Pet owners should find flooring that works for four-legged friends
Experts say stains and odors are hard to remove from carpeting, making the flooring not so friendly for pets.
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Experts suggest floor surfaces that can stand up to animal messes.
If you share your house with a pet, design experts say it’s essential to choose the right flooring surface that can stand up to scratches, shedding hair and housebreaking accidents.
According to the 2015-16 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association, 79 million households in the U.S. have a pet.
Most floor experts agree that carpet is one of the worst flooring choices for homes with pets because stains and odors can be difficult to remove, and the fibers can harbor pet hair.
However, there are several carpet manufacturers that have products with pet protection features and warranties.
Even if your pet is toilet trained, Better Homes and Gardens still recommends using tile, vinyl, stone, or certain hardwoods that are easy to clean.
Bamboo is trending in homes as the most popular choice for hardwoods because it is both economical and pet-friendly, according to Jeff Petrucci, owner of Stoney Point Kitchens and Baths on Route 40 in Uniontown.
“It’s more scratch resistant than other hardwoods and pretty resistant to stains and odors,” Petrucci said.
Although bamboo is really a grass, Petrucci said it is rated by floor experts as the hardest hardwood in the world because of its durability.
It’s also biodegradable, eco-friendly and never wears out.
Petrucci said his business sells cork flooring that is also eco-friendly, but it is much softer and less durable than hardwood or tile.
Several advantages of tile are that it’s easy to clean and resistant to animal stains, states Home and Garden Television (HGTV).
Tile is rated by experts as essentially claw proof and provides pets with a cool place to nap during hot weather compared with porous materials like marble or other natural stones that can stain, even if they’re sealed.
The only downfall is if the surface gets wet, it will become slippery.
If you don’t want to change the carpet, it’s best to keep pets out of those rooms as much as possible, particularly during housebreaking.
Carpeted areas should also be vacuumed frequently to remove as much hair as possible to minimize allergens.
Unlike carpet, rugs can be picked up and cleaned or thrown out, said Julia Szabo, pet columnist for the New York Post and author of Animal House Style: Designing A Home To Share With Your Pets.
Szabo suggests trying modular carpet tiles or adhesive squares, so they’re easy to install and remove.
“If a dog pees or a cat vomits, you can pull up the dirty tile and replace it with a new one. It’s much cheaper than replacing an entire rug,” she said.
There are some hardwoods that households can still enjoy and coexist with pets.
Flooring professionals suggest to avoid softwood varieties of cherry, walnut, and pine, in favor of woods such as oak, maple, and hickory. Pick wood with a rustic finish over a smooth finish to hide scratches and dents better.
Another alternative is laminate, which is more durable and scratch resistant than hardwood, but tends to be slippery for pets when it gets wet like tile.
Although it’s easy to clean, there’s a possibility that liquid can seep in between the planks if it gets wet.
Keep your floors in top condition while still enjoying your pets with the following tips.
n Trim your pets’ nails regularly, and keep them brushed to minimize shedding.
n Play with pets outside to avoid scratching and gouging the floor.
n Provide cozy beds and sleeping areas for animals and use area rugs for high traffic sections.
n Wipe your pets’ paws when they come in from outside.
n Clean up any housebreaking accidents, including food or water spills, immediately to avoid damage to flooring surfaces.
n Once a week, take your dog outside and give its fur a good going-over with the type of brush recommended for its coat. Do this well away from the house, so that the tufts won’t tumble back inside.
n If you have a number of pets or an animal that sheds a great deal, it could be worth considering a vacuum cleaner which has been specially designed to deal with fur.