When installing hardwood flooring in your home, remember to think of your dog’s comfort as well.
Whether this is your first puppy or your first hardwood floor, there is a lot you should know about preventing your dog from scratching up your hardwood floor. Unlike carpet or laminate flooring, your dog’s nails pose the threat of scratching up your hardwood floors by merely walking on them. Even the toughest and most durable flooring can fall victim to your pet’s nails if they aren’t careful. Let’s take a look at some tips for preventing dog scratches on your hardwood floors!
Trim Those Nails or Cover Them
This may seem like common sense, but trimming your dog’s nails regularly can help prevent scratches on your hardwood floors. Overgrown nails can scratch up your beautiful hardwood floors in no time. Nails typically grow in only a couple of weeks and can lead to scratches and gouges in your floors. Whether you take your dog to the groomer or trim their nails yourself with clippers, it is important to keep an eye on them. If you do not want to trim your dog’s nails, consider putting rubber sheaths on them. These rubber nail coverings will help keep your dog’s nails from gouging the hardwood. You can either put these covers on yourself or a groomer will do it for a small price.
Cleaning and Coating
It is important to keep your hardwood floors clean under normal circumstances, but this can be extra important when you have a dog. Dirt and hair can easily get into the gouges your dog’s nails have made and act like sandpaper on your floors. But if your floors have a durable coating to protect them from wear and tear, your floors will last longer. Once this wear level wears down, make sure to reapply the coating every few years to continually protect your floors.
Using Carpets and Rugs
Most dogs will run through your house using the same path every day so most homeowners know not to put anything in their way or they will get knocked over. But did you know this path could mean destruction for your floors as well? Even if you have their nails cut down, running in the same path could cause wear on your flooring and even scratches as their nails grow. Putting a rug or carpet on that portion of the flooring would help save you from having to refinish that section of flooring down the road.
Just because you have a hardwood floor does not mean you can’t have a pet in your home. Having both a dog and hardwood floors may mean some extra work for you but it will be worth it in the end.
Preventing Dog Scratches on Hardwood Floors with John K. Eareckson & Co!
When you work with John K Eareckson & Co. Flooring, we will ensure your hardwood floors fight fading for decades to come. From a seamless and beautiful installation to years of maintenance, John K Eareckson & Co. Flooring has the expertise to care for your home’s hardwood floors. For a consultation and more information visit us online or give us a call at 410-788-4200. You can also follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.