The Best Hardwood Floors For People With Dogs

If you want hardwood floors for your home but you have dogs, you need to consider a few things. Namely, the dog is likely to slip and slide around on your hardwood floor, especially if the floor is new. Also, the dog’s claws can scratch at the finish on the floor or even scratch at the wood. There are a few ways to avoid these problems. Many people will recommend a harder wood that will be more resistant to scratches. That’s a great idea but it will not account for the slipping and sliding of your dog on the slippery floor. If you want a floor that won’t show scratches and that your dog can walk on easily, you should consider a textured hardwood floor. Fortunately, textured hardwood is very on trend right now. Textured Hardwood Textured hardwood is, as the name implies, hardwood that has a surface texture other than polished smooth. There are several different types of textured hardwood floors but the two that are best for dog owners are open grain floors and wire brushed floors. An open grain floor is one that is sanded differently than a standard hardwood floor. A standard hardwood floor is sanded smooth as possible. An open grain hardwood floor is one that emphasizes the natural grain of the wood. Open grain hardwood has pores and grains so large that they actually stand up on the surface of the wood and are easily visible. You can run your hand over the floor and feel the grain. While your dog’s claws might still scratch an open grain wood, the scratches will be much less prominent. The surface is already riddled with imperfections and texture; a few scratches won’t stand out. Your dog should also be able to get better traction on the wood as well. Wire Brushed Wood If you don’t want an open grain wood type, you can still get a textured floor. A wire-brushed floor is one that has been brushed with a wire-bristled brush. The metal bristles scrape at the wood to make subtle scratches all over the wood. The subtle scratches help to reduce the shimmer of the wood to make it more understated. They also better replicate the distressed look of aged wood that is very trendy right now. The hundreds of thousands of tiny scratches act as tiny treads that will give your dog some traction. These two different types of textured hardwoods are very popular right now simply for aesthetic reasons. They also have utilitarian uses.