Pets are members of your family. As such, you want to ensure they are as safe as possible when roaming your home. Pets also eat, sleep and play on your floors. So ensuring that you choose the right pet-friendly flooring is a crucial step to keeping them happy and healthy.
But when it comes time to look for pet-friendly flooring, which is the best to choose? The decision can be difficult, especially if you have more than one type of pet. But the following can help you make the safest and most comfortable flooring choice not only for your pets, but for you as well.
Cleaning and Wear
Having pets means cleaning up after them, as well as more wear due to increased foot traffic. It is for this reason that so many pet owners opt for vinyl flooring. Not only can it provide an easy way to clean up splashes and spills, but vinyl flooring is also available in many different looks. For example, Karndean wood flooring is made of vinyl but has the appearance of real wood. Vinyl flooring can also handle stains and scratches well, and is far warmer underfoot than actual ceramic or stone.
Durability
If you have dogs, then durability will be the name of the game in your search for flooring. However, hardwood may not be the answer here, as it can be easily scratched. Where you want the look of hardwood but the durability needed for your dogs, a wood-look laminate floor may be the answer. It will provide the hard surface that will withstand running and jumping, without the risk of getting scratched by wayward claws.
Beauty and Affordability
Of course, if a win-win for you and your pets is the goal, then you’ll want to think about how your floors look. Any household with pets can have a great-looking floor; It just depends on choosing the right kind. Here again, laminate flooring can be the answer. Although you will likely not be able to install it in high moisture areas – laminate flooring will expand and warp in the presence of moisture – you can use it in high traffic areas like hallways, living rooms and kitchens.
The Case for Carpeting
The softness of carpeting cannot be equalled by any type of hard flooring. And let’s face it; there’s nothing that’s easier on your pet’s paws. But claws can become caught in carpet piles such as looped Berber, which can result in injury. However, there are ways to get around this if carpeting is what you desire. For instance, you might consider an area rug with a low pile. A low pile rug will not trap odours and fur as easily, and it can be taken outside to be washed if an accident occurs. You may also want to consider a rug with a busy pattern in a darker colour, as this can also help to hide any stains.
In addition to the carpet you choose, it’s also important to select the right underlay. Not only will underlay provide your carpet with a soft feel underfoot (and under paw), but it will also result in a longer life for your carpet. For rugs, it’s best to choose a thin underlay, as this will keep the rug closer to the floor and result in less tripping risk.
Finding the right flooring for households with pets doesn’t have to be difficult. When you think about the activities your pet does in your home on a daily basis, this can provide you with some valuable insight into which flooring choice may work best. As well, you may wish to consider the frequency at which spills occur. If they happen more often than not, some type of hard flooring may be far less stressful and time-consuming in terms of cleaning.