4 Hardwood Floor Refinishing Tips For Pet Owners

Most pet owners know that having a furry friend in the house comes with a few trade-offs. One of the most noticeable is their effect on your floors. As a pet owner, you know that you need to keep your home clean and take extra care of the floorings. 

If you have hardwood flooring, this is even truer.

The good news is that refinishing is an excellent solution if your wood flooring is suffering from unsightly marks, discoloration, and stubborn scratches. However, if you want to avoid expensive and inconvenient refinishing jobs in the future, there are several things you can do that will make your hardwood floors more pet-friendly. 

Here are four things to keep in mind when refinishing or repairing hardwood floors in your pet-friendly home:

• Avoid Glossy Finishes and Floors

Glossy finishes tend to highlight scratches, so choose a matte or satin finish rather than a high-gloss one. Matte finishes hide scratches better and also show less dust or dirt than high-gloss floors do. However, consider investing in scratch-resistant coatings if you love a glossy finish.

• Choose a Light-colored Hardwood

Color is another issue that can affect how easily you’ll see any damage from your pets. Darker hardwoods like oak and walnut show everything — spills, stains, scratches, and more — because they have less overall graining. If you want to keep damage from showing as easily, choose a lighter-colored wood like maple or pine. These woods offer plenty of graining to hide imperfections and give your floor new life.

• Select a Hardwood With Strong Graining

Hardwood floorings with strong graining can disguise scuffs and scratches better than those with smoother graining. This is especially helpful for families with large dogs or cats, as well as for those who are prone to scratching the floor.

For example, oak has relatively deep graining and is relatively easy to refinish and repair when damaged. On the other hand, the cherry has very fine graining and is much more challenging to refinish if damaged.

• Opt for factory-finished Hardwood (aluminum oxide finish)

When it comes to hardwood refinishing, finish coats are typically applied on-site after floorings have been installed in your home. In the case of households with pets, however, it’s best to find pre-finished planks that have been factory coated and finished. 

The Reason?

Factory finishes use aluminum oxide instead of polyurethane to create a more durable, stain-resistant surface that can stand up to heavy foot traffic, scratches, and moisture.   Looking for a hardwood flooring company in Santa Rosa to help you protect your beautiful floors from mishaps caused by your furry friends? Rugworks can help! To talk to an expert, call (707) 5935-0648.