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Great flooring can make or break the design of any room. And with so many options to choose from, it's hard to know where to start! If children or pets are part of your household, that makes your flooring choices even more important. Kids and pets can inflict more wear and tear on certain types of flooring than others.
Whether you're wanting to freshen up one room in your house or choosing flooring for an entire home, here is everything you need to know about choosing kid and pet-friendly floors.
Pet problems and flooring solutions
Furry friends are part of the family and worth all the work and effort owners go through for them. But by choosing the right kind of flooring, you can cut down on some of the headache-inducing messes. For example, carpet is an obvious no-no if you have dogs or cats. (That is, unless you want to spend most of your time frantically googling stain-removal solutions while scrubbing carpet.)
Laminate isn't a great option either, as liquids can seep through cracks and eventually cause peeling. Hardwood flooring is easily scratched by dog nails and cat claws.
Both slick surfaces—laminate and hardwood—can actually injure dogs. In Animal Wellness Magazine, Tonya Wilhelm writes, "Your dog's paws aren't designed to walk on such smooth, hard surfaces. And that can lead to slipping, sliding, and falling – and potentially serious injury."
A great choice is vinyl flooring. It is a stylish option that provides more grip for animals while still being resistant to odors, stains, and liquids. There are many styles and colors available in vinyl flooring now—some so realistic, they're difficult to tell apart from real hardwood!
Ceramic tiles are a durable and attractive option for pets, but only if you choose styles with natural traction for pets to grip. Many types of tiles have texture to make them less slippery. For both hardwood floor and tile you can add an attractive rug to soften the overall look, with the added bonus of padding and grip for children and pets.
Child-friendly flooring options
Carpet sometimes gets a bad rap, but it can be a great option in some rooms of your house. For instance, carpet can make a child's basement bedroom cozy and snug instead of cold and drafty in the winter. It's also the safest for babies and toddlers who are crawling and learning to walk. A tumble onto carpet hurts a lot less than a tumble onto tile floors!
The Spruce recommends nylon carpet for optimal durability, because it resists abrasion and can clean easily (assuming a factory stain block was applied).
Textured laminate—the kind made to imitate wood floors—is an attractive yet kid-friendly solution. It's perhaps the most cost-effective flooring, which, if you've seen the cost of diapers lately, you know is important for a young family. Laminate is easy to clean and has a scratch-resistant surface, as well as being stain-resistant for those messy spills.
Great for both kids and pets
Vinyl flooring is one of the most common options in newly built homes, and for good reason. Chauncey Crail and Samantha Allen writing for Forbes say, "Vinyl flooring is known for being resilient. This means that most vinyl flooring is water-resistant and very low maintenance, with long-lasting durability."
The surface of vinyl stays relatively warm in the winter, especially compared to tile and hardwood. Huge advances have been made in recent years that make it almost impossible to tell apart from real wood.
Visit Giant Carpet One to see your flooring options
If all these options are overwhelming, you need an expert's advice. Visit your local Utah Giant Carpet One to see, touch and feel your new flooring options—from carpet to luxury vinyl, hardwood, tile, laminate and more. Whatever your budget, you're sure to find something you love that works for all members of your family. For more information or to find a showroom near you, visit Giant Carpet One.
