Top pet questions about flooring
Pets are an important part of our family, and choosing flooring that works with your pets is important for many of my Westchester customers. So, I thought it would be helpful to gather my favorite flooring blog posts about pets in one location. I hope this is helpful for you, regardless of whether you live in Westchester County NY or somewhere else.
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Best types of hardwood flooring for dogs
This is one of the most frequent questions I get from homeowners in Westchester and it’s one of my most popular posts. Yes, dogs and hardwood floors can co-exist. Read on to for advice on best types of hardwood flooring for you pets.
How do you eliminate pet stains in hardwood flooring?
We come across these dark stains in hardwood flooring often, and they are not as simple to eliminate as one might think or hope. But, there are some solutions.
Helpful items to protect your floors if you have pets.
These items will help prolong the life of your floors if you have dogs or cats. You can buy these items directly from Amazon.
What type of carpet is best for pets – pet stains, odor and fur?
I’m so excited about this new product from Stainmaster. If you have pets, you will love this carpet. It’s great for cats and dogs (and of course kids).
What types of carpets are best for cats?
Cats love carpet. They love to sleep and cuddle on it, and some types they use as toys or a scratching post. This article provides advice on which types of carpet will hold up best to your cats and which types to avoid.
Carpet runners – everything you ever wanted to know
It’s a surprise to many that the most common request I get for carpet runners is because of dogs. Yes, carpet runners are useful for people and pets. They make things easier for the whole family plus they look pretty.
Complementary products that will prolong the life of your hardwood floors
- Bona hardwood floor cleaner
- Felt pads to protect floors
- Office chair mat
- Doggie Socks
Flooring for pets – Collection of my favorite pet articles
which is the most resistant hardwood finish for sliding /running dogs toe nails?
I do like your blog
Thank you
Elisa – Thanks so much. Your 2 best options are: 1) Bona Traffic HD, if you want water based or 2) Duraseal if you want oil. Use a satin finish/less shiny. You can read more in this article: What are the best brands of polyurethane? One big benefit of the Bona Traffic is that it will cure much faster…so it will harden sooner, so less likely to be scratched by the dog during the curing process. Be sure to keep your dog off the floors for 2 weeks (or try doggie socks).
Hi! Do you have any experience with the Mannington SpillShield laminate line? I was looking at replacing our carpet in the living room and we have a small dog who sometimes dribbles water around when he drinks. Or is there a better water resistant laminate that you would recommend?
I know that laminate is not waterproof but like the look better than the vinyl planks.
Thanks!
Cindy – No, I’m not familiar with that product from Mannington. As you mentioned, laminate is not waterproof. I would look into a product like Coretec Plus which is waterproof and looks more real than a laminate. That aside, if you choose to get a laminate, I would make sure to get some sort of plastic tray for under the dog’s water and food bowls.
What brands of tile or luxury vinyl do you recommend for pets and which ones are good for the main living area. Thank you
I would only recommend Coretec Plus (at this point) for luxury vinyl. I keep hearing bad stories about so many others, especially the cheaper ones and ones at Home Depot. They are thinner and aren’t waterproof.
Hi! I just had my harwood floors refinished and the odor is still strong. How long should I wait before I move the cats back in? I don’t want to make them sick from fumes.
Thanks!
Janic – This is a hard question to answer since I don’t know what poly was used. I would guess maybe 3 to 4 days. But if they used a cheap oil based poly, it could take longer. If 24 hours has passed, open the windows and use fans to air things out faster. But, be sure to close them if it’s raining/about to rain. and, then, you’ll need to make a judgment call. Remember pets are closer to the ground than we are, so they smell it more. and, their sense of smell is usually stronger than ours.
I see you recommend GORILLA GRIP rug pad. I just purchased an area rug. What is the best area rug pad? New rug will be laid on top of polyurethane (wood design) flooring? Thank you, Deborah
Yes, I would recommend the Gorilla grip. Get the one with the felt.