CHello, because I look after pets for people while they are away. I removed all rugs from my home , installed laminate. Now, I find when a puppy does a pee-pee, the seams are separating. Is there any paint/varnish/laquer that I can paint over the laminate to have a hard shiny washable finish?

Please help. Thank you Ella Chambers

 

Ella Chambers,

I'm certainly no expert on flooring but after what I've learned from installing it for a friend I can say this type of floor has very little tolerance for liquids.
Had you applied adhesive to the joints when it was installed there would be a bit more resistance to water.

I would suggest you put down rugs for the critters to do their business on or maybe invest in a proper kennel.

Maybe you could earn a few extra dollars and do some crate training.

 

Nothing is going to stick to the surface or the gaps of a laminate floor. Your best solution is to pull all the laminate up and have sheet goods installed. But even sheet goods are not warranteed against urine. No flooring is.

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply. As I had the whole house done in laminate ($8,000.00) it is not feasible to pull up the laminate.
Is there perhaps a floor cleaner/polish/ or anything I could use to put a shiny harder surface on it.
Ella C

 

As Carpets Done Wright has said nothing will stick to this material.
This flooring was not meant to be the flooring of a kennel.

IMO a proper location for the animals is the answer.

 

yes, the dogs definately need to be in another area with V.C.T. installed for a flooring.
Lam should not be tore up and sheet goods put down, because then you lose a ton of durability and a ton of money.

 

Quote by GregH:
i know what you're thinking! please don't consider even for a second about taking up the flooring & reinstalling it with glue this time! i'm no expert either, but i'm sure that wouldn't allow for natural expansion & contraction, and the floor would buckle & do all sorts of bad things!

and even if there were some sort of sealer that would adhere to the laminate (which there isn't), the flooring would still expand & contract and therefore make cracks in the sealant, which the liquid would again get into.

unfortunately, it just wasn't the right flooring choice from the beginning. whoever sold it to you, did you an incredible disservice, if they knew about your pet situation. sheet goods or tile would've been the way to go. cheaper, too, probably.

i'd suggest kennels, but they're so small & sad, or re-doing one room of your house with appropriate flooring to contain them in. or could you fix up your garage for the animals in winter, and fence in your yard in the summer?