Home Design Tips: Flooring for a Pet Friendly Home

Pet owners will be familiar with many of the potential home design issues that their felines and pooches can cause. From clawing the furniture to leaving “presents” on the carpet, when thinking of redesigning your home, having your furry friend’s preferences in mind will likely save you a lot of time and hassle in the future. The flooring is one area which takes the brunt of the issues, and also happens to be one of the hardest parts of the home to replace quickly and easily, so when you do decide to do it you want to ensure you don’t run into any problems. No matter which room of the home you are redesigning, or how big or small your animal companion is, there are certain preparations you can make to help you and your pet enjoy your flooring for longer.

Choose the Flooring to Suit You Both

Carpet: Although some may think that the last thing a pet owner wants is carpeted floors, they do offer many advantages to your furry friend. Cat naps and doggy dreamers can relax on carpeted flooring, having somewhere comfy and warm to snooze or relax without having to take up half the sofa or use your cardigan as an alternative to hard floors. They also offer a non-slip solution for cats and dogs to avoid slips and falls, especially for older animals. However, it can suffer from permanent claw marks and scratches, and needs to be cleaned regularly to stop discolouration from fur and accidents over the years.

Average Cost Including Installation: £15 Per Square Metre.

Laminate: Much cheaper than wood and easier to clean than carpet, laminate flooring offers a bit of a compromise between the two. Although it isn’t as comfy as carpet, adding a non-slip cosy rug to the smooth laminate surface can work as a good way to keep a clean home without disturbing your pets snoozing. Not only that but it is easy to clean and maintain without inhabiting nasty smells or stains. Especially if you have kids, pets or are just a bit clumsy, carpets can soak up the stains and display your sins for years to come, whereas laminate flooring offers a simple wipe clean solution.

Average Cost Including Installation: £13 Per Square Metre.

Wood: Hard wood flooring are very popular as it looks good in a modern or traditional home. It is a bit pricier than laminate flooring due to its aesthetic appeal and is subject to warping, dents and slips, dependant what wood you opt for. However, shopping at certain online stores such as Floors for Paws lets you get wood effect flooring without compromising the aesthetic appeal of wood or inhibiting your pet’s movements around the house. If you are set on real wood floors however, harder woods such as mahogany or oak are more resilient against dents and damage.

Average Cost Including Installation:  £23 Per Square Metre.

Kitchens & Bathrooms: Unlike the other areas of the home, kitchen and bathroom flooring is often made of stone, tiles or vinyl to avoid issues with hygiene and cleaning. When it comes to pets this is just as important if not more, especially as your pet more than likely has a food and water bowl in the kitchen and possibly a litter tray in the bathroom. Vinyl is a favoured flooring type as it is easy to clean and isn’t as hard as stone or tile, so is ideal for your pet’s soft paw pads. However, stone is more attractive, particularly for traditional homes, and tile is often a cheaper option.

Cleaning Tips to Save Time & Money

Cleaning the floors in your home depend which type of flooring you have and where. If you have mostly carpets, its worth investing in a good vacuum cleaner which specialises in getting rid of pet hair such as those in the Shark and Black & Decker ranges. By shopping online at money saving sites such as My Favourite Voucher Codes you can get a massive £80 off the Shark True Pet Vacuum Cleaner, which comes with the pet hair brush and crevice cleaning tools included. You can also go for ChomChom Roller, it is considered as one of the best lint rollers that cover a large area at a time. BTW, most of these cleaners also have an attachment for different floor types such as hard wood flooring, which can be maintained by cleaning up as soon as they get dirty with a vacuum, broom and mop. View more about vacuum pet hair, after all, it’s super important to make sure that your home is squeaky clean!

Pet Grooming: Trimming Claws & Protecting Floors

As well as making sure your pet is healthy, preventing future problems and spending quality time with them, regular grooming has a knock-on effect for your home too. Making sure your dog’s nails are clipped can help avoid scratches on your floor and grooming your dog or cat regularly can lessen the need for frequent vacuuming. Playing with your pet regularly, ensuring they have as little stress as possible during the redesign process and taking them out or letting them out regularly, can also all help avoid little accidents taking place around the house.

Finding a compromise between what you want in your home and what is suitable for your furry friend is the key to finding flooring that will last. Whether you have a Great Dane or a tortoiseshell kitten, your home will likely be at risk from a few scratches and stains no matter what you do. However, by choosing durable flooring materials and being prepared with the right cleaning tools, you can both protect your pet and keep your home looking good as new. Save money on cleaning tools by shopping online, and save time by grooming your companion regularly, that way you can ensure you keep a mess free home you can both enjoy.