It goes without saying that pets are family! No seriously, from tiny to huge, furry to scaley, and every type in between, we love having our pets be part of our home. We love them so much that we forgive the occasional chaos or ‘oops’ moment that comes along with having them indoors, thanks to our favorite rooms being perfectly equipped with the best pet-friendly flooring solutions.
English Grove Oak Luxury Vinyl Flooring // Credit: CG Home Interiors, Christina Goldsmith
For all the snuggles and playtime with our pets, there’s always an unpredictable moment around the corner. It pays to have versatile flooring options like ProCore luxury vinyl that can handle claws running across the surfaces, knocked-over items, and pet accidents with ease! Here are a few of the key characteristics that you should look for when researching the best flooring for pets:
- Waterproof – For true peace of mind in a home with pets, invest in waterproof flooring! There’s no need to stress over every pet accident, knocked-over food or water bowls, or wet paws running across the floor–even if standing liquid on your floor goes undiscovered for a while. Procore® Plus, and Procore® Pro luxury vinyl products are 100% waterproof, so your floors are unaffected by liquid and can hold puddles on the surface without a time limit. This valuable protection allows you to have the look of authentic oak, pine, and hickory in a waterproof luxury vinyl floor.
- Scratch Resistance – With dogs, cats, and any pets with distinct nails or claws, homeowners must always be sure to keep pet nails trimmed and filed to reduce the likelihood of scratches on the floor surface. Since dogs especially can have hard and sharp nails used to gain traction on hard floors, which causes them to grip with their claws more, this poses a challenge to genuine wood floors that are already prone to scratches, scuffs, and deep gouges. Thanks to a rigid urethane protective wear layer, ProCore luxury vinyl provides durability to resist scuffs, scratches, dents, and markings with ease (but keep in mind, no flooring is indestructible—it’s always best to keep pet nails trimmed!). If you have extremely active pets, you can use the distressed, hand-scraped, or wire-brushed texture to your advantage to minimize the appearance of scratches. Eye-catching varieties like Jamestown Hickory (below) and Forged Oak (below) provide variance and distinct markings that offer as much pet scratch camouflage as they do fashion-forward style:
Jamestown Hickory
Forged Oak
- Easy Maintenance – When it comes to selecting the best pet-friendly flooring, your choice needs to be easy to maintain for real satisfaction. Thankfully, luxury vinyl floors are exceptionally easy to care for. It starts with brushing pets regularly to reduce pet dander, then dust-mopping or vacuuming (without a beater bar) your floors regularly to remove dirt, grit, and pet dander. You don’t need to use any abrasive cleaners or floor finishes to keep your surfaces looking great. A Swiffer works well for daily maintenance of ProCore® Plus! Use area rugs, walk-off mats, and throw rugs– without rubber backings– as added protection against accidents, spills, and general debris. Wipe up all moisture and stains as soon as you discover them, and your pet-friendly floors will shine like a dream.
Available at Lowes, ProCore and ProCore Plus Luxury Vinyl floors are an outstanding option for families with pets, in need of attractive, durable flooring throughout the home. Now you can have the hottest wood visuals at an affordable price that’s also engineered for fun home life with your favorite furry family members!
ProCore Plus Luxury Vinyl Planks in Meadow Oak