How you can pick flooring that wins, or at least survives
Pet owners everywhere will tell you what a joy it can be to come home from a long, strenuous day and be met by a happy furry face and a wagging tail. They probably won’t talk as much about the less joyous experience of coming home to fresh scratches on the hardwood, dirty pawprints as far as the eye can see, or an unidentifiable stain on the carpet. You don’t want to sacrifice your home’s aesthetic for flooring that’s merely functional and low maintenance. Many flooring manufacturers agree and provide options that your pets won’t ruin while still looking beautiful.
Flooring experts at Barton Bath + Floor have combined their love of pets and inspired home designs to bring you this guide for selecting the right flooring for your home. We’ve considered things like resistance to scratches and moisture penetration, ease of cleaning, longevity, and traction for four-legged and two-legged residents. We also have suggestions for brands and lines that you can find in our showroom.
If resilience and durability are at the top of your pet-friendly flooring wish list, porcelain tile may be your best option. This material is incredibly scratch resistant and waterproof. Since it isn’t porous like wood or fibrous like carpet, it won’t absorb odours or deteriorate aesthetically over time. This level of resistance means it’s easy to clean spills, accidents, muddy paw prints, and hair/fur build-up. This makes porcelain tile a tidy, hypoallergenic flooring solution.
Sometimes the aesthetics of porcelain tile aren’t everyone’s favourite, and a high gloss surface can be seen as treacherous, especially for active paws. Fortunately, modern flooring brands provide low-gloss or matte porcelain tile lines and even finishes inspired by natural hardwood patterns. These serve to improve traction and hide modest smudges. Pair them with grout in mid-tone colours for a low-maintenance yet beautiful surface.
Brands to check out: Anatolia, Midgley West, Euro Tile + Stone
While vinyl is largely considered a budget-conscious choice for flooring, and you may dismiss it when planning a high-end reno, many flooring brands offer luxury vinyl options that are durable and beautiful, while remaining cost-effective. Since it’s softer and warmer underfoot than tile, vinyl is a kinder option for older pets or pets with joint issues (not to mention humans!).
When planning your vinyl flooring, look for waterproof core options (WPC or SPC), to make your floors virtually impervious to pet accidents. Also note the “wear layer” of the tile or plank; this serves as an indicator of how resistant it is to visible scratches. 12 mm is the minimum recommended for pets, while 20 mm is ideal when available. Textured surfaces on vinyl flooring adds traction and hides minor marks.
Brands to check out: Twelve Oaks, Goodfellow, Toucan
If you’ve owned an active pet for a while, you may have already written off hardwood as a flooring option. Scratches and stains accumulate too quickly for you to dismiss them as “adding character”. If you love the look of solid wood planks for your floors, don’t give up! You’ll just need to be judicious in your flooring selection, choosing optimal species, colour, finish, and grain for your space.
For wood species, opt for something with a high Janka Rating, the product guideline for surface hardness. Species such as hickory, white oak, maple, and ash are good options for their resistance to dents and scratches. Alternatively, stay away from pine, cherry, or walnut.
The grain pattern of your hardwood floor plays a key role in maintaining its aesthetic long term. Open, busy grain patterns do a good job of naturally camouflaging mild damage. Hickory and character-grade oak are good for this, while species like maple may be a little too uniform to allow scratches to blend in.
Wood colours in medium tones (think warm brown, honey, “greige”) are your best option for disguising that day-to-day wear from pet activity while still giving that natural, organic feel that hardwood offers. Too light, and dark hair and muddy paw prints stand out. Too dark, and scratches and light-coloured pet hair shows prominently.
Unique surface textures offered by some engineered hardwood lines, such as wire-brushed or hand-scraped patterns, are effective at hiding scratches and marks, while smooth, flat uniform surfaces will effectively throw a spotlight on every nail mark and mess.
Low-gloss or matte finishes for your hardwood flooring won’t amplify the marks and dings like high-gloss options will. If you want to dramatically emphasize the presence of pets in your household, and put every scratch and hair on display, then by all means get some nice shiny hardwood!
Brands to check out: Twelve Oaks, Wickham Flooring, Pravada Floors
No wait! Don’t click away! Laminate flooring has come a long way in shedding its reputation as a budget-slashing compromise. Modern laminate options have unique, aesthetic patterns suitable for ambitious reno plans, along with remarkable durability. All of this while remaining relatively cost-effective, so if your pets manage to ruin a portion of your floor, you won’t break the bank replacing it.
When looking for the right laminate for your design, focus on AC4- and AC5-rated products. They’re exceptionally scratch resistant, in some cases more so than hardwood. Keep an eye out as well for a waterproof or water-resistant core to protect your flooring from accidents. And, as a common theme throughout these flooring recommendations, aim for complex, textured, non-uniform patterns, to help with traction and disguise the damage.
Brands to check out: Goodfellow, Twelve Oaks, Toucan
If you haven’t already pieced it together, there’s a hard truth about selecting flooring to accommodate your pets: You can’t fully pet-proof your floors. Nothing is 100% scratch- or accident-proof. But you can choose flooring that is resistant to scratches, easy to clean, minimizes the visibility of pet hair and damage, and offers traction for paws and stocking feet alike. All while beautifully complementing your home design vision.
Admittedly, there is a lot to consider (and a lot to avoid) when selecting the ideal flooring for your home, your pets, and your human residents. If it’s starting to feel overwhelming, then call on the experts at Barton Bath + Floor! Our experienced team can help pick out the perfect flooring for your family and budget. Book an appointment in our showroom today!
