When you’re thinking about remodeling (or even building a new home), your flooring becomes a huge part of the overall design. However, in today’s day and age, pets have become a huge part of people’s families, which may cause some stress when it comes to thinking about flooring options.  The four legged pals that are part of the family will cause wear and tear to the floor, and it will only build up over time. If you can find pet-friendly flooring, it will not only last longer (even with your furry friends running all over it), but it will tie your whole home together.

There are four primary concepts that you will want to consider when you begin to look for pet-friendly flooring options: resistance to scratches, resistance to damage, pet traction, and pet comfort. There are roughly 5 pet-friendly flooring options that you will want to consider when you are looking for flooring.

Hardwood:

Although hardwood flooring is a typical go-to flooring option because of its clean and class look, it may not always be the smartest choice for pet owners. Hardwood flooring is more susceptible not only to stains and water damage, but also scratches from your pet’s nails. However, there is some good news. There are styles that are a little more pet friendly than others, which include: bamboo, sycamore, hickory, walnut, maple, oak, cherry, and mahogany. Keep in mind that the harder the wood, the more likely it is that it will be able to resist scratches from nails.

Carpet and Carpet Tiles:

Carpeting is probably the most comfortable type of flooring for your pet. It offers much more softness than hardwood. However, carpeting can become a hassle when it comes to your pets fur and stains. Carpet becomes much more difficult to clean than some of the other types of flooring and it more prone to wear and tear due to the nails of your pet. However, if you have carpet tiles, they are much more easily replaced if something what to happen to a tile or two.

Laminate:

Laminate flooring looks very similar to hardwood flooring, but it is much cheaper to install. Not only is it cheaper, it is also much simpler to clean up a pet’s mess off of than hardwood. While laminate flooring is durable, it can be very slippery and may cause some problems for your pet. It would be best to look for an option that has a textured finish to help reduce the slipperiness of the floor. Scratches from pets will be less noticeable on laminate flooring.

Stone Tile:

Stone tile is usually a very good option for pet owners for a couple of reasons: it is extremely durable and scratch-resistant. Tile is also very easy to clean up any accidents or messes that your pet may make. However, tile is typically a cold and hard surface that does not provide any comfort to your pet. If you choose tile, I would recommend putting down a pet’s bed to make it more comfortable for them.

Bamboo:

Like I mentioned earlier, bamboo is a type of hardwood flooring. However, it is one of the best wood flooring options for pets. It has a natural hardness that helps make it much more stain and scratch resistant than traditional hardwood flooring. It is also very eco-friendly and can withstand high traffic. Bamboo can be a little more expensive flooring and the darker the finishes are can sometimes be more susceptible to water damage and scratches from your pets.

No matter the type of flooring that you choose, make sure to follow any and all cleaning tips to leave it looking brand new.