
Whether you’re purchasing a home or remodeling, it’s important to know which flooring is more durable when it come to pets. Below are pros and cons of different types of flooring.
Hardwood
PRO:
- Gives your home that nice vintage feel
- If polished with quality urethane, it could cut down on any scratching
CON:
- Pet urine will stain, leaving dark marks and smells
- Water dishes or splattering while pet is drinking can also cause dark marks
- Only option to remove dark marks is to strip & replace wood
- Pet’s nails can scratch flooring while walking
Laminate
PRO:
- Won’t show scratches.
- Easy to clean
CON:
- Causes pets to slip and can hurt themselves, especially seniors
- Uncomfortable to lay on
- Aggravate current joint problems
tip: a plush area rug may help your dog in this scenario.
Bamboo
PRO:
- Stain resistant
- Excellent in high traffic areas
- Won’t wear out
- Perfect for those that want to go green
- Saves money on repairing
- Stylish & modern
- Variety
- Affordable
- Somewhat water resistant
CON:
- Sensitive to humidity
- Lack of hardness
- Possible emission of volatile organic chemicals (VOC)
- Flooding will damage bamboo surface
- Isn’t scratch resistant
Cork
PRO:
- Good for environment
- Good health wise for household
- Reduces growth of mold & other allergens
- Scratch resistant
- Water resistant
CON:
- Discoloration will appear over time, especially if exposed to sunlight
- Pretty pricey
- Require experience professionals to install
- Heavy furniture may cause dents in the floor
Stone
PRO:
- Scratches doesn’t show up
- Doesn’t scratch easily
- Durable
- Pet accidents are easy to clean
- Easy maintenance
- Variety of colors and style
CON:
- Hard and cold surface
- Uncomfortable for pets to lay on
- Expensive
Tile
PRO:
- Doesn’t scratches easily
- Durable
- Pet accidents are easy to clean
- Low maintenance
- Non-toxic (if non-toxic grout is used)
- Can withstand high traffic areas
CON:
- Cold surface, if not installed over a floor heat system
- Difficult to install (not a job for the DIY person)
- Doesn’t have insulation properties
- Become slippery when wet. Older pets can hurt themselves
- Can be easily chipped or cracked when a heavy object is dropped on it
- Not easy to repair
Vinyl
PRO:
- Pet mistakes are easily cleaned
- Is flexible, making it easier to stand on this surface longer
- Huge assortment of colors and styles
- Some designs can mimic stone tiles or wood planks
- Glass may not break when dropped on this surface
- Durable
- Water & dirt resistant
- Can last up to 20 years if maintained and installed properly
- Low maintenance
CON:
- will emit volatile organic compounds (VOC), especially when new
- Getting subfloor ready so floor looks perfect can be a difficult job
- A falling sharp object may gauge surface
- Moving furniture may also gauge surface
- Can be very difficult to remove once installed
- Does nothing for resale value
Carpet
PRO:
- Lowers heating bill in the winter
- Feel cozy to both pets & people
- Minimizes sound while walking & other noises from below
CON:
- Difficult to clean pet accidents
- Water will damage the surface especially flooding
- Pet hair and different odors gets trapped in carpets
- Holds dust, dirt, and bugs
- Bad for pets & people with allergies or respiratory problems
- susceptible to mold & mildew, which can cause pets & people to become ill
- Easily stained
- Pet’s nails can snag carpet
- Cat’s claws may get stuck in carpeting
- Requires a lot of vacuuming