WHICH FLOORING IS BEST WHEN YOU HAVE PETS?

Pets are often considered as members of the family and bring us their share of affection and everyday fun. However, they can often give our floors a rough time so it's important to take them into account when choosing a floor covering!

Why is it important to choose a floor compatible with animals?

If you're the proud owner of a cat or dog, choosing your flooring shouldn’t be left to chance. After all, despite being loveable and affectionate, cats and dogs also come with their share of problems, particularly when it comes to hygiene and keeping the home clean.

In concrete terms, flooring is particularly vulnerable to damage caused by pets. Every day, hair and claw marks put your floor to the test, not to mention inappropriate urination when your pet is not completely house trained or unwell.

To keep these problems to a minimum, it's best to choose a floor covering that is hard-wearing, easy to maintain and won't get damaged by the first scratch.

What floor coverings should I avoid when I have pets at home?

Wood

Wooden flooring is typically not recommended when you have pets.

In spite of being pricy, this type of flooring is extremely fragile. For instance, pets’ nail marks on the floor everyday are likely to accelerate the wear and tear and become visible scratches in the medium or long term. Unfortunately you will never be able to get rid of them.

However, if you appreciate a wood design for your floor, PVC can be an excellent alternative: it imitates wood to perfection and has the advantage of being far more resistant!

Carpeting

Carpets are probably the worst possible flooring for cat and dog owners. Urine attacks carpet fibres and you need to be able to clean the carpet immediately after a spillage. This isn't always possible especially if it happens when you're away from home.

Carpet maintenance is also a real headache for pet owners. On top of being highly allergenic, carpets can be constantly covered in fur even if you clean them regularly. Cats’ and dogs’ hair is difficult to remove, even with a vacuum cleaner. You may need rubber gloves to remove all the hair properly by hand, but don't get your hopes up: the carpet will very soon be covered with fur all over again!

Concrete flooring

Although fairly simple to clean and almost impossible to scratch, concrete does not mix well with pets. It is actually very slippery: while cats have an excellent sense of balance, dogs are likely to skid or fall.

This is another situation where you can choose PVC flooring as it comes in very realistic imitations of concrete floors, with the added advantage of generally being non-slip!

Which flooring is best?

As you can see, when you have pets the ideal flooring has to be scratch and stain resistant, whilst being non-slip and easy to keep clean everyday.

Tiles

Tiling can be an interesting option for cat and dog owners.

Its advantages include easy maintenance and durability. Its surface also stays cool, so your furry friend won't get too hot in the summer.

On the downside, it's worth bearing in mind that tiles are quite expensive, so the cost can quickly add up, especially if you want them all over your home!

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring most definitely comes out on top of all the options when you have pets.

Far less expensive than tiles, Gerflor vinyl flooring comes in a multitude of colours and patterns, and can imitate many materials for a true-to-life look: tiling, parquet flooring, concrete... So you can enjoy the sophistication of other types of flooring at an affordable price without the disadvantages!

In practical terms, Gerflor’s vinyl floor coverings are perfectly compatible with cats and dogs because they are extremely hard-wearing. They were given a state-of-the-art surface treatment when they were designed so they are non-slip and resistant to stains, knocks and liquids. You don't have to worry about paw marks or fur because vinyl flooring is particularly easy to keep clean: soapy water is all you need!

Vinyl flooring also improves soundproofing, so your dog's nails won't make as much noise as on other types of flooring.

Last but not least, vinyl flooring is an excellent thermal insulator and has hypoallergenic properties, so you can significantly improve the well-being of your 4-legged friend!