Flooring that is awsome for dog homes

[meepitsmeagan]

DH and I are starting to talk about removing the carpet in the house and putting different floors in that are a bit more dog durable.

I like the idea of something easy to clean, but not too slippery nor insanely hard on joints since our place is small and they like to be on the furniture. I'm thinking wood floors with area rugs, but thought maybe some other people have better ideas!

 

[crazedACD]

I think you can't beat tile.. the grout might need a little care from time to time, but otherwise accidents and mud are easily cleaned up. It's more expensive but lasts longer. The tile I've lived on has been "roughed up", it's not really smooth or slippery. Wood or laminate is slippery.

 

[Locke]

If I could choose anything, I would choose tile. Really low maintenance, easy to clean, doesn't scratch. Put down a couple area rugs for warmth/plushness.

I especially like the ceramic wood grain tiles

http://www.homedepot.com/p/MARAZZI-...q-ft-case-ULM9/204485221?N=5yc1vZar0yZ1z0wlem

 

[Romy]

We're doing floating bamboo floors. Inexpensive, warm, "cushy", more water resistant than laminate. Strand woven bamboo is super durable, much more than regular bamboo. Its hardness rating is equal to mahogany and ebony wood.

I had a house with ceramic tile all throughout in Tucson, and honestly it was pretty rough on my knees by the end of the day.

 

[joce]

We have bamboo and I looooves it!!! Upstairs bedrooms carpet but landing is bamboo. Bathrooms and laundry room big square ceramic tile.

But as far as the dogs go carpet was 1000 times easier.

It hid the fur and dust. I sweep constantly. In winter it's just a constant cleaning. A lighter stain may have hid it but I love the color I chose and hate the lighter.

Read reviews because you will see warped floors with people potty training one dog or spilling a pop.

My bathroom tile would be great for the dogs but good god it would be cold! Seems everyone but me does the floor heat now though.

The bamboo is cold to unless the wood stove is really going.

 

[frostfell]

what is a "floating" floor?

 

[release the hounds]

they aren't nailed or glued. They just lock together and kind of "float" over the subfloor

 

[release the hounds]

This is the first house in years we're in now that has had carpet and I can't wait to get rid of it, but as far as being easy on dogs, it's probably the best. Less slipping etc.

Laminates, you get what you pay for. I'd avoid the cheapest ones. They work, but are very susceptible to moisture and they're a pain to get to lock and are very slippery. Higher end ones are much better all around in terms of installation and wear. Still slipper though.

I still prefer real wood. It's still slippery, but has a better feel to me. I don't think it's as slippery as the laminate, maybe it was just the finish, but any dog moving with speed is going to slip. Tile is about the same IMO, but hardwood and area rugs are what I prefer.

 

[joce]

Mine does not float, nailed in. There was a reason the contractor said no floating for our home and I don't recall what it was but the flooring we choose wasn't offered in it.

It is 45 here today and it is cold cold cold on the feet though.

 

[Kat09Tails]

We just put in a slate tile floor and the dogs and I love it. It's not overly shiny or slippery and very easy to clean. If I had my way we'd do a stone half wall with it.

 

[stardogs]

Slate/tile/laminate/hardwood are all going to be slick to some extent, but I still love my laminate flooring.

I also think I'll never go with any rug other than FLOR carpet tiles - sooooo much less slippy than rugs and easy to clean!

 

[Kat09Tails]

Natural slate is hardly slippery except when wet. Each tile has it's own texture and I have also found it to be less loud than our tile floored place. Our floor is a little shiny but nothing like the glare you see of a ceramic tile. Also a plus is that hair even with the white from the papillons doesn't show as glaring as the grey tile floor we have at the other house.

The only downside of this floor I've found was that it takes about two times as long to install being a natural product. So you basically have to place each tile twice and adjust it using thinset as the tiles tend to vary in thickness.

 

[release the hounds]

slate is a very nice flooring too and definitely less slippery than conventional ceramic or porcelain tile. The texture helps a lot.

I really like your floor BTW, looks great

 

[xpaeanx]

I'm a fan of wood or bamboo floors with area rugs were needed. I find any of the tile type floors to be very cold and I hate walking on the grooves between them (yes I'm weird). I like tile in places that are generally very messy like bathroom/kitchen/entryway.... But I just really love wood/bamboo in the house. I think I probably like walking on bamboo better as I feel it has a little more natural give and I really love how it looks, but I don't think it lasts as long as wood.

They're def not as nice a surface as carpet but they don't hold in dirt and I find sweeping and moping to be easier than vacuum and steam cleaner for cleaning purposes.

Idk if there is anywhere you can go or if you know of anyone with diff types of floors so you can walk on them barefoot and see what you think? As much as you want the best for the dogs, you also need to feel comfortable walking across the surface every day too.

 

[Romy]

Slate is super awesome if you do go with tile. It tends to be very affordable as well, and cuts easily. We have it in our entry and are working on doing the laundry room in it. Eventually it'll go in the bathrooms too.

 

[BostonBanker]

Most of our condo is hardwood or bamboo. Our basement just got finished today with carpet, and watching Gusto move around down there made it so obvious that carpet makes him much more comfortable. We have some area rugs, and I added another huge one in my bedroom (bamboo) after he had a really scary fall a couple of months ago.

I never notice footing with Meg, but if I were rich, I would have carpet all over for Gusto. As it stands, I just need more rugs I guess.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I really like the idea of slate-- what do you think resale value is with that option? Probably not nearly as good as hardwood. I've been in a few homes with slate floors and they are gorgeous. I don't mind the cold, ect as well as we just wear shoes in the house (another reason I don't like carpet! Dirty husband boots = muck all the places).

 

[SpringerLover]

I know carpet gets gross fast but nothing compares for traction and comfort to me. I don't know what I'd choose to put in my house. I really want carpet for my dogs safety but... I see what we've done to the carpet in my apt in 2.5 years...

 

[meepitsmeagan]

The maintenance when dogs throw up or something is spilled is just insane! Hard floors you just wipe it up no issue. Plus the hair and dirt it holds is disgusting.

 

[release the hounds]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I really like the idea of slate-- what do you think resale value is with that option? Probably not nearly as good as hardwood. I've been in a few homes with slate floors and they are gorgeous. I don't mind the cold, ect as well as we just wear shoes in the house (another reason I don't like carpet! Dirty husband boots = muck all the places).

I would think it's like any other flooring. If people like it, they like it, if not, they don't. I find carpet to bring value down, for me. Because I have to replace it on the flip side, that is easy to change, so if I love the rest of the house, tearing it out and putting stuff I like down is not a problem. Much more so than if someone has picked out of paisley pink tile and I have to take that out and replace. ALthough it seems the way a lot of contractors are putting tile down these days, it's not as bad as it would seem.

But I think a nice slate would help, but if someone likes all of the house, but not the slate, i'm sure they're going to take that into account when making an offer knowing they really want to change at least some of it.

I've quit worrying about that though. If I need to be that liquid in my home ownership that resale value is of major concern, i'm not making any improvements anyway like that because i'll never get my money out of it. If I plan to stay for the long haul, i'm going to enjoy it and not worry about what the next person wants.