We often get questions in all variations but with the same context – what type of flooring is the best one if you own a dog or even dogs at home and you don’t want them to destroy your floor? Owning pets and choosing the right type of flooring that won’t get worn and torn too soon is definitely not the easiest thing in the world. That is why today we would like to help you and provide you with some handy tips and information, stay tuned.
Hardwood Flooring and Dogs
So, you have decided you want to invest in a real wood floor but you are afraid that your dogs will destroy it soon. There is no room for worries, you just need to pick the right wooden floor and everything will be ok. Start by exploring the Janka Hardness Scale which is dedicated to measuring the hardness and strength of wood species. The harder and stronger a type of wood is, the more you don’t have to worry about your dogs scratching it and leaving some marks, scuffs, and dents.
Since Oak wood flooring is assumed to be right at the middle of the scale with an average hardness and density of the wood’s structure, you want to go anywhere above that and anything harder would do the trick. However, try to stay away from softer wood species such as American Walnut, American Cherry, Pine, and Birch as these come with a more porous structure and are generally too soft to go through a life with pets without getting scratched and worn quickly.
Choose a Textured Surface
A textured surface of a floor is a great way to ensure your floor looks brand new for longer as it will camouflage all the scratches and other smaller surface imperfections left by your dogs. Thanks to the progress and development of the wood flooring industry and the flooring industry in general, nowadays you are spoilt for choice when it comes to textured surface flooring. As a bonus, wood floors with textured surfaces are pretty trendy at the moment and they add a lot of character and distinctive style to every room. Therefore, we recommend you to go ahead and choose a wire-brushed, hand-scraped or any other sort of textured surface and enjoy a stress-free life with a wooden floor and dogs at home.
Colour Variation
Owning pets and wanting to own a real wood floor too means you are going for everything that can help you camouflage scratches, stains, scuffs, marks, and dents. A wooden floor with a good colour variation is among your best options. The more the colour variation of the floor is, the longer the floor will look brand-new as all of the smaller imperfections and wear and tear on the surface will remain unnoticed for longer.
Glossy or Matte
Now, let’s say you have picked the best real wood floor for your household and lifestyle. The next big question is what type of finish to choose for it. Of course, if you want to go for a long-lasting and hard-wearing product, this is out of the question. But what about the appearance of the finish? Generally, the most popular two options of a wood floor finish are the glossy one and the matte one. Glossy wood floors look very stylish and elegant, indeed, however, they are the first ones that will show even the finest scratch and wear and tear. Therefore, if you own dogs, it is highly recommended to stay away from the high gloss and choose a finish that looks natural.
Oil or Wax Finish
Instead of choosing a lacquer or varnish finish, we highly recommend you do an oil or wax finish. Both types of finishes ensure additional durability and protection for your floor because they not only create a protective layer on the surface of the floor but also penetrate into its structure and add strength and resistance from within. In addition, oiled and waxed floors look very natural and are good at camouflaging all the scratches and marks your dogs may leave on the surface.
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