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Design Dilemma
debdelect

Dogs and flooring?

10 years ago

I am so confused which way to go. We have large tiles downstairs in the living /kitchen /dining area. We had storm water damage on our wool carpet on the staircase & upstairs where the bedrooms are. Bamboo, oak or laminate? (But I do prefer the idea of a natural product) I don't think we can afford timber. Our 2 pugs do schizo runs from room to room & up & down the stairs every day. Scratching concerns!? Will it look OK from a tile floor to a wood look staircase? We are looking at a very light colour. All help appreciated.

Featured Answer
  • 10 years ago
    We recently had to decide flooring for our new build and our dilemma was our two dogs who come inside. This is what we found out. Bamboo scratches really easily and can't be re-sanded, timber flooring will also scratch but obviously can be re-finished. Laminate was the best out of the three in terms of scratch resistance. The best one we discovered was Quickstep Largo. Good luck with your decision.

    Comments (15)

    • 10 years ago
      Here's the tiles.... & the pugs!
    • 10 years ago
      The 2 bedrooms
    • 10 years ago
      Would you consider sanding and painting the stairs white? It would match your shutters and the balustrade. You could keep carpet in the bedroom and then only the upstairs hall needs a decision.
    • 10 years ago

      We did our floors 2 years ago - lounge, family room, bedrooms with laminate wood look. Went for industrial grade- hasn't scratched at all. Our lab is 11 now & spends a lot of time inside. Pro's- easy to keep clean and looks wonderful. Con's esp with dogs- the tapping noise from his nails on it drives me a little crazy when he prances around at 3am looking for socks to steal..and then I'm up..for the day. It is slippery for dogs - our old boy has trouble getting up if he lays on it, so we've had to put down rugs for him. If he zoomies he slides out which now results in injuries. I wouldn't consider it on steps or landings near steps if you have dogs.

    • 10 years ago

      I agree with refinishing the wood on the stairs. You could have a heavy duty cotton runner fixed in place to protect the wood and provide traction for the puggles. I think going from tile floor to wood or wood look stairs would look fine. Im sure you could find lots of photos that have this mix of materials.

    • 10 years ago

      We have laminate floors and previously had two cats and two dogs, it has held up really well, no scratches. Current dog is 16, the only problem is she slips a bit.

    • 10 years ago

      We have slate on our floors leading to wooden staircase leading to carpet. When we build our new house we will stick with tiles (not slate) as its great with our two dogs as they don't slip at all so if you have the right kind of surface tile they shouldn't either. The dogs do slip a bit on wooden staircase, but with your little pugs i imagine it should be fine. Good luck

    • 10 years ago

      We are currently in the same situation with flooring and have been researching heaps of info. Currently living in QLD so bamboo flooring is out of the question as it does not tolerate humidity. With our two small dogs (who do run around psychotically at times) vinyl/laminate style planking was recommended. These are very easy to install...you can do them yourself. The only thing with the planking and dogs is don't go for the high gloss finish as they will slide badly on it and it will show scratches. I was told that in 5 years I would not be happy with surface so make sure you get a style that is slightly rough. Hope this helps and good luck!

    • 10 years ago
      We have timber laminate and 2 border collies. It does not scratch. However when they try and run on it they obviously can't grip, just as well it doesn't scratch.
      I would like to the stairs in laminate as well but concerned that the dogs will have a nasty fall.
    • 10 years ago

      You could have a runner of carpet up the centre of the stairs over the timber. We are in a similar position shifting from a carpeted and tiled home to one of timber flooring and carpet so I have decided to put a runner down the middle of the corridor where they can chase each other.

      Good luck with your decision it's not easy with pets to consider.

    • 10 years ago

      Just be aware that if your dogs can be unreliable wee wise, and you don't find it soon, that laminate can swell.

    • 10 years ago

      I like the first suggestion about refinishing the steps and painting them white. Then a sturdy sisal runner up the centre ?

    • 10 years ago
      Bamboo scratches really badly, it would not work with dogs. They say it's really strong and the bamboo itself is but the product they finish it with scratches.
    • 10 years ago
      If you have dogs forget about real timber, go for laminate, we have a "darling " (on my profile photo) scratched every square centimetre in the house, he thinks it's fun to skid , even with lots of Persian rugs on the floor. If you can get tiles.
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