Stunning and durable flooring options for dogs
Once you decide to upgrade your floors, you have several considerations when making your flooring choice, especially if you are a pet owner. Our lovely fur babies tend to leave hair, scratches and other random messes around the house- the flooring in particular. Thus, choosing the best floor for our beloved friends is most important.
Sustainable flooring is a must in any pet-friendly environment. Choosing the right floor for an ageing pet or one with special needs may be even more difficult. So, unless you intend to confine your best friend to the backyard (just, no!) or you want your brand-new floors destroyed easily (another no!), you should invest in the best possible floor for your pet. Fortunately, many of our long-lasting flooring options are both pet-friendly and beautiful, so you don’t have to compromise. Here are some choices and considerations to keep in mind.
Best flooring for pets with long nails
Some dogs have long and sharp nails that can easily damage flooring, particularly when playing or roughhousing. Unfortunately, scratching is just an instinctive behavior, especially in dogs. Wild dogs and wolves actually scratch at the ground, this assists them in creating a safe, comfortable spot to sleep or rest.
If your pet is in the “short nails” category, typically, any hardwood flooring would be ok but there are some specifically that we recommend for dog breeds that are more likely to end up scratching the floor.
Wire-brush or sawn finishes.
Consider choosing a floor with a more rustic texture. Wire-brush or sawn finishes are the perfect solution to disguise scratch marks and scuffs. Check out these floors from our Berkeley collection: Cottage, Rugged, Calico & Cellar, and these ones from our Chepstow collection Sawn grey & Charcoal distressed.
Easy to Repair Flooring
Pet-friendly homes need that little floor “secret” to keep them looking in tip-top shape! Oil and wax-based matte finishes are ideal for pet homes. Oiled floors have an additional advantage over urethane floors in that they allow for “spot repairs”. In the case of traditional urethane floors, extensive local damage often necessitates the removal and replacement of ruined boards. Not so with an oiled finish! Repairing oiled flooring can be a straightforward do-it-yourself project or can take a professional a very short time to repair. It does not require an entire move-out-of-your-house experience. Check out any of our oiled floors and also the whole Berkeley line.
Bamboo flooring for pets
Bamboo is an excellent choice to consider when shopping for pet-friendly flooring. It has a distinct appearance that works well in both transitional and contemporary style spaces. It is highly stain-resistant, scratch-resistant and long-lasting. Not only that, but it is also a strong and eco-friendly material that reduces environmental impact. Check our Bamboo collection for some inspiration
Do bear in mind that pet nails should be trimmed regularly, regardless of any flooring you have.
Best Flooring for Pet Urine or Accidents
Having a floor that does not stain easily is critical for pet owners. Even with house-trained dogs, it is important to be prepared for the unexpected. The feeding spot is also an area that could get damp for long periods of time damaging the floor as a result.
For this problem, we recommend:
LVP or luxury vinyl plank would be an excellent choice for pet-friendly flooring – it is waterproof, slip resistant and very durable. Our Brecon collection comes in 16 different colors, each with 8 different alternating patterns, making it the perfect product to go for a realistic “hardwood flooring look”. It also comes in herringbone parquet with a range of colors.
You can also go for our revolutionary new Lynton collection that combines the beauty of mature European oak with amazing stability and the practicality of extremely powerful and stable dent-resistant boards. It has little reaction to moisture and temperature, making it a perfect flooring choice for your pets.
Shedding and Pet Hair
One of the biggest concerns for pet owners can be the shedding issue. Since a floor that can be dusted and cleaned easily would be a sensible choice, all of our floors are an option. However, you will want to consider the right color palette. Dust, hair and paw prints tend to be much more obvious on very light or dark floors. Muted tones, subtle greys and classic naturals are wonderful looks that won’t have you regretting your decision.
The journey to finding the perfect floor for you and your pet has begun. If you choose the right kind, you will feel at ease letting your pet run around on your brand-new floors and it will be easy to maintain!