Wood Floors of Dallas Podcast

Zoomies, Scratches, and Urine: A Pet Owner's Flooring Survival Guide

• Hunter Ross • Episode 4

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What’s The Best Flooring Option For Homes With Pets?

Every pet owner knows the anxiety of hearing those little claws click-clack across the floor or discovering an accident that sat too long. Selecting the right flooring when you share your home with furry friends isn't just about aesthetics—it's about creating a space that remains beautiful despite the daily challenges pets bring.

Hunter Ross, owner of Wood Floors of Dallas, brings clarity to this common dilemma by breaking down exactly which flooring options stand up to the "zoomies," scratches, and occasional accidents. For homes with larger dogs (especially those over 80 pounds), luxury vinyl plank emerges as the champion of durability. Its plastic coating resists scratches and handles pet urine better than most alternatives, with glue-down installation providing the most bulletproof protection against active pets. For homeowners who prefer real wood, Hunter highlights specialized products like Voss floors and Bjelin's Wood Dura line that deliver exceptional durability without sacrificing the authenticity of hardwood.

The conversation tackles practical considerations beyond just scratch resistance. Hunter explains why carpet becomes problematic for allergy sufferers with pets, how porcelain tile offers another excellent pet-friendly option, and the reality of price differences between standard and pet-optimized flooring (typically just $1-2 more per square foot). For those committed to traditional hardwood, he shares insider knowledge about which species offer better indentation resistance (hickory and oak) and recommends commercial-grade finishes like Bona Traffic HD that protect the wood beneath from claw damage. This guidance helps pet owners make informed decisions that balance their design preferences with practical durability needs.

Tired of compromising between beautiful floors and your beloved pets? Get personalized advice for your specific situation by calling 972-525-0026 for a free in-home consultation. Our experts can help you find the perfect flooring solution that both you and your pets will love for years to come.

To learn more about Wood Floors of Dallas visit:
https://www.WoodFloorDallas.com
Wood Floors of Dallas
159 W. Main St., Suite 200
Lewisville, Texas 75057
972-525-0026

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Wood Floors of Dallas podcast, where we bring expert insights on hardwood flooring design and craftsmanship, hosted by Hunter Ross, owner of Wood Floors of Dallas, with over 20 years in the building product industry. Whether you're a homeowner or a general contractor, we're here to help you create amazing spaces with honor, quality and expertise. Let's get started.

Speaker 2:

If you have very family members, choosing the right flooring is crucial. Here's what you need to know to keep your floors looking beautiful and lasting longer. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slash producer, back in the studio with Hunter Ross, owner of Wood Floors of Dallas Hunter. How's it going today?

Speaker 3:

I'm good, sofia, happy to be with you again today and talk about pets in the house.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, and it's great to have you back too, Hunter. So can you inform our listeners what's the best flooring option for homes with pets?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, absolutely so. There's obviously a range of different pets that people have and the things that most people are worried about is scratching on the floors and things like that, like if you have big dogs and they're running around everywhere. What we try to teach people about flooring is that every single type of flooring has a specific duty. It can handle certain things. Your hardwood floors are something that has been around forever and ever, but if you've ever had solid hardwood floors and they have a smooth finish, then you have a dog that's like 80 pounds or up roughly over a hundred pound dogs for sure and they like to get the zoomies and run around the house. Most of the time, those dogs are going to end up leaving scratches all over your floor, right, and so there's a refinishing process that goes through that to fix that, but obviously it's very expensive. So ideally, you have a floor that does not scratch. So when you have large animals like that, the two best products or I guess, three best products the first one is going to be vinyl plank Um, luxury vinyl plank is what it's mostly referred to, referred to as um. Those vinyl planks are very durable. It's basically like a plastic coating, a durable plastic coating that's over the top of those fours and they stand up really well to dogs. They also handle pet urine and things really well. Urine is one of those things that it's very caustic. It will degrade any surface if left just always left on the ground. So everything needs to be cleaned up pretty quickly as much as you can. Vinyl planks are also very good for that. They're probably the most durable in terms of standing up to urine as well. Click Glock products in vinyl plank definitely have the ability to have that same performance, but the very, very strongest and most bulletproof is a vinyl plank that's actually glued down to the floor. With heavy, heavy traffic of a lot of animals, you're going to want to do a vinyl plank or a glue down vinyl plank.

Speaker 3:

And then we also have another product, two other products that are really really good. One of them is a. They're basically click lock engineered hardwoods. One of them is called Voss, v-o-s-s, voss floors and the other one is called B-J-E-L-I-N, b-j-e-l-i-n, b-j-e-l-i-n. And that's their wood Dura line. So both of those products are real hardwood floors that have exceptional durability on top of them. So if you're wanting to do real hardwood and get that same kind of performance, you should lean to those two brands because they're excellent Beyond that, pretty much all other floors.

Speaker 3:

As far as especially tile, that's definitely durable and good for pets. So we encourage people to also use like porcelain tiles. But your carpets and your traditional engineered hardwood and your solid hardwood are definitely not going to be the most pet friendly. Carpet obviously is going to trap all the dust and dander that the cats and the dogs bring in and it's very difficult to get those out. So if you have allergies you probably don't want those. The carpet is just so much harder to clean. But in the end, you know, for anybody that's got big dogs and you're worried about spills or pet spills and stuff like that, get a vinyl plank or one of the Voss or Wadura products. You'll be really happy with it. And when it comes to just normal everyday pets around the house, you can be confident that all the products pretty much that are out on the market today can stand up to normal wear and tear, from your medium to small dogs, even your engine or hardwoods.

Speaker 2:

And so is there a difference in costs between pet friendly flooring options.

Speaker 3:

There is. Traditionally they're just made a little bit more durable, so they're going to be a little bit more expensive. But we're talking along the lines of like. Maybe if you're looking at two products that are similar, the one that's really really, really durable for pets is probably just going to be like a dollar or two more. And then your vinyl planks, for instance. They range in a lot of different price points. So your quality products in vinyl plank are usually going to be between the $3.75 to $5.75 range. Just so everybody has kind of an idea about where those prices are.

Speaker 2:

Now are certain wood species more pet friendly than others.

Speaker 3:

Not really. Um, there's some species that are a little bit harder and a little bit more indentation resistant, which is like your hickories and your Oaks. You're going to want to stay away from maples or or birch for sure, birch is a very soft floor and your hickory and your Oaks are just going to be like your, your hardest ones that are readily available and that's really good for, like, scratch indentation resistance for your dogs, like you know feet and stuff when they're running around.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, what type of finishes best for minimizing scratch visibility?

Speaker 3:

That's a good question. When it comes to um, let's just say you're going to do a solid hardwood floor, there's two main types of finishes you can put on. One is traditional urethane finish. There's another product that we use all the time. It's like a commercially rated product. It's called bona traffic hd. Um, I have a zoomie dog myself and we put that on my floors when we refinish them. It stands up really, really well. The trick is that it does not stop the scratches from totally happening, but the claws will not get through the finish. They will be on the surface, so you're protecting the wood that's underneath. The Bonotraffic HD is excellent for protection from scratches and things like that if you have larger dogs or larger animals.

Speaker 2:

Okay, awesome. Well, that's some very, very helpful information, Hunter. We'll catch you on the next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, sophia, have a good one.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in to Wood Floors of Dallas podcast. Ready to transform your space? Call 972-525-0026 for a free in-home consultation or visit woodfloordallascom to learn more. Work with honor, build with excellence. See you next time.