Many of my customers have pets, and they would love to have hardwood floors that stand up well to dog claws. Can dogs and hardwood co-exist? It’s a challenging question to answer because all hardwood will dent and scratch over time – it’s just a matter of how much and at what degree will it show. But, I don’t think this is a reason for your pet-owning clients to avoid getting hardwood floors. Usually, this question is less of an issue for with cats and more of a concern with dogs, especially active dogs. And, while there are things you can do w/ your pets (e.g. clip or file nails), I’m going to focus on hardwoods that can take a better beating and will last longer.
| Sounds like a no-brainer but needs to be said – avoid the soft woods like Pine, American Cherry, American Walnut and even Bamboo. These softer woods will dent very easily – even without dogs or kids. They look beautiful, but they are not very practical. And, ironically, most are more expensive (because fewer people buy them and there is lower supply). Note: American Cherry and Walnut are different than like Brazilian Cherry and Brazilian Walnut. American = soft; Brazilian = hard. Another tip is to use solid hardwood floors over engineered. Solid hardwood is often better quality and most engineered hardwood floors have a limited number of sandings. It’s always good to have an insurance plan, and your clients will have stronger peace of mind with solid, since they can refinish solid hardwood floors if they get deep scratches or pet stains. Something else that can help – take your clients to take their shoes off. A lot of customers blame their pets for scratches, but often we do more damage to our floors than our pets do. While high heels are often not wonderful for hardwood floor, the biggest culprit is not the shoes themselves, but rather what gets caught in the shoes. It’s those pebbles and dirt that get caught in our shoes that cause most of the scratches. |
If dogs roam the house it’s probably best to go with a distressed look. This is a stylized look that some customers love and others hate. This look is not for everyone. But, here’s why it’s good for pets…it shows the scratches and dents less because that’s how the wood is designed – the dent looks like it fits right in. Likewise, hardwood that has more knots and character marks will hide the dents and scratches more.
Which brings up a floor’s finish. The more subtle the finish the better. A higher gloss will show the scratches and wear more so than a muted finish. Stain color should be a consideration as well. The darker you go, the more it will show. Sticking with a medium to light tone with a fairly busy grain pattern (like oak) is the best bet!