The floors we choose in our home has to withstand the family’s regular amount of wear and tear – and if you have a four-legged family member that includes them too!
If you’re planning to install new flooring there are a few considerations before making your final choice.
There are three main types of damage that can be caused by pets – scratches (indentations) on timbers floors, pet urine stains to timber or carpet and damage caused by some flea treatments to timber floors.
Scratches
We always recommend pet nails are trimmed to avoid damage to floors as a preventative. Also consider the type of protective coating used on your floor.
Solid hardwood
Important factors which effect scratching on timber floors:
- Gloss level – higher gloss levels highlight imperfections compared to a satin or matte gloss level
- Colour of timber – scratches are more visible on darker floors
- Durability of the coating
- Grade of the timber – timber with higher Janka rating do withstand more wear and tear
Hardwood flooring can be re-sanded multiple times over their lifetime if there is damage to floors, or the floors could benefit from a refresh.
Engineered timber floors
Prefinished engineered hardwood flooring is highly durable and long lasting, with many engineered floors coming with multiple layers of protective coating. Our team of flooring experts can advise you on the coating used on our range of engineered timber floors.
Laminate and Hybrid
Laminate and hybrid vinyl flooring works well for homes with pets due to the scratch-resistant coatings used in these products.
Pet stains
Timber floors
Pet accidents from urine that are left untreated can cause damage to site-sanded and coated floors. Solvent-based polyurethane is less prone to urine staining than water-based coating due to it being more permeable to moisture. However, if cleaned quickly this should not cause any lasting damage. The problem occurs if stains go unnoticed (for example under a rug) and this requires a more significant fix.
Carpet
Triexta carpet is our most highly recommended carpet for durability to stains and soiling. Triexta can be easily cleaned through water-based cleaning so if pet accidents do occur they can be treated effectively without leaving stains or odours.
Flea treatments
Timber floors
Flea treatments that may be accidently split from being shaken off of a pet onto a timber floor surface can have a severe effect on coatings and may cause blistering if left untreated. Similar to other common household chemicals, the effect of ‘frying’ or blistering can occur when a chemical is left untreated on a surface.
So, what to choose?
There are a range of suitable choices for each flooring product from solid hardwood, engineered floating floors, laminate, hybrid vinyl planks to carpet.
Many of the accidents that can occur from pets on your floors can be prevented or if they do occur can be treated. It is a important consideration when choosing the flooring which best suits your family and lifestyle.
Our team of experts are always ready to advise the best options for you project, visit instore or contact the team at Mint Floors today.
