pet friendly floors

aprilsnow · August 13, 2008, 12:43 PM

Help -- I have dogs and am getting ready to give up the carpeting - what should I use to best fight the occasional accident?

I am looking at Konecto but it looks like it may be like the Hybrids - a bit too early to be perfected -- any thoughts?

I should mention that I have about 2,000 sq ft to do, and another 1,500 in my attached duplex - so I'm looking for value!

Barry Carlton · August 13, 2008, 04:24 PM

Are you DIY or going to have it done professionally?

barry

Peter Kodner · August 13, 2008, 04:43 PM

Also, how many dogs and how large? Do you regularly trim their nails?

aprilsnow · August 13, 2008, 06:35 PM

don't know - what do u suggest - I want it done right and have the time and backbone to diy - but do not want to screw up ---- what cha think?

aprilsnow · August 13, 2008, 06:42 PM

aprilsnow said

don't know - what do u suggest - I want it done right and have the time and backbone to diy - but do not want to screw up ---- what cha think?

Oh you will LOVE this --- I have 4 dogs - all rescue and each one a messs- thats why my carpets are ruined - i am with them every day and can clean up messes - but I quickly learned that my renter does not - I had to replace sub-floors, etc - thats why I need help - no one is prepared for the repeat action a dog that is trying to mark his terrritority is making --- these are some very serious guys - And I need to distract them from the smells that are going inside the house -
HOW 2 ?

rusty baker · August 13, 2008, 07:09 PM

Even rescue dogs can be housebroke. I know of no floorcovering other than concrete that can stand that much urine.

Kman · August 13, 2008, 07:12 PM

Hello April,

A wood floor is nice looking, but can scratch relatively easily. If you're not prepared to keep the dogs' nails clipped, the floor will soon be scratched. Not to mention, the only wood floor that will keep out pet urine is a true hardwood floor with a polyurethane finish applied after installation. Be prepared to pay $15 a square foot by the time your old floor is taken out and the new floor is put in.

The only floor I install that is low maintenance and easy clean up is ceramic tile. While the grout is porous, it can be sealed to prevent moisture penetrating it. It must be sealed every two or three years, maybe more often, depending on the traffic it is subjected to. The cost is wide ranging depending on your subfloor (wood or concrete) and the type of tile you choose to install.

As for Rover marking his territory, that's a tough one. You can't watch them 24/7. There are several sprays on the market that claim to kill the odor and keep the pet from returning to the same place. I don't have any personal knowledge of whether or not these work.

You could go with vinyl composition tile I guess, but if I was going for something to last in the long run, I'd go with ceramic. A good ceramic installation will outlive your dogs.

As far as DIY, that all depends on the person and their skills. There are certainly enough pros on this forum with enough knowledge (and time on their hands) to help you through your installation. However, 3,500 square feet is a HUGE job for a DIY. You could expect to spend a number of weeks on that job. Me personally, I would plan on spending a month or more for something that size, but I have the tools and experience for that size of a job. A DIY and first timer, you could be on it for twice that long, maybe more. There's a lot of prep work that goes into replacing floors, i.e. removing toilets, removing trim if necessary, taking out all the old carpet and tack strips, fixing any substandard subfloor you may have, the list is almost endless.

Not trying to discourage you from tackling the job yourself, but you should know what you're in for.

Tandy Reeves · August 13, 2008, 08:06 PM

I do not want to be crule, but what is wrong with taking care of the rescue dogs outside and leave the house for humans. I don't think there is a floor covering that will stand up to that kind of abuse by animals.

Dan Schultz · August 13, 2008, 08:37 PM

Tandy Reeves said

I do not want to be crule, but what is wrong with taking care of the rescue dogs outside and leave the house for humans. I don't think there is a floor covering that will stand up to that kind of abuse by animals.

I have thought the same thing many times while looking at someone's floor. I have a rescued pet myself. After the spot on the rug (which by the way, stained the hardwood below )

she is outside. Dog houses are cheap. Even a climate controled house for the pet cannot be compared to the price of new floors.

