What’s The Best Pet Proof Flooring?
It can be hard to select the best pet proof flooring. But thankfully, Floorily is here to help! Pet friendly flooring should be resistant to scratches and accidents. Floors like luxury vinyl plank, tile, and laminate are perfect for pets. In addition to preventing dents and scratches from long nails, they are water resistant to avoid damage from accidents.
Our Top Picks For Pet Friendly Flooring
Luxury Vinyl
LVP is fantastic for heavy traffic areas since it is strong enough to endure daily wear and tear from pets or children running around all day.
Here are the main benefits of LVP:
- It’s 100% waterproof.
- It’s a pet friendly flooring because it resists being scratched by animals.
- It’s roughly ½ the cost of actual hardwood, but it looks just like it.
- It is available in practically any design and color imaginable.
- It can be installed quickly and over the top of some other floors because it clicks together. This is called a “floating” floor.
- If a broken plank needs to be replaced, it can easily be removed and put back together.
Laminate
Another excellent flooring option for pet owners is laminate. If your dog likes to roll around on the floors, you won’t have to worry about them getting dirty because it’s simple to keep clean.
Since it can tolerate some wear and tear without showing indications of damage, laminate also works well in high-traffic areas like hallways, kitchens, and living rooms.
Laminate was the predecessor to LVP. It was cutting-edge technology at the time and shared many of the LVP’s above-listed capabilities with one significant exception. Because it is made of wood, it is not waterproof.
The most important thing to realize is that the laminate differs from LVP in several ways.
- The pattern is imprinted directly into the laminate, which has a core made of wood. The wood will expand if water gets through, ruining the floors forever.
- Most laminate floors being produced today have a water-resistant layer on top. Instead of being “waterproof” like LVP, most manufacturers would describe their laminate flooring as “water-resistant.” Small amounts of water won’t harm laminate, but large amounts or prolonged standing water will destroy them.
- Scratching laminate is really difficult. It is excellent for large pets and very sturdy.
- Laminate is thicker than LVP. This can be advantageous for those removing hardwood because it will fit under baseboards and door jambs better than thinner LVP, which would leave a gap at the bottom.
Tile
In kitchens and bathrooms, tile is highly prevalent. Laying each tile in a bed of mortar is the method used to install tiles. Tile is frequently utilized in showers, baths, and kitchens—where moisture is most common—because it is entirely waterproof. Pet accidents are easily prevented by using tiles as pet friendly flooring.
The drawback of tile is that it is costly to demo old tile because it is complicated to remove due to the mortar.
Good tile crews are difficult to locate, and installing tiles is both a science and an art. The cost of installation is higher than the average for tile materials. Because of the length of time required, installing tile is highly expensive.
If you’re a fan of the look of tile but are wary of the permanence and price, consider luxury vinyl tile. These waterproof marble-look floors are affordable, easy to replace, and more durable than traditional tile.
Which Type Of Pet Proof Flooring Is Right For You?
When choosing the best pet friendly flooring for your home, you need a pet proof floor that is durable enough to withstand the daily wear and tear of having a pet around.
Finally, you need a stain-resistant floor since, let’s face it, your pet will occasionally have accidents or track mud into the house no matter how frequently you clean up after them. The last thing you need is a stain in your living room as a constant reminder of their accidents!
Our best choice overall?
Luxury vinyl.
Check out The Homeowner’s Guide To Luxury Vinyl Flooring to learn more about this type of pet proof flooring.
Ready to get your pet friendly flooring project started?
Contact us today to get connected with our certified retailers in your area.
