Pets with Laminate or Vinyl Floors
Q: Thanks for all the informative articles on laminate flooring. I still have one question before purchasing. Perhaps you can help. I want to put new flooring down in my utility room and kitchen. I have read the info about water in utility room and I am taking that into consideration. My question is-
Is there a laminate that WILL NOT show scratch marks from dog’s toe nails? I am considering laminate or vinyl.
Thank you.
A: I’m glad you like Steve’s educational articles such as Brand Wars II: A Laminate Showdown.
When it comes to putting a floor in an area where you are more likely to encounter water, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms (I’ve had my washer flood a few times sadly); the mind set of wood and water do NOT mix is good to keep in mind. Now several people have had past with various floors in these areas including 3/4” solid hardwood floors which I tend to cringe at the thought of installing in a high potential moisture area.
Your major question has to do with pets, namely dog toe nails. Unfortunately with wood flooring, even super tough floors like AC5 rated laminates, no floor is impervious to damage. That being said, if you keep your dog’s nails trimmed this will significantly help in reducing scratches.
In your case, when combining dogs and water, I would honestly suggest using a vinyl product or a higher rated laminate such as Westhollow’s Vise-Loc series. Using cheaper laminates would not be advised.
Congoleum makes a very nice, very easy to install wood looking vinyl in their forum plank and regal plank collections. This way you can still get the great look of wood, but the durability and benefits of a vinyl. This is actually one of Steve’s top picks for DIY friendly products and from the time I have had to look over the Congoleum planks myself, it looks great!
Keep in mind, nothing will be impervious to traffic from our furry friends, but with a few precautions such as trimming nails we can vastly improve the longevity of a floor. Our purchasing specialist, Ryan W., related the story of his own floor and pet experience. Ryan has Westhollow’s South American Walnut installed in his home with his dog Jin. Jin is an 85 lbs. Dog who loves playing. Ryan mentioned that he has had this floor for 2 years without a single mark on it. He mentioned occasionally when Jin “gets a bit crazy” he’ll leave white marks on the floor, but these are from his nails and not damage to the floor. A simple wipe with a lightly dampened cloth and they are gone.
Here is a picture Ryan took of his floor, you’ll notice a few of the white marks left by Jin’s nails (and the use of a nice area rug to protect the floor with furniture over the top)
Here’s a picture of Ryan’s dog Jin. To give you and idea of the type of dog running over his laminate floor.
Ryan and I both agree that if the room has high humidity or there are issues with standing water, such as a leak from a washer, then laminate might not be the best bet. Ryan commented “If the room has normal moisture in the air, 28 to 40 percent, then it should be no issue. You just can’t put wet clothes on the floor or leave standing water on it, like I always say: it’s a floor not a pool and if you treat it like a floor then you should have little or no issues”
So, as long as you trim your dog’s nails and prevent moisture issues like standing water or high humidity, a good laminate can stand the test of time even with medium sized dog like Jin. Now keep in mind, some rather large dogs like Great Danes or St. Bernards might not be as forgiving to a floor and now floor is impervious to damage, but many are rather tough. Good luck!