If you always wanted to have hardwood flooring in your home but are concerned that they might be ruined by your pets, you will be happy to know that pets and hardwood floors can easily co-exist! In fact, there are millions of homeowners with pets who enjoy the tremendous benefits of hardwood flooring! Here are three easy ways to take care of your hardwood flooring with pets:
1. Use Stable Bowls for Food and Water
It comes with the territory that some pets will make more of a mess than others at meal time. Most have a tendency to leave at least some food around their bowl. Try to use a heavy bowl that is stable to prevent pet food or water spills on your hardwood floor. A waterproof mat under the food and water bowls will also help protect your floor. Mats constructed of rubber or similar materials will help keep the bowls from moving around and scratching the floors.
2. Be Proactive About Pet Scratches
A common concern about owning hardwood floors is pet scratches. However, you can minimize these scratches on the surface of your floors. Keeping your pet’s nails clipped and trimmed on a regular basis is the most effective defense especially with larger dog breeds because they exert more pressure while running around or playing. You can also try to reduce scratching by placing rugs at entryways to reduce the amount of dirt tracked into your home, especially if you have a pet that likes digging! Also, don’t panic if you do see a pet scratch on your hardwood floors; they usually occur only in the finish rather than the wood itself. A professional wood flooring contractor can provide specific recommendations on how to repair the scratches.
3. Prevent Pet Accidents
Another concern about hardwood flooring with pets is when your pet may have an accident on the floor. Acid in animal urine and vomit can damage the finish and the wood floor boards, but there are easy solutions for this problem. Proper training can prevent accidents. meanwhile, you can place training pads on areas where your dog often has an accident. Make sure that the training pads have an absorbent surface and plastic backing to prevent any liquids from going through the pad reaching the hardwood floor. Fortunately, the smooth surface of hardwood floors makes the job of cleaning up after your pet much easier than a carpet, which can harbor many germs. For cat owners, it is only a matter of cleaning up any vomit as quickly as possible.
Now that you know more about how to take care of your flooring with pets, check out all of our flooring products to find the perfect luxury vinyl or hardwood floor for your home! We look forward to working with you!
