VWB Blog Did you know that roughly 40% of families in the United States have children or adolescents in the home? Many homes have a variety of pets as well, from exotic reptiles to dogs and cats. How can your indoor flooring stand the traffic of so many occupants?
If you’re looking into indoor flooring, we’re happy to help. Read on to learn about what makes indoor flooring good for your pets and children. Afterward, we’ll look at some examples of great flooring material.
What Makes Indoor Flooring Good?
To start, what makes flooring good? Many people have different opinions on interior design. How can you objectively judge something that’s mostly down to personal taste?
When it comes to children and pets, you can stand to have a more objective stance. What’s great for a bachelor pad isn’t always safe or fit for your family. Here are four qualities that make flooring good.
Safety
Depending on the age of your children, the safety of your floor is critical. Hard, unpadded floorings can make light stumbles a much harder fall.
If your toddler is learning to walk, you can expect plenty of stumbles. A safe flooring for them to land on is ideal.
For pets, safety is less of an issue. It’s rare for pets to have much of a safety risk with most types of flooring. However, be aware that slippery floors like laminate flooring are dangerous for pets with hip dysplasia.
Comfort
Beyond the safety of your floor is comfort. How comfortable is it to walk barefoot across the ground of your home?
Utilitarian flooring like concrete or stone are great for hardness and cleaning. But many feel that walking across stone flooring isn’t comfortable.
Indoor brick flooring is another example, depending on the bricks used. You can use indoor floor mats to make your stone floor more comfortable.
Scratch Resistant
Have you ever dragged furniture across hardwood and ruined the flooring? Many indoor epoxy flooring designs have similar problems.
It’s easy to see why a floor resistant to scratching is useful for kids and pets. Children often carelessly move furniture, stools, and toys, leaving scratch marks.
Many pets will leave scratches as well. It’s most common for large dog breeds with untrimmed claws to leave small scratches on the floor. If you play with your dog indoors, the possibility of such a thing happening becomes much more likely.
Think of all the sources of scratches that are likely and what flooring best complements the issue. Indoor concrete flooring and other stones, for example, are wonderfully resistant to damage.
Water Resistant
Finally, how resistant is your flooring to water? Carpet is notoriously difficult to handle spills with. While the top layer is often stained with a spill, the water can seep beneath the carpet and cause mold growth.
Water also isn’t the only thing you’ll need to worry about spilling. Does your pet need a few more weeks of training before they step relieving themselves indoors? It’s much better to clean up such a “spill” on hardwood or stone than carpet.
Children are notoriously messy as well, with spills almost inevitable. Having the right flooring can protect you from these dangers.
Read on to learn more about the best indoor flooring for your pets and children.
Cork
Cork flooring is a popular option that’s surged in public opinion lately. A favorite among nature lovers, cork offers a home that’s one with the outdoors.
Cork is naturally antimicrobial and environmentally friendly. Additionally, the material is water resistant, making it much easier to clean and maintain than other types of flooring.
Cork is also soft, making it comfortable to stand on. Installing cork flooring in your kitchen is a good idea for its comfort and water resistance. It’s also safer for any falls your children may have.
However, cork’s softness makes it less resistant to scratches and dents. Large pets or cats with sharp claws can often leave scratches. Furniture will also leave noticeable imprints.
Concrete
Installing an indoor concrete floor is a great way to keep the ground safe from damage. Concrete is famous for its damage resistance and ease of cleaning.
That said, unsealed concrete poses several threats. When damaged, concrete produces a fine dust on the surface. The dust can then become airborne and pose health risks to the home’s inhabitants, particularly children.
Using an indoor epoxy flooring will seal the concrete and keep it safe. Not only will this eliminate the dust, but it also will make the concrete sturdier. Most epoxy flooring layers are easier to clean and provide water resistance.
Hardwood
One of the most classic options for flooring is hardwood. Unfortunately, many also know that hardwood is easy to damage and scratch. A few accidents on the floor can lead to unsightly damage.
To remedy this, we recommend picking wood hard enough to resist damage. Soft woods are pine, chestnut, and fir, which are easily damaged by your pets and children.
Instead, check the Janka Hardness Scale for woods rated above 1250. These woods include oak, maple, walnut, sycamore, hickory, and cherry.
Vinyl
Finally, vinyl flooring provides a versatile and luxurious option. Luxury vinyl is easy to clean, water resistant, and resists scratches and stains. Such an effective combination makes them perfect for pets and children.
Over time, your vinyl planks will dull in color and tone. While this may provide an aesthetical con, the function of the floor remains great. Consider adding some indoor floor mats to hide any dulling you don’t want.
The Perfect Indoor Flooring
With children and pets, finding the best indoor flooring feels difficult. Consider safety and comfort above all else, as well as how easy the floor is to maintain. Narrow down your list and pick from the many options that fit your needs.
We suggest the COREtec Scratchless flooring. You can customize the flooring to resemble your favorite hardwood while enjoying the benefits of other floor types.