OT: hardwood floors that hold up to dog nails?

[100AcreWood]

We desperately need to replace our nasty carpet. We are planning to look into hardwoods this week but we have golden retriever. Does anyone know of a hardwood floor that would resist scratching of dog nails?

 

[swilshire]

My daughter faced the same problem and elected to use the plastic laminate flooring that resembles hardwood. It wouldn't fool anyone, but it does look nice and is supposed to be very water resistent as well. So far, so good. She got hers at Home Depot.

Sheila

 

[DVC-Don]

We are considering tile that looks like wood. I've seen it in some hotel lobbies and it looks and feels like wood. Just looked it up, it's called "Wood Tile".

 

[tlh0726]

Best option is the laminate flooring (pergo) that looks like wood.
Natural hardwood is going to show the scratches over time.

Something else to think about Golden Retrievers are known for hip problems. Just might want to also discuss with your vet any potential problems that may arise from a switch to wood or laminate flooring.

 

[ICan'tWait]

We put in wood that already looked distressed. Kids have scratched and dented it over the years but you can't really tell (unless you're specifically looking for it/know where it happened ).

 

[QueenElinor]

We put in wood that already looked distressed. Kids have scratched and dented it over the years but you can't really tell (unless you're specifically looking for it/know where it happened ).

This is a great answer- also distressed furniture is a good idea!

But I would tend to go with tile just because of potential problems with accidents. My large dog peed on our oak floor and we didn't know it... for about a week. Then the odor was overwhelming! I thought I'd have to tear out the flooring until we found Nature's Remedy, and it's still taken a year for me not to notice it (I do have a sensitive nose, though). Between the nail marks and that, when she passes away (she's 10) we will be replacing the floor with solid hardwood- ours is laminate hardwood, which I would never do again. And oak is as hard as it comes, with the possible exception of teak. Teak is extremely hard wood.

We've had her for 10 years and the floor for 15.

 

[eliza61]

We have oak hardwood and absolutely love it. I hated the laminate stuff, just looked fake and "plasticey" IMO.
I have a mutt. german shepard/beagle and my floors are still beautiful after 7 years with the dog. I do try and keep his nails cut though.

Oak
Cherry
Maple
Hickory
Are all very "hard" hardwoods and stand up really well.

One other great thing about the hardwoods vs laminates. Hardwoods can be resanded and buffed. Laminates can for a few times after that they turn dull and yuckier (if that's a word)

 

[Mom2m&k]

We have engineered hardwood with a saint bernard and german shepard. They have held up great and look fantastic! We got them from Home Depot and DH installed them himself and did a surprising great job!

 

[LJSquishy]

We have oak hardwoods and have scratches all over from our two Maltese (7lb dogs) -- but it is the finish that is scratched, not the actual hardwood. No matter which hardwood you go with, you will need to have to have it refinished and/or just have a new poly coating put down periodically. We have been in our house for almost 7 years and it still looks really good, but I notice the scratches in the poly when the light shines just right on the floors and in a perfect world I would have had a new coat of poly put on about 2 years ago. We have shiny floors, not the satin poly.

Unless they have really improved on laminate floor durability, I don't recommend laminate. I also don't recommend prefinished hardwoods -- if you go with hardwoods, definitely have them finished on-site.

 

[QueenElinor]

We have oak hardwood and absolutely love it. I hated the laminate stuff, just looked fake and "plasticey" IMO.
I have a mutt. german shepard/beagle and my floors are still beautiful after 7 years with the dog. I do try and keep his nails cut though.

Oak
Cherry
Maple
Hickory
Are all very "hard" hardwoods and stand up really well.

One other great thing about the hardwoods vs laminates. Hardwoods can be resanded and buffed. Laminates can for a few times after that they turn dull and yuckier (if that's a word)

If you can find someone to do it! We tried to have our laminate refinished and many flooring guys are afraid to tackle it- the one that would barely did anything at all and it looked just as bad as before he worked on it. Getting hardwood laminate was the worst advice I ever got from an interior decorator. It's lasted longer than carpet and I'm happy about that but solid hardwood is permanent and laminate just isn't.

I hate that oak laminate- (lol can you tell?) If it wasn't for my old pooch I'd have replaced it a couple of years ago.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you get plastic laminate you need to beware of the kinds with ultra thin wood grain top layers. If this gets scratched, it is almost impossible to touch up.

I think it was the floor to the Voyage of the little Mermaid preshow area that had such a thin laminate covering, and when I was there ca. 2005 the color had worn off in patches in several places andthe base material showed through and looked very ratty.

 

[pigletto]

We have Maple in a very dark finish. Dents like crazy
I know it isn't supposed to, but I've dropped the phone trying to juggle too many things at once or the tv remote and left a big dents in it. Toy cars are an absolute no-no on the floors because they'll dent them as well. And these aren't scratches.. they are dents.

I like the idea of the distressed flooring OP. My parents have it and it hides a lot. The finish on mine shows everything (it is very very dark).

 

[mikehn]

The hardest woods are the brazilian varieties, brazilian cherry probably being the most popular brazilian hardwood. You can google janka hardness scale for more info.

 

[coffeecassie]

Our Pergo has held up well for the last 3 years, we have 2 dogs, 70 lbs and 30 lbs.

 

[disneyhand]

I have distressed walnut hardwood that is 4 years old now. I have a 12 yo black lab plus a 2 yo golden retriever I sometimes dog sit for and my floor still looks great.

 

[pixiewings71]

We have bamboo laminate, we went with laminate because we have kids, cats, dogs, and we are constantly moving furniture around. The laminate still looks great after 6 years. I would do it again in a second.

 

[janey99]

The hardest woods are the brazilian varieties, brazilian cherry probably being the most popular brazilian hardwood. You can google janka hardness scale for more info.

We have Brazilian Cherry and my two 65 pound dogs have definitely scratched it, down through the finish to the wood. I'll say it's the LEAST scratched of all my hardwood floors (the rest are oak and beech), but everything IS scratched.

Jane

 

[letsgoreds]

I'm in the same boat...we will always have a large dog, and I am a hardwood fan. I will probably just go with oak, dark stain, and finished in the home (messy and $$$).

Here is a solution that I found on the pre-finished front, highest Janka scores..Cali Bamboo flooring. They have some beautiful products.

http://www.calibamboo.com/bambooflooring.html

 

[Bnb0627]

Don't get Maple!!!! Although it is dense you can scratch it with a finger nail. My brother in law owned his own hardwood flooring company and we would actually do that to steer customers with pets and ladies who love high heels away from it!!! I have hickory and love it. Safest choice is something with a lot of grain or handscraped. Stay away from dark stains unless you plan to clean your floors everyday as they show every bit of dust, lint, fuzz. Also with super light woods if they do get a scratch dirt will get into the scratch over time and make it stand out.

 

[100AcreWood]

You guys give great advice! I scheduled 4 quotes this week. I have a feeling we're in for sticker shock but we're hoping we can get this done sooner than later. So happy to get your advice and opinions before I talk to these guys.