what type of wood floor?

FloorswithBIGdog · February 16, 2009, 07:46 AM

Hi I'm completely new to the whole flooring world. I have carpet currently that was here when i bought my house about 1 1/2 years ago, its stained and smells and i hate it. I kept it for a bit, however, bc i got a great dane puppy and well potty training was not easy. Now I'm ready to get rid of my downstairs flooring. I know i do not want carpet b/c with the mud apollo brings in its very hard to keep up with! i have read many sites say to go with ceramic tile for large dogs, that its the most scratch resistant and i'm doing that in the kitchen, however i really like the wood look and feel like tile is too cold to have it everywhere. Before this site i only knew of hardwood and laminate and I keep getting conflicting views on which would be better. Now i'm reading on here about bamboo and cork? I just want a wood look that wont scratch too easily. I do keep his nails short, but he is a big boy weighing in just shy of 130 at 9 months. If anyone can lead me in the right direction i would love it, i'm ready to get this carpet out. I have concrete sub flooring.

stullis · February 16, 2009, 08:09 AM

Obviously ceramic would be the most scratch resistant and there are some wood look ceramics but like you said cold, unless you put infloor heat in. Pets do love the infloor heat.

Another product that might work for you is Congoleum's DuraCeramic. They have some wood-looks that are pretty decent looking. It falls in the luxury vinyl tile/ LVT category.

There is always laminates as well. I don't think I would recommend any real wood with that large of a dog.

Steve Olson · February 16, 2009, 08:15 AM

The short answer is, hardwood flooring and you dog will not be compatible. Even with a very hard floor like a strand bamboo, the finish would likely be damaged in a very short time.
Tile is your best bet for durability and ease of maintenance; they do make radiant heat mats for installation under the tile, but one of the tile pro's here will need to give you more info on those.

Good Luck!

stullis · February 16, 2009, 08:20 AM

Forget bamboo unless you are doing it in a bamboo look-alike laminate.
Bamboo hardness rating are greatly exagerated and bamboo in general has way to many variations in quality. Some aren't bad and others are terrible.

Nick Arrera · February 16, 2009, 08:37 AM

I would go with the Congoleum's DuraCeramic like Stullis says .
That big dog will tear up hardwood in no time . cut nails or not , Besides it is bad for their backs .
I would also make sure you put some kind of sealer on the concrete for the pet odor .

Ken · February 16, 2009, 10:27 AM

Are you installing the floor yourself?

Al Gladden · February 16, 2009, 11:53 AM

put the dog outside.. thats where they belong.

rusty baker · February 16, 2009, 12:14 PM

People always say that their dog doesn't ever urinate in the house. Ask a flooring installer or a vet. All dogs and cats occasionally go in the house. Males are worse than females, but they all do it.

Steve Olson · February 16, 2009, 06:28 PM

He didn't ask about DuraCeramic. I don't know how other areas price out as far as material and installation labor, but in my area, he could get ceramic tile installed cheaper then DuraCeramic.

Kman · February 16, 2009, 07:48 PM

You don't give your location, so we don't know if it's a warm or cold climate, but dogs also like the ceramic tile when it's hot outside. If it's the floor temp you're concerned about, you can always put down a small rug for the dog. They can be replaced for little cost. If installed correctly, ceramic will last forever.

February 17, 2009, 08:18 PM

no I dont mean the actual temperature. I mean the way vibe they give off, i think tile makes a room feel cold, like not cozy, I would much rather have a dark warm looking wood, even ifits imitation. I just need an idea of something durable. I'm pretty firmly set against tile cause i want to love it if i'm going to spend so much. I live in TN by the way, very close to Nashville, so I have all seasons, cold in the winter, hot and humid in the summer.