Dont' get me wrong, I love this spaniel to death......but two and two are, have always been, and will always be.........four.

Kman · August 13, 2008, 09:24 PM

I also have a dog. He's a great dog, and smart, but he's outside. Our family and home is not set up for an indoor pet. I have also worked on many homes that had animals inside. Some were clean, some were not. Sometimes I advised the customer not to get a certain type of floor and they got it anyway. Sometimes they heeded my advice. But at least they know what they're getting into after I've warned them.

However, I never suggested that they put the dogs outside. That's their choice. If I installed the floor and the pets trash it, the owner was warned. If they want to put the extra effort in to keeping it clean, more power to 'em. But it's their house, and their dog, and after I'm paid it's their floor. They can do with it as they wish.

I still believe ceramic is the best choice for this floor. It may or may not last forever, but it's going to be tough to find anything that will last as long.

Having said all that, April, the floor may hold up forever, but your baseboards and drywall won't. I'm sure they're receiving the same harsh treatment from the dogs as the floor is, and stopping the dogs' behavior is going to keep you hopping. You probably knew that already.

Curt Durand · August 13, 2008, 10:22 PM

April, My wife and I are on our 4th and 5th retired Greyhound. These are adopted at about 4 - 5 yrs of age and only live an average of 10 years. We have both geriatric leakage and males that mark turf. Most of the turf marking gets corrected in the first 4-8 weeks and then needs to be dealt with occasionally from then on. The geriatric stuff is actually less of a problem as it usually is not copious amounts. As stated before, ceramic tile would be my first recommendation with a ceramic base as high as you can get it. You could use epoxy grouts like they use for extreme conditions and the grout would not stain. Twenty years ago my wife wanted a white, white bathroom and I installed solid white 12" x 12" glazed tiles with white epoxy grout and it still looks white and new. Highly recommend this but it costs extra - hard to work with. Experienced DIY only.
Our carpet has been minimized to just the living room. Tredmor pad glued to the primed plywood subfloor and a commercial weight Milliken cut pile patterned carpet glued to it. Lasts about 10 years before you need to replace. Hoover Steam Vac used to clean up spots - works pretty good if you enzyme treat the spots after cleamning. Do not think other residential carpets such as textured cut piles, velevts or bulky Berbers would hold up. Think commercial.
Anyway, works for us. All of our male dogs have slowly but consistently stopped marking inside the home. Just have to work through it.

Nick Arrera · August 14, 2008, 01:50 AM

Might sound cruel , But i found the best thing to keep pets from marking in the same spot is regular table Black pepper .. sprinkle some on the surface , after a few sneezes they won't go back there anymore .. I have to agree with the other guys ceramic is the way to go , or keep them out side ..

aprilsnow · August 14, 2008, 01:10 PM

Thanks for the tip on the black pepper - I had never heard that one before - will try it -
I noticed that no one mentioned the Konecto - and they "claim" it's waterproof - as in won't run down the crack and into sub-floor - And easy to install vs Ceramic which I don't think I could do myself - is this just a lot of sales talk? Cause I have read about how these floors are coming up at the corners, which would be horrible
Thanks again for the pepper trick!

Kman · August 14, 2008, 03:17 PM

I noticed on their warranty that it covers you as long as you paid for a professional installation in the beginning. It does claim to be waterproof. I have a friend that installed it in his basement a few months ago. I'll ask him if he's had any problems with the corners coming up.

aprilsnow · August 14, 2008, 03:44 PM

Hi Curt and Wife - thanks from all us dog lovers for the good work you do with the Greyhound rescue - these are truly abused animals - what a life -- I have the EXACT scenario that you have described - They are all trainable and have problems at the end of their lives - similar to people - hate to tell you the replies I have rec'd and what might be happening to their "kids" and "parents" - I live in a harsh weather climate where I would not be willing to sleep outdoors, so I do not expect my kids to do so either - I will take your very excellent advice and go with the properly treated ceramic for the public spaces and the carpet you outlined for our bedrooms --- Thanks again, April