Selecting a floor such as Hickory, Hard Maple or White Oak can protect your floor from damage, as these hardwoods are less susceptible to scratches than softer woods like Pine, Cherry or Black Walnut. Hardwoods with more dramatic grain patterns can help to hide scratches more easily.
Consider engineered hardwood with the most scratch-resistant finish available. Go for the hardest wood you can find, such as teak, mesquite, or hard maple. Wood with a matte or low-gloss look will do a better job at hiding scratches. And be sure to finish your floor with a scratch-resistant finish.
There is no such thing as "scratch proof wood flooring", however, choosing a lower gloss will definitely get you a wood floor that appears scratch resistant.
The hardest and most scratch-resistant species, such as ipe, cumaru and jatoba, come from the tropics, and they typically score 3,000 pounds or more.
Engineered hardwood typically lasts between 20 and 30 years. Because they do have a top layer of hardwood, like solid hardwood, they are susceptible to scratches. If scratch resistance is important to you, look for engineered hardwood floors with a scratch-resistant top coat.
Given that the actual surface of engineered wood flooring is the same as that of solid hardwood flooring, the two are both equally resistant to scratching. Instead, the main factor in their scratch-resistance is how they're treated.
Although it's a durable option, American walnut hardwood flooring is also relatively soft, which means it marks, scratches and dents easily.
Maple is among the harder wood species, with a 1450 rating on the Janka wood hardness chart. As one of the densest wood species, Maple is ideal for high-traffic areas. Oak is slightly less hard – White Oak has a 1360 rating and Red Oak a 1290 rating.
White oak is a bit harder and more durable
Note that this does not have an impact on scratching…that is determined by the type of polyurethane or finish.
Pergo claims that the floors are scratch resistant but not scratch proof! We had the floors for roughly 3 years before we moved from our last home and I didn't notice any scratches and we WERE NOT EASY ON THEM.
Tile Flooring
Porcelain and ceramic are some of the longest lasting flooring materials available, and they require little maintenance. Tile flooring is also moisture resistant, making it the perfect choice for areas where spills are common like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Vinyl flooring is the best floor for dogs. It's an inexpensive, waterproof, scratch and stain resistant flooring that is also comfortable underfoot. Vinyl flooring will keep both you and your dogs happy.
Oak Flooring will scratch. Wood Flooring will scratch. Being a natural product there is truly no way of getting away from this fact. Scratches however need not necessarily be looked at as a bad thing with wooden flooring.
More expensive - Oak is slightly pricier than maple. More imperfections - To some, the distinctive wood grain is not an attractive feature. Oak is probably not the best choice if you like a clean, modern look.
Walnut is rated at a 1010 on the Janka Hardness Scale. European Oak is a 1360 on the same scale. This means that Oak is more durable than Walnut and will stand up better against constant use and daily wear and tear. Walnut isn't the best flooring choice for high-traffic areas of the home.
Walnut stands at 1010 on the Janka hardness scale, making it one of the softest North American flooring species.
Engineered Walnut Wood Look Flooring
Engineered flooring is also extra-durable and designed to be less prone to warping and damage due to things like water, sunlight and dents from furniture or foot traffic.
Oak is one of the most affordable hardwoods and is readily available, making it generally less expensive than Walnut. Because Walnut is rare and more difficult to source, the cost of a Walnut floor will tend to be higher.
So, if you have a building with a basement level, and you still want a hardwood floor to enhance the appearance of the area, an engineered hardwood floor will be a much more durable choice than a solid hardwood or a laminate. On top of each of these layers is a veneer of genuine hardwood.
Engineered Hardwood Floors
The sub-layers of engineered flooring can be of the same species or of different species, while the top layer is always high-quality wood. The durability of engineered floors means that they can better withstand scratches from your pet's nails.
Both engineered hardwood and vinyl plank flooring are extremely durable. However, these both come with their own list of pros and cons. Vinyl planks are more resistant to scratches, chipping, and other surface damages.
Engineered wood floors are “fake” and “cheap” compared to solid wood floors. For some of the very inexpensive engineered floors, this might be true. But a quality engineered floor will look and feel exactly like a high-quality solid hardwood floor. Engineered wood won't cup or gap.
Engineered hardwood has slightly better performance in humid locations since its plywood construction makes it more stable and less susceptible to warping. If installation against a concrete subfloor is necessary, engineered hardwood is the choice.
Because laminate flooring is so durable, it's less susceptible to wear and tear from pets and foot traffic. While it withstands moisture better than hardwood, it should not be in a regularly wet area of the home.