Flooring Recommendations for Dogs

[hofstet]

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Just found this forum while surfing flooring options this morning. We have labs and are trying to decide what to replace our white oak wood laminate floors with as well as the carpeting in our great room. The white oak (laminate wood) really shows the scratches after 13 years of use. I've investigated tile, but decided against due to recommendations that a new sub floor would have to be installed, heating pads, cost, etc.
On some of the older threads ('07) stressed hard wood flooring was recommended. Is this still our best option in '09?
We live in a northern climate with snow 6-7 months a year.
Thanks in adavnce for any advice.

[Curt Durand]

Hofstet, Hope we can all help. Need to know what type of use the laminate area is. Kitchen, hallway, entry, laundry, etc.? Dogs? Is urine a concern? Are the dogs free to roam as they wish? Will they be on the carpet or laminate areas? Overall decorating theme? Early American, modern, colonial, Mediterranean, Southwest, Art Deco, etc.?
Just be aware that Northern climates are hard on real wood flooring due to the low relative humidity levels we experience during the Winters. Some flooring such as cork, bamboo, hickory/pecan, Australian Ironwood, etc. do not hold up well in severe dry conditions.

[TFP Admin]

Laminate flooring has come a long way in 13 years. You have a much larger selection now and there are some that are very durable and have textures and patterns that may help hide scratches better than what you have now. Thirteen years ago there wasn't a lot of glueless installation of laminates - it was mostly glue together tongues and grooves. Click or snap together laminates may be easier to repair too.

One consideration would be to use a laminate floor throughout, making the whole space look larger. Use area rugs to define areas for dining, conversation groups and even hall runners to quiet and protect the surface.

Not sure I understand why heating pads would be necessary under the tile, but not the other hard surface flooring. And Curt's concerns about the humidity levels are important - do you have a good HVAC system that would mitigate these issues?

to TFP

Jim

[Curt Durand]

Dogs - urine - slobber -water dishes! Laminate - NO! Edges swell from moisture. You lose!

[stullis]

Really need to get you out to some bars Curt.

Laminate down, drinks spilled wet mopped, down for many years.

[hofstet]

Total sq. footage with kitchen, dining and living room is aaprox. 750 ft. sq. Would like to stay with a solid wood flooring that is resistent to scratches from dog claws. Urine, etc is not an issue. We do not have air conditioning as we live in a northern climate on Lake MI. heat is baseboard (hot water). Are there any simulated wood high quality vinyls that are recommended? We're open to anything, just don't want carpet and scratched white oak floors any longer.

[Barry Carlton]

When you say wood oak/laminate do you mean floating (floating) or engineered white oak (real wood). Those old white washed wood stains, even the prefinished, were terrible.

b

[stullis]

hofstet said . Would like to stay with a solid wood flooring that is resistent to scratches from dog claws.

Don't think there is such a thing.

You could go with a distressed wood but sounds like that is what you already have.
Can you sand and refinish what you have or are you wanting a different look?

[Country Flooring Direct]

trim the dogs nails. I have some solid natural oak and 2 large dogs in my house. But the dents and scratches dont bother me. I feel that lighter floors show less scratches.

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