Have you heard the patter of tiny puppy paws lately? We have a new furry friend in the Sargeant family, a ten week old cockapoo named Ernie!
We know many of our customers have also taken the plunge this year, and if you’re one of them then you may be interested in our recommendations for dog-friendly flooring.
Unfortunately, man’s best friend is not necessarily your carpet’s best friend. As well as spills, they will bring in dirt and mud from outside and shed fur on all surfaces including the floor.
Our Top 10 Tips For Pet-Friendly Flooring
To minimise the challenges a new pet can bring here are our top 10 pet flooring tips :
- Vinyl can be more durable than carpet.
- A plain carpet will likely show up more dirt than a patterned one.
- Light carpets are more prone to stains than darker ones.
- Avoid loop pile carpets as cats love to scratch them!
- Polypropylene pile carpets are the most cost-effective solution, they are stain-resistant and super easy to clean.
- Isafe 70 flooring is highly slip resistant safety flooring so perfect for pets dashing around the house.
- Keep your pooch’s claws trimmed to minimise scratching.
- Hoover regularly to keep on top of stray hairs.
- Clean spills immediately to reduce the chances of odours forming.
- Use doormats to help protect carpets when coming in from walks, and place mats under food and drink bowls to restrict spillages on the floor itself.
At Sargeant Carpets we have many options which will ensure your new pet’s arrival is as smooth as possible, and Craig Sargeant is always on hand to provide advice if needed.
Lano’s SmartStrand Forever Clean range
Lano boast that their SmartStrand range is the world’s most forgiving carpet. The ranges includes Forever Clean flooring, offering Nanoloc spill protection which is quick and easy to clean up. Its built-in stain and soil protection is permanent and won’t ever wear or wash out. This magic carpet doesn’t hold onto dirt and is extremely durable so will withstand the challenges of everyday family life.
This video perfectly illustrates how resistant Lano’s SmartStrand Forever Clean is, for human and doggy spills alike.
Isafe 70 Safety Flooring
A brilliant pet-friendly alternative to carpet is a slip-resistant vinyl from Isafe 70 which comes in a wide range of colours and designs including wood and concrete effects. It has a Hypergrip layer which offers even more slip resistance compared with other safety flooring. The Isafe is available in both 2m and 4m width options, so there are fewer joins in larger rooms making it more hygienic for mopping up spills.
The Isafe flooring is comfortable underfoot, extremely hardwearing and durable. It is also hygienic, providing an anti-bacterial resistance which ensures it stays clean.
When compared with laminate, real wood and LVT plank or tile floors, a sheet vinyl like the Isafe 70 product is more suitable for pets because all the others mentioned come in sections, so any spills from a drinking bowl could soak through the joints into the subfloor.
Rugs
Rugs are another good option for pets as they can be cleaned separately from the rest of the floor and in extreme circumstances they can be thrown away if subjected to heavy soiling, sparing the rest of your carpet.
Stairs
New pet owners often don’t consider their stairs which can be extremely slippery and hazardous for enthusiastic puppies. Carpets obviously provide more traction than wooden surfaces and we would recommend one of the pet-friendly brands like the Lano we mentioned earlier.
Artificial Grass
As well as your indoor flooring it’s worth reviewing your garden too when you get a pet. Some artificial grass ranges can withstand a degree of animal waste and are extremely low maintenance. This means you’ll have a beautiful lawn all year round, even in a drought. They look very natural these days, don’t need to be mowed, and are an extremely safe option for children as well as pets.
Pet flooring advice
Your best bet when getting a pet is to pick Craig Sargeant’s brain to help choose the right flooring to give you peace of mind that it will withstand the inevitable scratches and spills. Call him on 01243 868888 for expert advice.
We also highly recommend professional cleaning to keep carpets in tip top condition and local expert Greg Conway is our go-to man for furniture as well as floors. Here is a link to his website to find out more about the services he offers.
Other carpet guides
We have written a range of articles to help you choose the right flooring for your home, including:
