Having a dog at home is great because they are known for being best friends for a reason, however, having a pup at home with hardwood floors can turn out to be not that positive experience. Maintaining clean and scratch-free hardwood floors in the same house, when your doggy lives and has fun could end up very unsuccessful and it pretty much would be a great challenge for you! A challenge, right, but a few simple tips and tricks can help you minimise the damage and protect your hardwood flooring.
As hard as possible
The best wooden floors we can recommend you to have at home with a dog are made from hardwood that is as resistant to damages and scratches as possible. The harder, the better. Hardwood species are better at handling wear and tear. Although, dogs over 100 pounds and wooden floors are still a mortal mixture, so if your best friend is on the bigger side, please consider purchasing another type of wood flooring and invest the minimum, because probably you are going to replace it pretty soon. However, owners of smaller dogs have several options. Brazilian cherry and Brazilian walnut are very popular for their hardness and solidness. Maple, ash, beech and red oak are good choices too.
Prevention
Trimming your dog’s nails is a good idea, no matter if your dog is on the smaller or bigger side. Of course, you can always put some rugs and runners in high-traffic areas. Some dog owners share the idea of vinyl nail caps for their dogs. These caps are fitted over the clipped claws and prevent your dog from leaving scratches everywhere on the floor.
Minimising water damages
Well, scratches are not the only thing your dog can leave that damages hardwood floors. Accidents that are part of the house training for example and also accidental water spills can also be mortal for hardwood floors because as a wood floor owner, you already have to know that wood and water don’t mix at all. You should mop water and other liquids immediately, otherwise, they can lead to stubborn stains and smells and even “ballooning” of the timber if left for longer and penetrating through the protective finish. Don’t forget to place a mat or some kind of protection under your dog’s bowls for food and water. In addition, dogs at home often mean more cleaning for you. Don’t forget that you have to follow an accurate cleaning routine for your hardwood flooring and mop with a damp mop.
Dog-free zones
If hardwood floors are fitted only in a few areas of your home, then the easiest thing you can do is train your dog to avoid this area or place baby gates so you are in control of where he goes. As you can see, having a dog and hardwood flooring at home at the same time is pretty challenging, however, it is not impossible to have both!
