When it comes to the best scratch-resistant flooring for dogs, it’s hard to beat luxury vinyl. Luxury vinyl flooring offers a number of amazing benefits. Not only is this type of flooring scratch-resistant, but it’s also incredibly affordable and easy to install while also likely being the best waterproof flooring option on the market.
The key to luxury vinyl flooring’s success is its layered construction. The top layer, also called the wear layer, features a vinyl coating that offers significant protection against scratches, scuffs, and dents. The best scratch-resistant vinyl flooring options also tend to include UV protection, which ensures that you’ll never have to worry about discoloration due to sun exposure.
Under the wear layer is the print layer which is what gives luxury vinyl its unique look. This type of flooring comes in both plank and tile varieties, and this, in addition to its print layer, allows luxury vinyl flooring the ability to mimic the look of all sorts of different materials, including hardwood, stone, ceramic, and porcelain.
Next is the core layer, which usually consists of wood plastic composite (WPC) or stone plastic composite (SPC). This helps make luxury vinyl flooring more stable and durable while also keeping the price much more affordable than many other more traditional flooring materials.
Lastly comes the bottom, or backing layer, which is generally made of cork. This layer gives luxury vinyl flooring a much more comfortable feel while also adding an impressive amount of sound and heat insulation.
All of these layers and the benefits they bring easily make luxury vinyl flooring one of the best scratch-resistant flooring options for dog owners everywhere.
Laminate flooring is another one of the best scratch-resistant flooring options for dogs. This type of flooring offers many of the same benefits as luxury vinyl flooring at a sometimes even more affordable price.
Just like luxury vinyl plank flooring, laminate flooring has a layered construction, with the main difference being that the wear layer is laminate instead of vinyl. This allows this type of flooring to be even more resistant to scratches, dents, and scuffs, making it even more ideal for homes with bigger dogs.
Unlike luxury vinyl floors, which are entirely waterproof, laminate flooring is usually only water resistant and can succumb to damage due to exposure to excess moisture. This means that you’ll need to clean up any spills or accidents as quickly as possible to avoid warping and buckling.
Despite this minor difference, laminate flooring’s superior scratch resistance and affordability make it a flooring option that every dog owner should consider when installing new floors.
If you’re looking for something other than laminate or luxury vinyl flooring, both ceramic and porcelain tiles are some of the best scratch-resistant flooring for dogs on the market. Both of these options offer a classic look that never goes out of style, as well as incredible durability that makes them some of the most scratch-resistant flooring surfaces available.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are very similar, but the main differences involve their price and durability. While neither is fully waterproof, they both offer impressive water resistance and are simple and easy to clean, making taking care of spills and accidents about as easy as can be.
That being said, porcelain does offer superior durability when it comes to protecting against both water and scratches because it is much denser than ceramic. Ceramic, on the other hand, tends to be much cheaper, so if you are trying to decide which one might be best for you and your dog, it all depends on whether you value that extra boost in durability enough to justify the price increase.
If you’re looking for an excellent scratch-resistant flooring for dogs that comes closest to achieving the look of traditional hardwood, then engineered hardwood flooring may be the best option for you.
Engineered hardwood flooring is also made of a few different layers that help increase durability without sacrificing affordability, but its top wear layer consists of a real hardwood veneer that is almost entirely indistinguishable from its real hardwood counterparts.
This wear layer also makes it much more scratch-resistant than traditional hardwood, but that’s not all. While most engineered hardwood options aren’t fully waterproof, the layered approach does make it incredibly resistant to water damage and the warping that often comes with it.
If you love the look of hardwood but aren’t thrilled about paying the hardwood price, engineered hardwood is easily some of the best scratch-resistant flooring for dogs out there.
Are you a dog owner who wants to install new scratch-resistant flooring in your home? Give us a call at 610-385-3833 or contact us on our website, mydadsflooringamerica.com.
Our friendly team of flooring experts is always here to answer your questions and we’ll happily spend the time to get to know you and your flooring needs so that we can offer all the best flooring options for you. We even provide free samples so you can get up close and personal with all the best scratch-resistant flooring options before you make your final decision.
Don’t push off starting your next flooring installation project any longer. Contact My Dad’s Flooring America and get the beautiful new scratch-resistant flooring that you and your dog will love today!