What flooring is best if you own a dog?

 

According to the RSPCA roughly 1 in 2 UK homes own a pet, with the majority of these being dogs. If you are one of these dog owners you will have no doubt experienced some sort of pet-related damage to your home, especially to your floors. One of the questions that we always ask our clients when we are taking the brief for their project is whether they have any pets. Although dogs are man’s best friend they do have a tendency of ruining your floors. Whether it be scratched floors, urine stains, muddy footprints, or worse, the last thing that people want is for their flooring to be ruined within the first few months of it being laid. So we have decided to share with you some tips and advice about what flooring is best for you, if you have busy dogs around the home.

 

Some people will tell you to avoid carpets and rugs altogether if you own cats or dogs. However, there really are no hard and fast rules relating to this. There are plenty of happy pet owners in the world who have carpeting throughout their home. If you do want to go ahead with carpeting then there are a couple of factors that will help you. In order to limit the amount of hair caught in the carpets and the possibility of it getting ripped, you need to always ensure that your pets have short nails and are well groomed.

 

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of carpets and muddy dogs, then read on to learn about the most suitable types of hard flooring for dogs:

 

Vinyl

 

In our opinion the flooring that is most suitable for both you and your dog is sheet vinyl. Sheet vinyl flooring is widely known as being one of the most resilient flooring options available on the market. It is scratch and stain resistant making it extremely easy for owners to clean and maintain. Another benefit is that pet hair can be easily hoovered up and any urine can be cleaned up without leaving any stains. Compared to other hard floors, vinyl is a lot softer and has a fair amount of give. This attribute will benefit your pets and is a lot comfier for them to walk on.  

 

Laminate

 

Along with vinyl, laminate flooring is a fantastic option if you have pets in your home. One of the most appealing factors of laminate flooring is how tough and hard-wearing it is. If your dog has a habit of scratching the floor but you are looking for a wood finish then do not look past laminate flooring. The top layer of laminate flooring is what provides its strength and makes it almost completely scratch resistant.

 

There are a couple downsides to choosing laminate flooring if you are a pet owner, with the first being the noise. If your pet has long nails you will be exposed to an annoying ‘clickity’ noise from their nails tapping on the floor as they walk. Laminate flooring is known to be considerably louder than its other hard floor counterparts. The other downside is that the top coating of the laminate can make it difficult for pets to walk on, so this is a factor that should be taken into consideration when shopping around. At Hudson Flooring we offer a vast range of laminate flooring with countless numbers of finishes.

 

Stone Tiles

 

The next most appropriate flooring is stone tiles. For ease of cleaning and resistance to stains and scratches, tiles are a great option. They are notoriously tough and will actually discourage pets from scratching the floor. However, if you are looking for a comfortable floor for your pets, stone tiles are possibly not for you. The tiles will usually be cold to the touch if you do not invest in under-floor heating.

 

Hardwood

 

The durability of hardwood flooring depends entirely on the type of wood that you choose. There can be some issues with using this type of flooring when you have pets. Hardwood is not as strong as laminate flooring and can therefore be easily scratched, which are more likely to show up if you go with a dark coloured wood.

 

The biggest negative with hardwood flooring is that it does stain easily if you do not clean up the mess fast enough. So before you jump in and choose any old hardwood, do your research and find the one that is most suitable for your needs. If you are ever in doubt our in-store experts are always here to help you.

 

Summary

If you are willing to keep your pet’s nails trimmed, well groomed and are happy to clean regularly then ultimately any flooring type will be suitable to you. However, if you know that your pets are prone to causing damage to your floor, then follow our guide above and choose a floor that is tough and resistant to scratches.