Which Flooring Material is the Best for Your Pets?
The floors of your dreams are always possible. As they say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” If plush white carpet is your dream, having a dog doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t have it. It does mean is that you will have to spend extra time caring for and cleaning those types of floors because there are bound to be I-couldn’t-make-it-outside puppy accidents.
Before we dive into the best floors for your dog, we need to set a few things straight. Getting professional advice from the flooring contractors will help you a lot because of course, your pup will probably spend a lot of time on the floor but it’s a stretch to say that dogs and floors are best friends. That’s because dogs are tough on floors. Between the drool, muddy paws, and tail-wagging-red-wine tragedies, floors take a beating from these furry friends.
As mentioned, if the floors of your dreams don’t seem to vibe with your dog, we can’t stop you from getting them. But we also can’t stop your dog from dragging themselves, their toys, or other dogs across your brand-new carpet. There are a lot of options that are lower maintenance for you that are still stylish and beautiful, whether your dog is behaving or not.
The Winner is Luxury Vinyl
If you are looking for the best floors for dogs, luxury vinyl flooring is your best bet, as this style of flooring checks all the boxes. It is waterproof, scratch-proof, dent-proof, and, if the correct backing is used, it can also be sound-dampening. The embossed surface of luxury vinyl floors not only allows it to mimic other flooring types like wood or tile, but it also gives your dog’s paws some traction when they are playing a fierce game of tug of war.
Stone Is a Strong Second-Place Finisher
Stone flooring is another nice option for “doggos.” It is easy to clean, scratch-resistant, and waterproof. If your dog is up to no good, the mess will be less obvious on stone flooring.
Don’t Rule Out Wood Floors
Hardwood floors are beautiful and easy to clean. Plus, some species of hardwood are harder than others, making them great options for resisting scratches and dents when your dog decides to drop his bone down a flight of stairs. The Janka scale is an excellent way to determine the hardness of wood species. The higher the rating on the Janka scale, the more likely the species is to hold up to pet scratches. Of course, you can always stop into your local Flooring America, and one of our experts can help you choose the right species of wood to protect against your pup.
The Final Touches for Dog-Proof Floors
To help protect your floors even further, sealants and finishes can be applied to your floors during the installation process to help protect against any mess your dog could make. There can be a lot of questions when it comes to pairing your pets and floors, but there’s only one place you can go to get all the answers: visit or call your local Flooring America today and speak with one of our flooring experts.