Toronto Hardwood Flooring and Pets: How You Can Make it Work

According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, approximately 35 percent of Canadian households have a dog and 38 percent have a cat. If your home falls in line with these statistics, you know what it's like to have a pet that feels like part of the family, but can also be a hassle when considering home flooring options. With any kind of Toronto flooring, you have to make special considerations and take extra precautionary measures to prevent the potential damage your pet can cause from walking on the area with sharp claws, having an accident on the floor, or possibly infesting the flooring with fleas and other pests. To protect your own Toronto hardwood flooring from these pet hazards, consider the following top four helpful tips.

1. Choose a Hard Wood Species

If you haven't yet selected what type of Toronto wood floor you would like in your home, you can take an extra precautionary measure by choosing the most pet-friendly species. Experts at Lumber Liquidators recommend purchasing a hard species of 3/4 inch hardwood flooring, such as Brazilian Walnut, Brazilian Teak, Brazilian Ebony, Acacia, Hickory, Brazilian Cherry, or Natural Strand Bamboo. Although these species are usually the best suited for most pets, many Toronto homeowners who have a dog in the home have also benefited from Red Oak and White Oak flooring. The cut is equally important to the species, so make sure you only choose 3/4 inch hardwood, since this cut is highly durable, long-lasting and can be refinished many times.

2. Maintain Your Pet's Nails

Since scratching is a major conce
for homeowners with Toronto hardwood flooring, it's important that you practice proper maintenance for your pet's nails by trimming and filing them often. Although taking your pet on daily walks can help file his or her nails down naturally, you should double check the bottom of your pet's feet often to make sure his or her claws aren't too long or sharp. In addition to practicing proper maintenance and grooming techniques, you may want to purchase vinyl claw covers for your pet to keep your Toronto wood floor constantly protected.

3. Avoid Placing Feeding Items on Your Toronto Wood Floor

You will want to keep your pet out of the room with Toronto hardwood flooring as much as possible, especially when he or she might be messier than normal. If your pet were to accidentally spill his or her water on your Toronto wood floor, this could cause serious water damage and warping if it isn't cleaned right away. For this reason, you will want to keep your pet's food and water bowls in the kitchen or another area of the home that is far from your wood floor. As an extra safe measure, it is recommended that you place your pet's food and water bowls on top of a sturdy mat to prevent spills and catch drips and drops as they occur.

4. Properly Clean Pet Urine

Since pet urine naturally contains ammonia and uric acid, it can significantly damage any kind of Toronto flooring. For hardwood flooring especially, pet urine can dull the finish and discolor the wood, usually giving it a darker, unsightly appearance. Many homeowners make the mistake of cleaning pet urine with a solution of water and ammonia, which can actually cause the pet to urinate in the same spot because the smell of the ammonia is similar to the pet's urine. It is recommended that you properly remove pet urine from your Toronto flooring by spot cleaning with a solution of warm water and plain vinegar. Simply dip a clean cloth into the solution and apply it to the area to remove the smell and the stain. After cleaning, the flooring should be buffed dry and examined for serious damage, since this might call for complete board replacement.