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Hardwood floors are beautiful, durable, and a great choice for your home. They are timeless as well, giving your house a classic look that not only is enjoyable for your family but makes it easy to sell quickly when you’re ready to move.
However, if you have pets, you might wonder how to protect those floors from your animals. Everything from indoor potty accidents to nails scrabbling across the floor can impact the beauty of your rooms.
How can you pet-proof your hardwood floors? Let’s take a look.
There are a lot of reasons why hardwood floors are ideal when you have pets. We’ve already mentioned the beauty of hardwood and the fact that it adds value and helps you sell your home for a better price. But there are more reasons to love hardwood too!
For example, with a hardwood floor, you don’t have to vacuum pet hair. With a hardwood floor, dog pee is much easier to clean up, along with any other messes and accidents. You can simply wipe it up, instead of having to deep clean carpets.
Wood floors, when they are properly treated, won’t retain pet odours. Of course, for pet-proof hardwood floors, you’ll need to start with the right type of hardwood flooring.
Engineered hardwood flooring in Toronto can help you enjoy both the beauty of hardwood floors and the fun of having pets. Engineered hardwood is beautiful but more moisture-resistant than regular hardwood, which helps make it one of the best hardwood floors for dogs and other animals.
Animals are going to have accidents, whether it involves bathroom issues or getting sick. Engineered hardwood floors make it easier to clean up those messes without damage to the flooring.
This type of flooring also holds up well under high traffic, which means you can watch your dogs, cats, or other pets run around the house without worrying about the wood wearing thin in that area.
Finally, engineered hardwood flooring is easy to install, even if you live in a condo. They can be installed at any grade level and don’t require nails, so you don’t have to worry if you have a concrete subfloor.
Not all hardwoods are as durable as the name would suggest. For example, pine and cedar are actually fairly soft. Instead, look for hickory, walnut, or cherry. These are true hardwoods, and when you’re using engineered hardwood you won’t have to worry about the cost of these premium materials.
Also, avoid a glossy finish when you have pets. Gloss may look nice initially, but it also shows scratches and damage much more quickly. A satin or matte finish will hide blemishes and make it easier to enjoy your hardwood floors even with pets.
Pets often don’t like having their nails trimmed, but it’s still an important part of helping them stay healthy and happy. In fact, indoor pets need more frequent nail trims than animals that spend a lot of time outdoors.
You can make nail trims easier by handling a pet’s feet frequently from a young age. That way they won’t be as nervous about the process. A cat can shorten their claws somewhat by using scratching posts, but if you want to protect your furniture, drapes, and floors, it’s important to trim its nails as well.
Dogs need nail trims every three to four weeks. For cats, every two weeks is perfect. Even small pets like guinea pigs, rabbits, and others need regular nail trims. Keeping up with this care will help protect your hardwood floors!
Carpet is very difficult to clean if something happens to it, but that’s not true for many rugs. You can use rugs to protect hardwood floors in high-traffic areas or places where your animals like to spend time.
If a rug gets soiled, you may be able to wash it like other laundry and then air dry. Or, you can use pet-safe cleaners. Rugs can add visual interest to your home and make it warmer and cozier. In addition, a rug can add important traction for pets who struggle with smooth flooring such as hardwood.
When it comes to dogs and hardwood floors, using rugs will help your floors last longer because you’ll get fewer scuffs and scratches. If a rug is worn out, it’s easy and inexpensive to replace as well!
It’s important to be realistic and realize that there will eventually be damage or accidents that affect your hardwood flooring. Wear and tear is a fact of life whether you have pets or not.
To better protect your flooring, make sure you know how to clean hardwood floors. Learn how to remove hardwood floor pet stains by using a combination of vinegar and scented oil to clean, disinfect, and remove odour. Or, you can dilute hydrogen peroxide and then use a bit of stain to hide any discolouration of the wood from cleaning.
Another important piece of information is knowing what hardwood floor cleaner is safe for pets. Vinegar is a natural choice due to being very effective, affordable, and safe for animals. There are also commercial floor cleaners that are pet-safe. However, be sure you read the label and warnings before you use a new cleaner around your animals.
Having pets doesn’t mean that you can’t have hardwood floors. You just have to be smart about what floors you choose and what finishes you have in your home. Engineered hardwood floors can give you an inexpensive way to get the beauty of hardwood without spending a lot of money, and they are moisture-resistant which is excellent for animals.
Other tips like regular nail trims and using rugs can help you protect your flooring and extend the life of your hardwood. Are you ready to choose some high-quality engineered hardwood flooring? Capital Hardwood Flooring is here to help. Get a quote today!
