Pet-friendly flooring

Choosing the right flooring for your home is essential but add into the mix a pet and it can be even harder!

With so many flooring options available on the market, choosing the right pet friendly flooring can be tough. In our latest guide, we take a look at the choices you have and what you should avoid!

Whether you a have a pup or an older dog in the home, flooring has to withstand everything from being chewed and scratched, or even peed on, so you need a solution that is hardwearing and durable, that will also fit seamlessly into the aesthetic of your home.

How to choose dog friendly flooring

All dogs are different; some may be chewers, others may be scratchers, so there are lots of factors to consider before deciding on your flooring.

Spills and stains – potty training pets will have a lot of accidents, while older pets may start to suffer with incontinence, so your flooring needs to be water resistant to avoid the staining and damage caused by accidents and spills.

Maintenance – from a pet owner’s point of view, an easy to maintain flooring solution is preferable, and less time-consuming.

Scratch resistance – when weighing up your options, it’s important to think about the impact of sharp claws (and teeth) on floor coverings.

Comfort – at Floors for Paws, we believe flooring should be pet friendly, and not just pet owner friendly so our flooring offers different levels of comfort for your pets.

Types of flooring

Carpet – the traditional choice for many homes, carpet is not the best pet friendly flooring! Damage from chewing or scratching is likely to be irreparable and any staining can be difficult to remove completely and leave odours behind. Carpet is a magnet for hair and fur and will also attract fleas and other pests that your four legged friends bring in to the home.

Hardwood flooring – another popular flooring solution, hardwood flooring can fall foul of long claws with repeated scratch resistant treatments being costly over time. They are also prone to staining and warping with prolonged exposure to excessive moisture.

Tiled floors – a popular choice with pet owners, tiled floors are extremely easy to maintain but not always kind to pets, particularly older ones. While impervious to excessive moisture and easy to clean and mop, tiled floors are cold and uncomfortable, something that most pet owners want to avoid.

Laminate floors – laminate floors are great for younger, active pets as it is durable and hardwearing but the smooth finish of a laminate might make it difficult for older dogs to gain traction, causing them to slip and cause potential injury.

Luxury vinyl flooring

Whenever we are asked what is the best pet friendly flooring, our answer has to be luxury vinyl flooring. Durable and resilient and more than capable of dealing with anything your pet can throw at it, today’s LVT options are offered in a variety of finishes, to mimic the look of hardwood and even stone. The main types of vinyl flooring are vinyl plank flooring and luxury vinyl tiles.