If you share your home with pets, it’s important to give a lot of thought to the type of flooring you have, and if you’re moving into a new property or upgrading your existing home, you may need to make some changes to your flooring to better accommodate your furry friends.
One type of flooring popular with pet owners (and non-pet owners alike), is laminate flooring. Thanks to its durability, ease of maintenance and affordability, it’s often the flooring of choice for anyone who shares their home with animals, and when the laminate flooring in Surrey BC is installed professionally, it can also look highly attractive as well as being practical.
Here are some laminate flooring options that are noteworthy for their pet-friendliness:
- Scratch-resistant laminate:
Although ordinary laminate flooring is very hardwearing, you may wish to look for a particular type of laminate that has a durable, scratch-resistant wear layer. For anyone with big dogs, this is especially useful.
- Water resistant or waterproof laminate:
Ordinary laminate flooring isn’t waterproof, but some manufacturers do offer products that are resistant to water, or fully waterproof. Should there be any spillages or accidents in the home (think flipped over water bowls and late-night pee pee!), a water resistant laminate floor will withstand it better.
- Textured or embossed surface laminate:
It’s not uncommon for pets to slip around on laminate flooring, particularly when they’re older or have mobility issues. But with laminate flooring that has an embossed or textured surface, pets can gain better traction while moving around inside the home.
- Low-VOC and hypoallergenic laminate:
To help contribute towards a healthier environment indoors for both you and your pets, look for laminate flooring that contains low volatile organic compounds, and which is hypoallergenic.
Tips to help protect laminate flooring with pets at home
Here are a few ways you can protect your laminate flooring from getting too damaged by your pets:
- Keep their nails trimmed – although all pets nails can scratch laminate flooring, the shorter you keep them, the less damage they are likely to cause.
- Deal with spillages and stains right away – if your pet’s water bowl gets accidentally flipped over or spilled at any point, be sure to clean it up as soon as it happens, or as soon as you notice it. This can help stop moisture from being able to seep into the laminate seams and cause damage.
- Use cleaning products that are pet-friendly – regular cleaning of your laminate flooring will help keep it in tip top condition, but you should use products that are pet-safe. You may wish to create your own effective cleaning solution using natural ingredients.
- Try using furniture pads – for heavier, sturdier items of furniture, pads placed under their feet or edges, can prevent them from scratching or denting your laminate flooring.
If you share your home with pets, laminate flooring installation in Surrey is an affordable and popular choice. Giving you the ideal balance of durability, ease of maintenance, and style, laminate flooring can last a long time, continue to perform well, and still look good, even after many years of little paws pitter pattering all over it!