The Ultimate Wooden Flooring Solutions For Pets

Which Woods To Avoid

If you want to avoid dents and scratches in your wooden floors, whether they are made by your pets or not, stay away from softwood floors as they dent and scratch very easily. Softwoods include fir, pine, and cedar.

Which Woods To Choose

Hardwood flooring is generally tougher and a better choice if you have both pets and kids running around your home. Hardwoods can also be sanded down and revarnished should they fall victim to scratches and stains. Another very popular option for pet owners is distressed wood, which has strong aesthetic appeal. This wood type is designed for scratches to blend into its surface. The rule of thumb is that woods with stronger grain are better at hiding scratches while darker woods show scratches more than lighter woods. That is why lighter woods are usually the better option if you have furry friends.

Use A Matte Finish

A matte finish on your wooden flooring is definitely the best choice if you have pets. Glossy finishes can make the floor slippery underfoot and cause your pet to slide around, which can cause even more scratches. A glossy finish on wooden flooring also highlights scratches when light reflects on them.

Stop Blaming Your Pets

Many of the little dents and scratches that you find in your wooden flooring could be caused by the household humans, and not your pet! Ensure that you’re taking the necessary measures to protect your floors by not wearing hard shoes inside the house. It’s often not your shoes that are causing the marks but the tiny stones and gravel that get stuck in the grooves of your footwear. Leave your shoes at the door!

Clean Up After Your Pets

Just like children, we need to clean up after our pets. Ensuring that their nails are cut and their indoor toilet accidents are mopped up quickly will help your wooden floors look new for longer.