If your home has many pets and you are looking for the right type of flooring to have, engineered wood flooring is the perfect option for your interiors. Unlike laminate and traditional wood flooring, engineered wood is incredibly durable and easy to maintain. With an engineered wood floor underfoot, you won’t have to worry about the occasional spill, accidental irreparable damage or unsightly blemishes.
Here at Wood Flooring Ireland, we’ve been producing premium flooring materials for more than 15 years. In recent years, we’ve adjusted our philosophy to focus on sustainability and eco-friendly manufacturing. Our current product line is made from the finest European Oak from traceable sources, allowing you to enjoy beautiful natural aesthetics without worrying about your carbon footprint.
Furthermore, our engineered wood flooring range is the perfect fit for households looking for a more hard-wearing alternative. With everything from classic long planks to luxurious Versailles panels to choose from, you’re bound to find the ideal fit for your interiors.
What Should You Be Looking for in a Pet-Friendly Floor?
If you’re looking at investing in a new floor for a home with several pets, there are certain features worth looking out for. Materials like laminate and traditional wood flooring can prove a cost-effective solution, but the many advantages of engineered wood flooring make it a much better option for a house filled with pets.
When choosing a pet-friendly floor, focus on durability. Cats and dogs will add to the amount of foot traffic your floors experience. There’s the added concern of sharp claws, so engineered wood flooring with a robust veneer is a great idea.
You’ll also need to think about general maintenance and cleaning. Pets won’t think twice about entering your home with dirty paws, so a floor that’s easy to clean is a must. Unsure about how to clean engineered wood flooring? Compared to other materials, engineered wood is very easy to maintain. You can quickly wipe up spills and urine without the risk of your flooring warping or discolouring.
Cat and dog claws can produce clicking sounds when they walk on harder surfaces, which can prove distracting in homes with multiple pets. Thankfully, engineered wood is an incredibly versatile flooring material, allowing you to combine your flooring with things like acoustic underlay to mitigate noise levels.
How Do I Protect My Floor?
Wood Flooring Ireland have come up with a list of tips you can follow to protect your engineered wood flooring in a pet-friendly home. There are two main ways you can do this. The first is by protecting the floors themselves. And the second involves pet training alongside grooming the likes of their hair, nails etc.
Protecting Your Floors
To maintain the appearance and integrity of your flooring for as long as possible, make sure you’re taking care of spills as soon as you spot them. Even the most durable floor can become warped if moisture is left to collect for long enough. This can lead to blemishes and discolouration, which is particularly notable if you’ve invested in white wood flooring or another lighter hue. Even darker options like grey wood flooring can become damaged when exposed to the acidity of pet urine.
To maintain your floors, commit to a regular cleaning schedule. Keep on top of minor messes daily by sweeping or hoovering. Ensure you’re undertaking a more thorough clean at least once a week with a mop and specialist cleaning solution. Avoid steam when mopping and stick to products with a neutral pH level.
You can also add secondary protection to stretches of flooring that your pets use frequently. Add dog beds or deep pile rugs to areas where your pets are likely to sleep. It’s also worth investing in doormats that can be placed at entrances to ensure as much moisture and dirt as possible is collected from pet paws before they enter your home. Feeding bowls should also be furnished with non-slip bases, minimising the chance of accidental spills.
Pet Training and Maintenance
Even with precautions in place, your floor won’t remain pristine unless your pets have been properly trained. House-training is vital if you want to prevent pools of urine and other messes. You’ll also need to keep on top of dog grooming. Nails trimming is important to the overall health of your pet, but short nails will also prevent your floors from becoming scratched and scuffed.
A DIY dog grooming schedule will also minimise the amount of mess in your home. You must wash your cat or dog regularly to prevent excess fur from falling to the floor. For dog breeds with particularly long fur, it’s worth investing in the services of a dog groomer from time to time to keep excess hair in check.
How to Clean Cat Urine from Wooden Floors
When it comes to toilet habits, dogs are more predictable. Cats, however, are trickier and tend to produce smaller puddles of urine that can be hard to spot until it’s too late. It causes unwanted odours but can also lead to discoloured surfaces over time. Thankfully, cleaning cat urine from wooden floors is relatively simple. Follow the below tips.
1. Mop Up Messes Quickly
Make sure you’re wiping up cat urine as soon as you spot it. Use a highly absorbent cloth to collect as much moisture as possible in one fell swoop. Because urine is acidic, you want to avoid spreading a damp cloth around the surface of your food. Therefore, you may need to use multiple cloths to get the job done.
2. Pick a Suitable Cleaning Agent
Cleaning chemicals can get rid of cat urine incredibly easy. However, make sure the cleaning agent you pick has been specially formulated for use on wood floors and wooden veneers. The last thing you want to do is damage the elegant finish of your new Versailles panels when cleaning away cat urine. When choosing cleaning products, look for what the major pet brands are offering. These products are not only effective at getting rid of stains, but they’re also effective at masking harsh odours.
3. Apply Your Cleaning Product
Be generous with your application, but avoid leaving excess moisture on the surface of your floors. Then leave the cleaning product to do its work. Some products can be wiped away after a few moments, while others will need to be left for longer periods. Be cautious if using a product that needs to be left to soak for some time.
4. Wipe and Rinse
After the product has been left to penetrate the stain, wipe the residue away with a clean cloth. It’s a good idea to then rinse the affected area with a slightly damp cloth to eliminate any excess chemicals. Go over the area once before with another cloth to dry your flooring and prevent slip hazards.
Find Your Dream Floor Today
Looking for a new floor that can cope with a pet-friendly home? Here at Wood Flooring Ireland, we offer a first-rate range of premium flooring products to suit every space. From long plank wood flooring to elegant alternatives like chevron flooring and herringbone flooring, there’s no shortage of solutions for resurfacing your interiors.
Our engineered wood flooring products are the way to go if you’re seeking style and unrivalled durability. Furthermore, we’re specialists in bespoke solutions and will work closely with you to transform your design dreams into a reality. With a full range of flooring designs and an exhaustive selection of colour options to consider, you’re guaranteed to find something that perfectly coordinates with your space.
Ready to take the next step? Visit our showroom in Cork today. Alternatively, give us a call on 021 4629913 or drop us a message via the online contact form.