Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Pets and Wood or Laminate flooring
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calsea
02-21-07, 08:59 AM
Hi - I have two dogs and a cat and I want to replace wall-to-wall carpeting with wood or laminate flooring. I don't know which would be best considering the pets --both because of claws -and because of the occasional accident . ..
Any comment/advice will be appreciated. Thanks
Any comment/advice will be appreciated. Thanks
Annette
02-21-07, 12:08 PM
both are very slippery for pets to walk/run on, both can be scratched and both can be damaged by water/liquids. that's why Veterinarians use sheet vinyl in their offices.
that said, there are some solid vinyl laminates made for wet areas, but of course, they're expensive. 2 brands are Amtico and iCore.
generally though, laminates have a teflon-type super hard finish that resists scratches probably better than wood floors and is very easy to clean. wood floors require a little more care than laminates, and are more expensive but can be refinished and add value to your home.
lots of factors to weigh.
that said, there are some solid vinyl laminates made for wet areas, but of course, they're expensive. 2 brands are Amtico and iCore.
generally though, laminates have a teflon-type super hard finish that resists scratches probably better than wood floors and is very easy to clean. wood floors require a little more care than laminates, and are more expensive but can be refinished and add value to your home.
lots of factors to weigh.
Angella
02-21-07, 08:19 PM
yep, lots of factors...
a big one seems to be personal preference - search the forum for 'hardwood dogs' and you'll find lots of posts.
I have 3 german shepherds, and I'm doing hardwood. They WILL scratch the floor, and I'd rather refinish it than rip it up and replace it in a couple years. Besides, I'd rather have scratched up hardwood than laminate... it would drive me insane looking at a scratched up piece of laminate floor.
accidents - don't let them happen? I know, not a good answer : ) I found that when I removed the dirt trap (carpet) my little accident prone one stopped having those once a week 'accidents'. I'm convinced she did it because the 3 year old carpet held the dirt and she could smell it (I've had a kirby and a dyson - the carpet was still dusty when I took it up).
a big one seems to be personal preference - search the forum for 'hardwood dogs' and you'll find lots of posts.
I have 3 german shepherds, and I'm doing hardwood. They WILL scratch the floor, and I'd rather refinish it than rip it up and replace it in a couple years. Besides, I'd rather have scratched up hardwood than laminate... it would drive me insane looking at a scratched up piece of laminate floor.
accidents - don't let them happen? I know, not a good answer : ) I found that when I removed the dirt trap (carpet) my little accident prone one stopped having those once a week 'accidents'. I'm convinced she did it because the 3 year old carpet held the dirt and she could smell it (I've had a kirby and a dyson - the carpet was still dusty when I took it up).
calsea
02-22-07, 09:27 AM
Thanks for information - I will search for hardwood dogs -- Yeah, accidents Previous owners had pets and that started the problem -gotta mark the territory. We got that one, pretty much and now, one of my dogs is incontinent. I am working with the vet to find the right meds.