Putting New Wood Floors in House-Mistake???
 

I hope I am not making a $$$$ huge mistake but my carpet has to go. Hannah is 2 and still not 100% potty pad trained. I wanted to give my dogs more freedom in my home both upstairs and down stairs without having to steam clean carpet. I am also tired of having to close doors to almost every room in the house. My DH picked out the flooring so at least I can blame him if it's not durable(I was hoping for something that's easy to clean). So with this being said I need some tips from those of you that have wood floors. We are putting in Hickory Hand Scraped. A friend of mine has Cherry and said her pup left a pee stain that is noticeable. I don't want any stains on my new floor but I also don't want to have to keep Hannah or any of my other dogs confined to their x-pens all the time. Any suggestions/tips on what to do or not do with wood flooring will be helpful.

Floors
 

Laminate floors would work much better. Lots of textures & colors to choose.
Puppy pee will stain wood.

dog
 

I have total tile on the downstairs floor. Easy clean and not stained at all. Hope the wood floors work for you.

I can count on one hand truely regrettable decisions I have made in my adult life....putting laminate flooring (top of the line, best you can get!!) down in my sun room, my kitchen and my formal dining room. I absolutely threw away over $6000.00 for this crap! It is gorgeous, cherry wood color....and every single tiny little foot print shows up when the pups walk across the floor! OMG!!! When they come in from the yard, I just sit and cry!!! MY foot prints show up, walking across the floor! I love shiny floors....these floors streak and I abhore them!! When I can "let it go" and "get over" throwing away all that money, I am going to pull this crap up and have some kind of "laminate vinyl flooring" with a stone pattern, that is completely dog friendly, maintains its waxed, shiny look, mops clean with a wet mop and some Armstrong Floor Shine cleaner.

Now my cousin has a type of wood floor that I really love, but I didnt have the $$$$ for THAT stuff, and I was afraid with the dogs. Her floors are stunning. She has "Relics Collection, Petina floors, which is a real wood that is sealed/coated with porcelin coating...."wear max advanced ceramic finish."

I had all my carpet pulled up throughout the house, and in the rest of my home, I did the glazed concrete....it is cool all year long, shines like glass, and mops clean with a wet mop! Problem? You drop anything glass on it and it breaks to smitherines!! I didnt want tile because of settling in the house over time, the tile cracks. I adore my concrete glazed floors....it looks like large slate tile squares....I wish I had done that instead of this dad gum laminate crap in the other half of the house. The laminate was over $6000.00 for about 1200 sq feet.....the finished, glazed design concrete was about $4000.00 for almost 1800 sq feet.

Is it laminate? pre-finished real wood? Or real wood that you stain and seal yourself?
The last one is the only one I'd install if I had a dog that still peed in the house (personally, as a matter of quality, it's the only one I'd install period).

Urine will break down the laminate and it will seep into the seams (as will any liquid) and cause swelling and warping of the seems. You will experience the same types of problems at the seems with pre-finished wood. And the trapped urine will smell BAD over time.

Raw wood planks are nailed to the floor, so they don't move and maintain tight seams better over time, and are then stained and finished with a water proof sealant. These floors can easily be resealed as needed in future years.

This is also a problem I have with pups splashing ANY water onto the floor in the kitchen from their water bowl....it seeped up under the plastic placemat and therefore remained on the laminate for a day or so.....the dampness trapped under that plastic placemat from the water bowl has warped the flooring.

I have hardwood floors in living, dining and bedrooms. They have held up great with only refinishing about 10 yrs ago. There is one spot in the living room, where when it was carpeted our cat peed. Now there are just area rugs that one of mine pees on occasionally so when I put the area rug down I put large plastic painters covers under so it doesn't go thru and it is easier to steam clean.

I have laminate in the family room and I hate it! Even though it's oak color, foot prints show. One of them puked and I didn't find it immediately so there is a warped area. The kitchen is tile and easy to clean. There is a new tile out now that looks like hardwood I think if I have to replace the family room floor, I'll look at that.

Oh decisions decisions with our pups! First in my opinion I abhor carpeting - that is the wall to wall kind. Not just for peeing accidents, but vomit, spills etc etc - it is very hard to keep them clean.


I have slate in my kitchen, which is very friendly to water spills, and such, and doggy paw prints which you can't see. The problem with it is - it is very hard on your feet - so I got Gel Pro mats to stand on - at the kitchen sink and the food prep area. But you must clean up spills that will stain right away - oh like spaghetti sauce, or coke that kind of stuff. It is also somewhat difficult to get really clean due to all the nooks n crannies. A fiber floor mop is the best thing for this floor.


Hardwood will stain over time - if there are pees that are not cleaned up daily. How-ever a good hardwood floor is a breeze to keep hair dust n dirt free! I would get a Satin finish - not a high gloss which shows every footprint.


