Today’s hardwood flooring styles make it possible to keep your beautiful new hardwood floors looking great even if you have pets. Gone are the days where pet owners can not have hardwood floors without worrying about their furry companions wreaking havoc on the beautiful hardwood. Now, the finishes on hardwood flooring are tougher than ever. The higher the gloss level, the more scratches will show. With great scratch-hiding options like low gloss and matte finishes, pet owners can enjoy the beauty of hardwood floors in their home.
Other things to consider
- Choose a species of wood that is harder – this will lessen the chance of your pets leaving marks on your floor. Refer to the Janka Hardness Scale. The Janka Hardness scale provides a rating that measures a wood’s resistance to dents, scratches and wear. The higher the Janka rating, the more resistant that particular wood is. For example, American Cherry has a hardness rating of 950, whereas Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) has a hardness rating of 2350.
- There are hardwood brands with tougher finishes that is harder to scratch and harder to wear through. It tends to be more expensive, but it is still a fraction of the cost of resanding a floor.
- Best to stay away from the smooth finishes – using a textured hardwood floor will make little scratches or nicks harder to see as it will blend in with the wood grain. A textured hardwood would be your best choice as it will already show signs of wear and therefore will hide those scratches caused by your pets and everyday life. There are hand scraped, wire brushed and etched hardwood flooring styles available.
- Lighter colours hide nicks and scratches better than darker hardwoods. Remember also that dark hardwoods show animal fur and hair more than the lighter hardwoods.
- For those areas of your home that your pets frequent the most, consider adding a runner or an area rug to protect the hardwood floor. Be mindful to keep you dogs nails clipped regularly as long nails can cause scratches, especially when they’re excited. Use a waterproof mat under your pet’s food/water bowls and ensure to wipe up any spills as soon as possible. Use walk off mats near the doors your pets use to enter/exit the house to catch water, snow or grit that they may drag in. Best to have a mat both on the outside and inside of your door.
Tip: If you do get a scratch, consider using a MINWAX STAIN MARKER (can buy through amazon.ca or Home Depot). It can help to minimize scratches on your hardwood floors It is available in various colours/shades – choose one to best match your floor.
Amazon minwax link: http://amzn.to/2idlJqc home depot minwax link: http://bit.ly/2jvKlH0
You no longer have to choose between your family pets and those beautiful hardwood floors you’ve always wanted. Visit your nearest Nufloors location today and browse the showroom to find the perfect flooring for your space.
