Tips for Pet Proofing Your Hardwood Floors

Tips for Pet Proofing Your Hardwood Floors

September 19, 2022  |  hardwood floors, Pet Proofing
dogs walking in the kitchen

Tips for Pet Proofing Your Hardwood Floors 

 

We love our pets. From snuggly cuddles on cool Saturday mornings to endless hours of chasing toys, our pets are members of our families.  

 

However, while you may love your cat or dog with all your heart, they can be a menace to your hardwood floors.  

 

Dogs have long toenails and sharp teeth, and cats have a natural need to sharpen their claws, who could blame them for choosing your wood floors as a sharpening post? 

 

Your pets are here to stay. So, what can you do to pet-proof your hardwood floors and help keep your home in a state of harmony? 

 

A Step Above Flooring has put together a brief guide to help you pet-proof your floors without any stress.  

 

Keep reading to learn more! 

 

Tips for Pet Proofing Your Floors 

 

Your pets can cause damage to your floors in a hurry. Use these tips to pet-proof your floors and protect them from damage.  

A dog and boy playing tug of war

Keep Your Floors Clean 

 

We promise the rest of this list is not a chore sheet! 

 

Keeping your floors clean is essential, especially with dogs and outdoor cats. Pets that see a significant amount of outdoor time will track dirt and debris into your house. Dirt can get in between your floorboards and damage your wood.  

 

In addition, dirt and debris that stays on the surface of the wood can scratch your floors when pets and even humans track it on the bottom of their feet.  

 

Keep Your Dog’s Nails Trimmed 

 

The simplest solutions are sometimes the best. Your dog's nails are likely to cause scratches on your hardwood.  Keep your dog's nails short to help ebb this problem. If your dog will let you, you can clip their nails at home. If they are resistant, you can take them to a professional to have their nails trimmed.  

 

Regularly Walk Your Dog 

 

Too much energy is not always a good thing. It can be cute when your dog is running around with their favorite toy, but it can also leave them scratching your floorboards with their antics, or worse biting your floors out of boredom. Walking will help burn off excess energy and will wear down your dog's paws to make them duller (and less sharp). 

 

Use a Carpet Runner 

 

Dogs and cats tend to choose their favorite areas in your home and gravitate to those attractions. This means they have a favorite couch, a preferred corner, and a regular path. Look out for heavy traffic areas and put down a carpet or a rug to help protect the floor. That way your dog will wear down the carpet instead of the floor.  

 

Protect Your Floors with A Step Above Flooring 

 

Keeping your floors in tip-top shape is no easy feat. It takes a lot of hard work and more than a little bit of discipline.  

 

For the best cleaning, you must consult your flooring experts for the right information. The wrong cleaners can provide more harm than good.  

 

For the best ways to protect your floors from scratches, grime, and other damage, ask our experts which scratch-resistant flooring is right for your home. Reach out to A Step Above Flooring!