’t know it, you won’t be able to tell the difference!

Not only this floor is affordable, but it can also reduce the sound of your pets while walking on the floor you know, that click-click noise that can be quite annoying.

Cork Flooring for Pets

Cork is another good flooring for pets option. It comes with hardwood look-alike appearance and yet it is softer and plusher.

Cork is a naturally green floor that can prevent mold and bacterial growth as well as resisting staining and scratching at the same time.

If you are into environmentally-friendly floor, then cork would be the best option. 

Despite its resilience, cork isn’t exactly resistant to moisture. It is able to absorb the noise, so it won’t create loud or annoying sound effect in the room.

However, to make sure that the floor will stay in its best condition, you need to apply a seal. The seal is responsible for the anti-scratch and anti-moisture feature.

Go with tough and high-quality surface sealer so you can maintain the good condition. And make sure that you do it regularly so your floor will last for a long time.

Bamboo Flooring for Pets

If you are looking for another green alternative for the flooring for pets, bamboo may be your answer. The floor has almost similar look to hardwood, but this one is made from farmed bamboo’s fibers.

These fibers are actually harder and sturdier than hardwood. That’s why bamboo flooring has a natural scratch-resistant feature.

Keep in mind, though, that bamboo is available in various different types, which leads to different hardness level.

When you buy a flooring, find out whether it has Janka test information which inform the hardness level of the floor. You want to go with the one with high rating.

For homes with pets, go with strand-woven bamboo flooring it is the best for the pets.

Bamboo is resistant to stain and moisture because the manufacturing process includes resins in it.

Thanks to the resin, you can easily wipe pet stains without drama. But bamboo isn’t a sound-absorbing type. You will hear the click-click sound of your pets quite audibly.

Vinyl Tile or Sheet Flooring for Pets

The regular vinyl flooring actually has good quality, related to moisture and stain resistance.

However, the clear wear layer is pretty thin. When you have heavy pet traffic, the wear layer will be scratched for sure.

However, when it comes to the price range, the regular vinyl floor is pretty low. The floor is inexpensive and you won’t have to worry about spending a fortune when you have to replace the floor once in every year.

But then again, not many homeowners see this floor as an ideal floor for the pets. The look isn’t very appealing or attractive. You can’t expect your home to be elegant after the installation.

The floor isn’t the ideal one for family, dining, or living rooms. But for the utility areas where you want something resistant against moisture, this inexpensive floor can be a good option.

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Flooring for Pets to Avoid

There are several floors that aren’t suitable or ideal for pets. Hardwood, for a starter, is sensitive to stains and scratches.

Carpets should be avoided too because the stains are difficult to remove. Another one is the engineered wood floor which features almost similar quality as the hardwood.

However, it has the same weakness as hardwood: engineered wood has weak surface that is easily scratched.

Laminate flooring isn’t advisable for pets too because of the water-sensitivity.

Not to mention that the floor can actually be slipper and the sound of the pets’ nail walking across the floor will be quite loud.

If you are thinking about laminate flooring, it would be wise to choose the Luxury Vinyl Flooring.

The floor has similar appearance to the regular laminate, but with better quality and performance especially for pet owners.

Those are some of the options for the floors that are great for the pets.

With different flooring for pets, simply narrow down your pick and go with the one suitable for you.