Hi,
I just bought a small home which is in need of full flooring replacement along with dehumidification in the crawl space under the floor (no basement) It's really wet down there so I've been advised to have a dehumidification system or fan/vent installed after they clean up the Mildewed Mess.
In any case, I need to choose flooring that won't get ruined by my 100lb.
German Shepherd's nails! Where I live now I think it's mostly oak but in the kitchen it's birch- he's pretty much scratched the heck out of them (esp the kitchen)
I'd prefer hardwood to laminate- especially since I was told by the home inspector that "wood" would be more forgiving with the not so level floors-
hopefully with fnew subfloor repair though this will be resolved. I don't really know much about ANY of this and have to trust my Contractor who seems like a nice guy. I'm a single female so I'm a little nervous about taken advantage of since I have no "building experience"
Thanks for your input. (any ballpark idea of cost per sq ft?)
deb

 

We have 2 dogs, an 80 pound Wolfhound mix and a 65 pound Dalmatian.

I've never had the good fortune to own a nice hardwood floor, so I can't really comment on that aspect of your choice. But we did just install a laminate floor throughout a major portion of our house. This gets heavy traffic from our dogs, and I hear them sliding and jumping around on it all the time (poor dalmatian hates it ) Although the dogs don't like it much becuase it's slippery for them, the floors don't seem to care one bit. ~8 months and no nail marks to be seen anywhere.

Keep in mind, I'm just an average consumer and don't know much about flooring, but hopefully my personal experience might help some

 

I don't think it is possible to have nice hardwood flooring with pets. Laminate is the best way to go as some of the manufacturers warranties do cover damage by animals. There is no warranty with hardwood for damage casued by pets.

 

We had laminate with our two Golden's and there was not a scratch on it. Though I still prefer the look/feel of hardwood. I'm not sure of the set up in your house but maybe you can do hardwood in rooms your dog is not in a lot and do laminate in high traffic areas (like your kitchen).

 

I am also looking for a hardwood floor that's pet friendly. While I agree that laminate would guarantee no damage to the floor from my 80 lb lab, I really want the look and feel of real wood! I'm seriously considering Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba). It's one of the hardest woods on the market. What are the pros and cons regarding engineered flooring vs solid wood???

 

Don't fall for the "harder is better" hype. Excessive hardness has its own pitfalls.
Dogs don't scratch the wood, they scratch the surface finish. Brazilian Cherry will not solve your problems, in fact its lack of grain definition will only highlight those surface scratches.
Pros of engineerd are better stability, easy install, instant gratification. Cons are shorter lifespan(most brands), shorter boards(brand dependant) and a few other things I can't remember right now....

 

Hi Folks,
Thanks for your replies... everyone has great points...
I do realize it's more the finish than the hardness though I was sort of hoping with enough polyurethane at least there wouldn't be any "grooves" in the wood and an oak or something with grain would hide those superficial scratches- though I do like those Brazilian cherry floors too. I think it sounds like I'm going to end up looking for a laminate hopefully ones that don't have the short boards but I haven't started looking yet- ? so I don't know what's out there or what the prices per sq ft are going to be. I've gotten quotes for the hardwood anywhere from $6/sq ft to $10 for the same thing.
*Rugs will help with the slipping that's cute but can be dangerous for the big dog's hips. I just hope the laminate has some "give" to accomodate the settling of the house.
debbie

 

Just in case you reconsider wood flooring.

My wife and I have 3, sometimes more, dogs. Our last home had Southern Yellow Pine flooring. We could not keep a poly finish on the floors for more than a year without scratches and chips.

After we sold the home, unfortunately, a flooring pro told us we should have used Gym Seal polyurethane. It is commonly used on school basketball courts and is very hard yet resistant to chipping and scratching. Good luck.

Dave

 

Thanks for the tip, Dave. I would definately consider that type of finish if it would come in satin or a much lower gloss then you see on gym floors. Does anyone else have any input?

Sandi

 

The gym polyurethane's a thought, but that high gloss is a concern and talk about "slide" factor... yikes.
I'm still not sure what the real difference in flooring is in general between
hardwood (is that the same as "engineered hardwood" or is that a veneer?
Then what exactly is laminate? Is it layered or all one material? Will it definitely wear better with dognails, etc? How does the price compare with
average type hardwood flooring (not pricey rare kinds)
deb

 

Hardwood flooring is a solid piece of wood. Can be refinished several times.

Engineered flooring is wood veneer (think strip of wood) applied to a sheet of plywood (1/8" I think). You get the look and feel of real wood, but the wood is very thin. I don't think this can be sanded and refinished.

Laminate flooring is a photograph of wood laminated onto a high strength backer board. The surface is very resistant to wear and tear.

 

Thank you for the information, it's quite helpful. As much as I'd probably prefer hardwood, looks like with the DOG, I'm better off going with the laminate. Is it considered more or less $$ than hardwood.
I definitely don't want engineered wood...
deb

 

I cut my dog's nails once or twice a week - as soon as I hear him clickity-clacking on the floor.

We have Brazilian Cherry, prefinished, 3 years old. It has scratches - but I can't pinpoint any that came specifically from the dog. When my mother-in-law had a rock stuck in the bottom of her walker, she left a nice long scratch in the hallway.

To me, having dogs means you're going to have wear and tear on your house. Dogs are hard on floors, whether it's carpet or wood. When we decided to put in a wood floor, it was with the assumption that we ewre actually going to LIVE in the house, and that the floor would probably get scratched. At some point we'll probably refinish it, but that won't happen any time soon. Meanwhile, we live with scratches, whether they're caused by dogs, kids, or feeble relatives!

Good luck with your decision!

 

After reading all these threads I think I would go with the laminate but I do have some questions.

I have 3 puppies and I am worried about puppy accidents.

I realize I need to cleam it up as soon as possible.
As all dog lovers know sometimes they hide it.

Will this soak into the Laminate and get underneath it? If so how to do I clean this? I know there are cleaners at Petsmart with this do the trick??

Plus right now we have stained our cement floors can laminate be placed over this or do we have to strip the stain?

 

1) Does laminate flooring need to be acclimated to the house before installation?
2) And, as a dog lover- try to crate your pups when you're not home so they can't HIDE their accidents from you and limit their space when you are watching them- less likely they'll pee and you'll miss it, plus it's easier to housebreak them if they know how to easily get to the door to go outside. I'm curious on the answer re: the absorption of laminate, etc... and what cleaner is best for this.
Definitely do not harbor the moisture with any available coverings like throw rugs/newspapers. I know 1st hand it will RUIN real hardwood if left for long periods or trapped under something... it's like battery acid and turns wood black.