Pets and Hardwood Floors, You Can Have Both!
Over 60% of Americans have pets. If you’re like me, they are part of the family. Sometimes, our four-legged friends make us consider what is best for our home, including our flooring. I was talking to our Tech & Install guys asking them about their advice for families who have pets in their homes. Here are some of their recommendations and tips.
•For dogs we recommend buying a hard species of ¾” hardwood flooring like Brazilian Teak, Brazilian Walnut, Brazilian Ebony, Natural Strand Bamboo, Acacia, Brazilian Cherry, and Hickory. Many people even have ¾” thick Red Oak and White Oak flooring in there homes with dogs. ¾” hardwood works best and will last longer as it can be refinished many times in the future. Low gloss laminate flooring with an AC Rating of 3 can also work because laminates tend to be more scratch resistant. The key to protecting your flooring from dog scratches is to trim their nails or cover them with vinyl claw covers. www.softclaws.com
•If you have a type of dog that sheds, you may want to consider choosing a floor color that matches the color of the dogs hair to make the hair on the flooring stand out less.
•Be sure to place your dog’s drinking bowls over a mat to catch any spills
•Pet urine contains uric acid and ammonia which can cause a finish to dull and can discolor a hardwood floor, typically making it a dark or black color in appearance. This is especially true if the pet urinates in the same spot over and over again.
• Cleaning up pet urine with water and ammonia may not be a good idea as some urine contains ammonia so the animal will be attracted to the same spot again. Spot cleaning with a mixture of warm water and plain vinegar on a lightly dampened cloth will clean the floor and take care of the smell. Immediately after cleaning buff the area dry. A board replacement can be done for any damaged planks
•If a dog urinates on the floor while you are gone, you will have to clean it up immediately when you get back.
•Urine can create a smell and possibly discolor the wood if left too long or untreated.
•With laminate flooring, urine can cause the seams to swell if left unattended.
•To prevent any possible problems, have someone keep the pet while you’re away or have someone check in on them each day to clean up any mess.
•Urine will dry up and may be hard to see to clean, so a tip would be to use a black light to find the area and spot clean the area with a mixture of warm water and vinegar on a lightly damp cloth. The vinegar should take out any potential smell. Buff dry immediately after spot cleaning.
via Pets and Hardwood Floors, You Can Have Both! – Lumber Liquidators.
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