You love the look of hardwood floors and you love your pets, but as many distributors and maintenance professionals will tell you, the two don’t mix well. Dogs and cats can be hard on solid hardwood. Other flooring types have more durability geared towards our furry friends, but if you have your heart set on wood, then Good Ol’ Boy Hardwood Floors wants to help you make the best possible decisions for your home. In today’s blog, we’ll talk about what kind of options you have at your disposal to make your hardwood floors as pet-proof as possible. If you have any questions about new floor installation or the maintenance of your existing floors, call the Kansas City specialists here at Good Ol’ Boy Hardwood Floors!
Hardwood Floors And Pets, Part 1
Choose The Right Wood
Hardness
When looking for new hardwood floors, you’ll have a lot of options to choose from, including the species, original color, stain, and more. Having a pet-friendly household can help you narrow down what kind of wood you need, because different species will have different hardness ratings. Each type of wood is rated on the Janka hardness scale, and the higher the score, the more durable the species is to damage like scratching. Hard maple is an example of a domestic hardwood that you can choose for its high score, and as a material often used for high-traffic areas like basketball courts, you can expect it to show some resistance to Fido. Keep in mind, however, that hard maple is a specific kind of maple wood, and even the hardest woods on the Janka scale are not impervious to damage.
Color And Texture
Another tactic is to try and disguise the inevitable scratches in your hardwood floors rather than prevent them. A lighter colored wood like white oak can help mask damage as well as the hair and dander your pet may shed, while darker colors will only make those elements stand out. Texture is another tactic you can turn to — woods with a pronounced grain can hide all kinds of damage. If you choose more vintage styles like distressed wood, added scratches can even add to its beauty.
Choose The Right Finish
Low Gloss
The finish on your hardwood floors is another element that can help or harm your attempts to downplay the havoc your pets have wrought. A high shine finish will make dander and damage stand out. If you opt for one with low gloss, however, you can preserve the sleek look of your floors for longer without having to worry about refinishing, sanding, or other maintenance measures.
Durable Protection
The right floor finish can also be a protective measure. If you are willing to invest a bit more, you can find – or ask your installation team to use – a heavy-duty coating. You can also use multiple coats so that scratches are contained to the finish and can be smoothed away with a fresh coat of polyurethane. There may also be penetrating oils and finishes to meet your needs — talk to your flooring specialist to learn more about what options you have for shielding your beautiful floors from your favorite furry friends.
Talk To Good Ol’ Boy Hardwood Floors
No matter what your dreams are for wood floors in your home, the team here at Good Ol’ Boy Hardwood Floors wants to help you make them a reality. Pets are not kind to the beautiful, vulnerable surface of solid hardwood, but there are steps you can take to make coexistence a little easier. Look for part two of this blog for even more advice and don’t forget to call Good Ol’ Boy Hardwood Floors for your next hardwood project!