I have stone tile in my garden room and it is wonderfull! Drawback it is hard on your feet, but breeze to keep clean - and washes up to look wonderfull.


Now here is the thing - with doggies - I think hardwood or stone tile is best - Then you buy cheap area rugs - or even some runners if you are talking about hallways. Why? Over time this will with ageing dogs give them some solid no slip footing, and as puppies they really should be on non-slip surfaces if at all possible.
You can dependent on the size of the area rug, either wash once monthly (if they are washable kind) in a laundry mart with those very large washing machines - or send out to the cleaners frequently.


Anyhoo I am no flooring expert, the market is always coming up with new and different flooring choices!

I didn't have the money to put in laminate so I put in vinyl planks that look like wood. 100% waterproof and looks great. Alot of people who have more expensive homes wouldn't think of putting this flooring in, but if you have dogs it is wonderful. Everyone who has seen my floor did not know it wasn't wood. It is cheap, but it looks great.
Here is a photo of Gunner on his favorite rug on the vinyl floor.

I would try tile. Easy Clean up and won't warp or stain. Looks great too.

Staining depends on the tile.

Ceramic tile is easy to find in many colours & patterns, cheap, not real strong, so better have a very flat floor, as it is more prone to breakage. Great choice for large areas if money is a major factor.

Porcelain tile is stronger than ceramic, so a little more costly. The better choice for a large area if you can spare just a few extra pennies.

Natural stone tiles, slate, granite, travertine, marble, etc., are usually the most costly, and are easy to stain if not sealed. Urine is highly reactive with most natural stones and will permanently stain if not cleaned up quickly.

I'm an avid DIYer and have worked with all of the above. You have to remember with any tiles, grout lines are a highly porous area for moisture. I'd recommend sealing grout lines. Alternately, there are some great epoxy type grouts, but they do have a higher learning curve and might prove a challenge to an amateur grouter as they have a much shorter work-time than standard sand-based grouts. Laticrete Spectralock is my favourite.

Yes I know. That's why mine is sealed. Mine are about 90% potty trained but when they do have occ accident, there is no staining or damage. It is pricey but worth it to me as my floors have 10 year guarantee against staining, warping.
Some people dont like hard surfaces all over but quick fix, area rug or carpet tiles.

It's engineered 3/8" hardwood and requires no staining or finish on it from what I understand . It's called Iron Gate Hickory made by Mohawk with Armormax and Scotchgard. *It's voted "Best Indoor Feature". We shall see! It has a scuba matt that goes under it that is also supposed to help cut down on the noise from upstairs. No glue or nails. My contractor suggested a floating floor for upstairs. The only room down stairs that will be done in wood is my bedroom. I informed my contractor that my dogs are prone to have accidents and that this floor needs to be able to handle that should it happen. Not sure what kind of conversation my DH had with the sales person but I will ask him in the morning. He knows my pups could possibly pee on it! I think there's a 50 yr. warranty on the floor and I will find out that in the morning too. The floor is supposed to be here tomorrow and I really wish I had consulted with some of you before we decided. I've had so much going on that I didn't even think about the puppy experts out there on YT!

Okay here is another idea. A pet door that only goes to a small fenced in area with a cover over top to protect them from birds. If they can go when they want it might encourage them to go more often. I wouldnt make it huge because you dont want anyone to be able just get them. My boo will go wee outside he lets me know. I dont know how old your babies are. I do have poo issues but even tho i hate that it does not sink into the carpet like wee does. The thing with wood, stains laminate and wood is slick for them to play on. I would be concerned with falling. If you put rugs down they will pee on them.

Wow Karen DIY! I wish you lived closer to me! I would hire you to do my floors. I should have elaborated a little more. I have ceramic in my kitchen, dining, bathrooms and living room and I love them so they are staying. I will probably do area rugs so Hannah can still play fetch and do her zoomies. I guess I'll have to keep the doggie gate at the stair case entry and keep my bedrooms closed until bed time so my sneaky little devils don't get any ideas! That would also be safer as I am removing the carpet from the stairs and putting wood there too. I know I'll have to be careful with area rug selection for the wood floors as well. Really so much to consider when we live with little furbutts!

It does look great and I tossed the idea to my DH and contractor but my husband didn't want vinyl. There are much prettier selections now a days!! I think you made a good choice!! I have seen many of the new vinyl floors in brand new homes while I'm doing home checks for my rescue and some of them are just beautiful!

I love this idea but I live in the country and the possums, coons and skunks are not shy here! They would make their way into my house and then just look at me like what the heck are you doing here all while eating the cat and dog food. Trust me I get that on my porch and at the barn all the time! I agree that with rugs they will probably pee on them if given half a chance! I thought about that too! I'm gonna have to come up with something!! Ugh!

Wood floors are a pain to clean. I wish ours were laminate.

