Pet friendly flooring

7 years ago

I am choosing between hardwood and LVP for my floor, I prefer wood flooring, but I need a scratch resistant and easy cleaning one since I have a big dog. Thanks for any suggestion. If hardwood, what kind is it? If LVP, which is the best brand?

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Comments (4)

Michelle
7 years ago
Following - I am also wondering about the best flooring for a house with a dog.
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
Is the "scratch resistance" a requirement or "urine concerns" the issue? Hardwood will withstand the scratching (solid hardwood can always be refinished = 60 - 80 years of service). Vinyl will take care of the urine concerns (sheet vinyl is better because there are no seams for urine to settle into) but vinyl can and will scratch (maybe not as much as hardwood....but it will STILL DO IT).

If scratch resistance is a HUGE issue (keeps you awake at night) then "wood-look" porcelain tile is the way to go.

Personally I think owning big dogs comes with compromises. The "finishes" in our home become compromised because of our pets (we love them....so we put up with whatever they do to the home - that's the compromise). Go ahead and choose the floor that fits your needs as much as possible and then allow it to age naturally. That's the compromise.

Or porcelain tiles and compromise on the cost of installation.
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In general, I think it's hard to find apartments that will allow dogs. And many apartments will allow one or two pets, but not three. It's not impossible, but it is going to be harder (as you are discovering), and the choice of apartments is going to be limited. Your child may have to accept a poor location or poor floor plan or some other undesirable in order to keep all three pets. Is it a small dog or a large dog? Some places have weight limits for dogs, as well. Did anyone in your family go to college in the general area where you need the apartment to be? Most colleges and universities keep a list of off-campus housing that's available. I've been able to access such lists as an alum of the school. There might be apartments there that aren't advertised elsewhere. In my area, there are a lot of apartments and a high rental rate. As a result, there are a lot of property management companies, which manage hundreds and hundreds of apartments. If you can find one, a management company can easily tell you which of their properties allow pets. If there's a local newspaper, check the classifieds. If there a free local "shopper" type paper, check there as well. Check bulletin boards in supermarkets and the like. Ask at the public library if there are any renter resources. Get the word out to as many people as possible that you are looking for a pet friendly apartment--there are a lot of people who have one or two apartments for rent. They can sometimes be more flexible than a large, faceless, management company or the owner of a large, multi-unit building who has to keep the rules the same for everyone. My town has an email mailing list that residents can sign up for and send general emails on. If something like that is available in your area, it's worth a try sending out a message asking for leads.
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I've never heard of dogs being attracted to microfiber. Maybe there is some kind of scent your dog was picking up from the fabric or in the cushions, but it's really hard to say what caused your dog to make the holes. Just make sure whatever fabric you choose is very durable. The microfiber I have on my sofa is extremely durable.
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You bring up an interesting issue that I will research on my blog. I would say no to carpet tiles because washing the carpet tiles will not get everything (dirt, germs, stains) out. Plus, it will prove to be an expensive investment. You should consider something harder, easier to replace, and something where urine and dirt sit on top of. I would say no to hardwood floors because they can stain and get scratches. How about a inexpensive laminate flooring? It should work and you will have better results. I will do further research on this. www.justyourfloors.com Here is a link that might be useful: Just Your Floors
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One day I was looking for a place to tie my 70 pound mix up outside the Office Depot. The cashier motioned to me to bring him inside. So for about 18 months we both went in the store instead of just me. He never let out a peep, just slowly wagged his tail, usually got petted by the dog friendly customers and employees. One time as we waited in line to check out, the person ahead let out a shriek that everyone in the store heard. The dog did not react at all. The next time we went in the store manager said dogs were not allowed unless they were special needs dogs. I did not get upset with the store, maybe they changed their animal policy (and maybe they didn't have one). But I noticed with some amusement that while the dog was calm outside the store before; after his inside visits he barked at most people who went into the store while he had to wait outside. Seems like most folks who want to pet dogs don't know how to safely pet one (IMHO). I try to get the neighborhood kids to learn properly how to pet older dogs, but the folks at the nearby Petco just bend over and pet dogs like the average person does.
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AnnKH
7 years ago
I have hardwood floors and dogs. My floors are 13 years old, and there are scratches, but none of them are from the dogs - even the 110-lb Lab we used to have. (MIL's walker - that's another story).

I cut my dog's nails about every other week - or as soon as I can hear his nails clickity-clacking on the wood floor. Not only is the clacking annoying, he gets better traction on the floor with his pads, not his nails.
PRO
User
7 years ago
Cancork had a lot of good points. Having your hardwood flooring coexist with your larger pets does take compromising on both ends. But you can have a nice hardwood floor and your furry friends too. If you're installing new, try a pre-finished solid (they have stronger and more durable finishes) or if your budget permits it, there are more dense exotic wood species that won't dent from large and heavy dog nails the way most domestic woods do. Here's a blog our flooring pros wrote on the subject, you may find some more helpful hints in there.

Good Luck!

Can Pets and Hardwood Floors Coexist?

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Pet friendly flooring

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Michelle

Cancork Floor Inc.

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AnnKH

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