The best flooring for pets

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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