Pets are like children. Adorable, dependent on your care, and always testing the limits of your home. All pets can do a real number on your floor and walls, from cats and dogs to free-roaming guinea pigs and birds, especially those with claws. Designing a pet-friendly home involves many factors, including finding the perfect floors. Even without pets, most people usually need to decide between hardwood and carpet floors. For a family with pets, hardwood flooring offers multiple benefits over carpet.
Accident Resistant
Accidents happen, from potty training gone wrong to water bowl spills. Hardwood floors feature water-resistant properties making them more durable against leaks, spills, and other messes. On the other hand, carpet absorbs liquids which can lead to stubborn stains and mold growth if not dealt with immediately. Hardwood floors are also compatible with finishes and stains that add a protective layer against water and other external influences on their surfaces.
Claw Compatible
Along with their accident-resistant qualities, hardwood floors also feature scratch-resistant properties. Claws offer multiple functions for various animals. They help pets grip, defend themselves, hunt, climb, and dig. Like human nails, pet claws grow and sharpen, causing potential damage to any surface they contact. A hardwood floor’s durable and dense structure withstands claws’ ability to wear and tear. Those same claws successfully shorten a carpet’s lifespan as they tug, pull, and shred at the fibers.
Smell Releaser
Carpets consist of tiny rows of woven or knotted fibers. Like other items made with synthetic materials, such as cloth, towels, and blankets, their tightly knitted structure captures and traps bacteria easily. Over time, a buildup of bacteria emits smells that linger. Similarly, carpets absorb and trap any spilled scented items in the fibers unless properly treated. Hardwood floors’ high density and slick surface leave spills and other sources of smells on the surface of their structure, making them easy to get rid of and minimizing the risk of lingering scents.
Fur Finder
A hardwood floor’s density and solid structure keep any debris, spills, and fur on the surface. Since any messes remain on the top veneer of the planks, they are easy to clean. All animals naturally shed, from dandruff to fur. Hardwood floors make finding and cleaning any shedding a quick and simple task. Opting for naturally lighter wooden floors like red oak engineered wood flooring makes it even easier to spot and clean up any messes and fur fallout.
Hardwood flooring’s range of perks makes them one of the best flooring options to choose from for pet households. They offer more pet-friendly qualities, from higher durability to easy-to-clean properties compared to carpets. Spend less time worrying about your pet’s impact on the quality of your home, and spend more time enjoying their company with durable hardwood floors.