My landlord did a minor remodel in my kitchen and when I questioned the tile guy (he was putting in ceramic tile) about laminate wood flooring, he said uh-uh! He said laminate is unforgiving with any kind of liquid, spills, etc. Said that was NOT the way to go--especially if you had animals and/or kids--simply walking on it with snowy boots ruins laminate. I certainly know nothing in the way of flooring, but as conversation was less than a month ago, I still retained a few facts! He works with all different types of flooring and strongly recommends ceramic tile because it is longest lasting, most durable and easiest to clean and keep clean. Good luck with your remodel!!!
The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. ~Ambrose Bierce

I redecorated my den this summer. Both dogs have the run of the den, hallway and kitchen. There is something about carpeting that they love and think it is their personal bathroom! I did a ton of research since no way was I putting carpeting back in the den. I found a company in North Carolina that sells Pet Friendly Flooring. I actually bought the samples pack so that I could see the what I was buying. The pieces are very thick vinyl with cork in between, but look like wood planks. Got the samples and poured water on them while locked together. Let them sit of a few hours. There was no leakage between the pieces. My contractor said it was the best flooring he ever saw. My son-in-law, also a a contractor, said the same thing. I am thrilled with the floor. While accidents are few, when they happen I wipe it up with no problem or staining. They have a good selection of colors so you can get anything from cherry wood to dark oak. You can only buy it from this company, but they are wonderful to deal with. Good Luck with your decision.

Handscraped engineered wood hides a lot of problems, just clean up any wet spots asap. We love it.

Wood stairs are dangerous for everyone, including pups. We REALLY want to put wood in entire house but all the research I do about the stairs keeps us from doing it.

Laminate is very unforgiving. I've see the damage a spill can do. They look beautiful until then. Thanks for the good luck wishes! I think I was OCD before we started this project and now I'm just crazy with the mess that comes with remodeling. I wipe, clean and move things around when the painter leaves and then the next morning I see another mess. He's pretty good at cleaning up but not as good as me. If I ever do anything like this again Hannah and I are taking a 2 week vacation in the Bahamas and I will hire someone to totally come in and clean my house from top to bottom before I get home. Hannah & my Chi, Holly are camping upstairs while the downstairs is being done. Hannah loves it up there for some reason??? My Chi not so much! I can hardly wait until this is all done!!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
I am loving your flooring! Vinyl planks that look like wood! WONDERFUL idea....I need to investigate these....! Different colors?

That flooring looks great, thanks for the tip. Our bedrooms are carpeted but the rest of our home is tiled. We're really getting tired of the carpet in our master bedroom and this looks promising. Do you remember an approximate cost per square foot?

If anyone else is interested: PET FRIENDLY FLOORING

I have the exact same flooring and it is absolutely the most perfect thing for pets. My husband dropped a iron on it and not one dent. Also many of my guests have seen it in my house and put it in theirs.:D

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to post the name of the company. Glad you did. I actually ordered two different boxes to decide what color I wanted. The shipping cost was a bit much, but once I decided what I wanted, Pet Friendly Flooring sent FedEx to pick up the box I was returning, and credited me for the box and the shipping charges. When we ordered the amount we needed it was delivered in two days. Wonderful product and wonderful company. Only problem was my two pups had to get used to being on a floor and not carpet. They definitely needed some traction for a few days :D

Yay! I got a positive comment on the engineered wood! I know we will have to be extremely careful on the stairs and will keep the doggie gate up. (Didn't want to but I will for my girls sake). A couple of months ago my granddaughter-in-law slipped on the (carpeted) stairs with my great grand baby in her arms. They were both ok but it scared us all. Stairs can just be so dangerous regardless. I missed a step at our shop and went flying right into the wall below..head first! It was dark and I didn't see that last step! Thank God I had my purse as it broke the fall a little! My rooms upstairs are rarely used so maybe it'll be ok. If I don't like the wood or it just becomes to dangerous then I will cover them with carpet again or just look for other options to make them safer. Thank you so much for your input!! I knew I could count on my YT friends to bring things to my attention that I hadn't thought about.

Saw this site and thought maybe it'll help you choose? Good luck!

Best Floors for Pets from Armstrong

Thank you so much! The floor that my DH picked out is not real slippery (Thank GOD) but I will be making sure all pups get their manicures on a reg. basis. I had heard of the pet friendly floors but didn't research them before my DH trotted out and signed a contract and paid for the engineered wood floors that will be here within the hr. He's out of town so much that I made it his chore to go and pick out flooring. I have a huge floor sample and it's not like the hardwood I used to skate on in my socks as a kid. LOL! It has a little texture to it. I confirmed that my DH spoke to the sales rep. about us having animals so hopefully between the two my girls and I will be happy. I will have to put out a fetch rug for Hannah in my bedroom but that will be no big deal.