Let’s face it…our furbabies are such an important part of the family, we are willing to go to any lengths to accommodate them. If you are a pet parent and are planning on installing wood flooring, you’ll be happy to know there are many choices you’ll have.
Floor Issues Faced by Pet Parents
If you have a pet, you know that sometimes nature calls and accidents happen. For those who are coming from having carpeted floors, you’ll be thrilled to know that wooden floors are much easier to clean up. Some of them at least. There are some woods that stain so urine can leave an unsightly bleached out spot from Spot. You’ll want to choose a wood that doesn’t stain easily.
Cats walk lightly and aren’t likely to scratch floors with their nails the way dogs do. That is unless they decide to sharpen their claws on them. That’s when you’ll want to be sure your choice in hard wood flooring is…well, hard wood. The harder, the better, when it comes to preventing scratch marks from pets.
Our Picks for Pet Parents
We’ve taken the time to consider the factors you run into when having a hardwood floor and a pet (or two…or ten). Urine, poop, shedding, toenails trotting, claw sharpening, etc. are all things pet parents are likely to encounter along the way.
As mentioned before, hard wood is more durable and will hold up better to scratching, pings, and dings that can come along with dogs and cats. In addition, woods that don’t stain easily are more optimal. Keep in mind that flooring fit for animals may not be the cheapest but is worth the cost in the end.
Here are some excellent wood flooring choices:
Brazilian Walnut
Brazilian walnut is very durable and strong. It practically lasts forever and s very attractive too. Your pet is not going to do it in so you can relax and enjoy your pet…and your flooring.
Brazilian Cherry
Brazilian cherry has a deep red hue and is a great addition to most any room, even one that has a dog or cat in it. It doesn’t stain easily and if it does, you can correct the issue by putting a stain on the stain.
Hard Maple
With a Janka rating of 1450, you can trust hard maple wood flooring to hold up to your dog and cat since anything over 100 is considered excellent. Hard maple is often used on basketball courts and high traffic areas so it is one of the best choices for places where pets abound.
Red Oak
Red oak is a fairly hard, very durable wood that is suitable for pets. If the planks sport a rustic finish, you’ll never be able to tell your dog or cat is walking over them. Stains are easily remedied on red oak too.
Red oak is a fairly hard, very durable wood that is suitable for pets. If the planks sport a rustic finish, you’ll never be able to tell your dog or cat is walking over them. Stains are easily remedied on red oak too.
White Oak
White oak isn’t super hard but it is manageable with pets. Oak flooring does tend to show wear and tear a bit so if you go with a distressed finish, you should be able to pull it off with no problem.
Hickory
Hickory is ultra-strong and can withstand all the abuse your dog or cat can dish out. It does come with a hefty price tag but in the long run, you’ll find it’s worth it. Plus, hickory is gorgeous and can fit right in to most any decorating scheme.
Bamboo
High-quality bamboo flooring is an excellent choice for homes with dogs or cats. It is extremely hard and is quite scratch resistant too. Because bamboo is eco-friendly, it is not bad for your pets. Do be sure you don’t get s strand that has heavy chemicals in the processing though. Caramelized and cheaper bamboo flooring are not conducive for dogs and cats to tread on.
Poor Choices for Flooring with Pets
Pine and other soft woods will scratch easily and are not good for homes with dogs and cats. Highly polished, formal flooring is not recommended either.
Putting Pet Parents at Ease
Life is stressful enough without having to worry about your pets messing up your new wood flooring. It only makes sense to invest in flooring that can put both you and your pet at ease.
