Vinyl flooring is a popular flooring option for families with pets. Luxury vinyl tile and vinyl sheet are highly durable, long-lasting, and resistant to moisture, scratches and dents. They are also easy to maintain. Vinyl tile is easy to clean, easy to install and affordable.
Pet Friendly Flooring at Floor & Decor
Flooring like treated hardwood, ceramic floor tile, porcelain flooring, vinyl, and laminate are perfect for pets—their texture keeps paws from slipping, they are water resistant to prevent damage from accidents, and they protect against scratches and dents from long nails.
Affordable and animal-friendly, vinyl flooring often nabs the number one spot for pet-friendly flooring. Not only is it inexpensive and suitable for anywhere in your house, but vinyl flooring is also resistant to scratches and stains caused by mucky pups and playful felines.
Vinyl flooring is an excellent option since it's a durable, easy-to-clean flooring type that's comfortable for both pets and humans. It's usually made of four layers: foam or cork backing, waterproof plastic, a design layer printed with an image of wood or stone, and a wear layer to protect the surface.
WPC and SPC Vinyl flooring is perfect for pets as they are waterproof and installed locked together as a “floating floor” – not permanently affixed to the subfloor – excess so moisture doesn't penetrate through to the subflooring. In other words, when your furry best friend has an accident it won't ruin the floor!
Laminate flooring stands up against scratches and stains, making it great for active pets. It's also easy to maintain for most homeowners, putting it near the top when it comes to the best flooring for dogs.
An overview of pets and vinyl floors
It should resist scratching, tearing and other types of damage, unless you try very hard to damage it. In addition, luxury vinyl flooring holds up well against accidents, such as food or water bowl spills or dog urine.
These floors can resist scratches, scuffs, stains, and even a certain amount of gouging in their durability. However, extreme heat can damage the luxury vinyl plank. Some of the culprits through which heat damage can occur include hot pans, curling irons, dropped cigarettes, and more.
Luxury Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is durable, cost-effective and waterproof, making it an excellent choice for dog owners.
Never use an abrasive scrubbing tool on your floor. This can cause scratches and harm your flooring. Never use a beater bar when vacuuming. This can cause damage to the floor surface.
Most dog owners forgo hardwood flooring because it can be easily damaged by dogs' nails. If you're set on hardwood, consider a hard wood variety or engineered hardwood planks, which tend to hold up better. Laminate, vinyl, tile, and carpet have excellent scratch resistance to hold up to the click-clack of claws.
Vinyl Tile Offers Durable Flooring for Pets That Pee
Vinyl is a favorite flooring option for kitchens and bathrooms and also makes great flooring for dogs that pee, as it's very resistant to liquids and easy to clean. Vinyl is also soft underfoot, making it a comfortable surface for dogs to relax or walk on.
Brazilian Walnut or Ipe
Whenever you want the hardest hardwood, domestic species tend to be the way to go. However, Brazilian hardwood flooring is universally hard and dense. Ipe, often called Brazilian walnut, is hard enough that it is even used on outdoor decks.
The outer layer of vinyl flooring is typically scratch-resistant, which means their claws can't scratch it up and their nails won't leave scratches when they get the zoomies. And, scratch-resistant flooring or not, it's always a good idea to trim your pet's nails so they stay comfortable.
High-quality vinyl flooring is very durable. However, low-quality vinyl can be susceptible to rips and tears, and refinishing it can be a challenge. In particular, this is especially true if you are using sheet vinyl. Because vinyl flooring cannot be refinished, once damaged, it needs to be removed and replaced.
As for keeping your vinyl-like floor free from pet messes, BISSELL's Pet Inspired line of products and the formulas used with their carpet cleaners are all "purr-fectly safe" for your pets. Additionally, BISSELL's Steam Mop is fabulous because it simply uses steam for cleaning.
Vinyl is a soft material: One of its advantages is also its greatest weakness: its lightness. Heavy furniture can dent and mark vinyl floors, while sharp objects can pierce the upper layers. Discolouration: LVT flooring can suffer from sun damage if laid in conservatories or near south-facing doors/windows.
Many homeowners, interior designers, and builders are opting for Luxury Vinyl Flooring as a substitute for other vinyl-type options due to its hardwood style. Compared with other hardwood flooring it is an attractive choice for those who want some classic hassle-free flooring without high-price tags.
Con: LVP May Dent
Luxury vinyl flooring can dent and even scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects. Just because it's resistant to something doesn't mean it's impervious to it. However, do know that LVP resists scratches better than real hardwood.
Generally speaking, vinyl sheet flooring will last anywhere from 10 to 20 years, while vinyl plank and tile flooring will last 15 to 20 years. The thickness of its wear layer vastly impacts vinyl flooring's lifespan, so pay attention to this detail when purchasing your flooring.
Note: Disinfecting wipes that contain bleach are acceptable on vinyl. 7.5 to 9 is the recommended pH for bleach.
Durability. Laminate and LVT/LVP flooring are both extremely durable, but they have their weaknesses. Laminate is prone to scratches and chipped corners over time, so vinyl is probably a better choice for your home if you have pets. LVT/LVP is scratch-resistant, but it's more vulnerable to denting and tearing.