Best Flooring If You Have Pets
I’ve received quite a few emails seeking my suggestions and recommendations for the best flooring to install if you have pets. As a decorator and pet owner I tend to recommend hard surfaces such as laminate,real wood, engineered wood, stone or ceramic tile.
My experience coupled with the experiences of my clients have proven to me over and over again that carpet is the worst choice of all to have installed if you have cats or dogs. Aside from the problematic aspect of those sure to occur pet accidents there exists the very high probability that fluffy or fido are going to rip the carpet threads up creating bare spots across your carpeted floor. Another reason to say no to carpet is the build-up of animal dander and fur which may be a problem if there is someone in the household who suffers from allergies or asthma.
Linoleum or vinyl are better than carpet in that they can be cleaned easily when a pet accident occurs and/or if there is animal dander buildup. However, these types of flooring do tend to be soft and can be gouged and scratched. There are some high-end vinyls that are quite strong and will not scratch or gouge - those tend to cost on average about the same if not more than some woods and high-end ceramics.
Some woods also are susceptible to damage from pet generated scratching and gouging but in my experience it happens quite rarely. Laminates are impossible to scratch or gouge - recently a floor installer illustrated the indestructibility of a laminate stone floor by dragging a sharp knife across the laminate. Nothing - not even a faint scratch.
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