With kids and pets underfoot, you know your flooring has to be up to the task of handling all that traffic. From pets’ claws to soccer cleats, from spilled milk to dropped toys, the wood flooring you choose in your high-traffic areas should be durable, long-lasting and ready for anything. You don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics, either. There are plenty of options out there they are tough and look good.
From finish to hardness, we’ll take a look at the best kinds of wood flooring to install when you have children and pets.
Pre-Finished Wood
Pre-finished engineered wood floors are ideal for managing households filled with children and pets. These types of floors usually feature aluminum oxide layers that lend the wood a harder, more durable finish, with a strong coatingthat stands up well to lots of action.
Handscraped Floors
Handscraped floors are a popular choice for their looks and durability, as they handle accidental damage very well. That’s because they already feature an imperfect beautythanks to an intentional distressed look. Your floors already look like they have been in use for a while, which means dents and scratches are hidden much more easily. Long dog nails and your daughter’s tap shoes are no match for this flooring!
Luxury Vinyl Plank Floors
While a bit softer underfoot than other hardwoods, luxury vinyl plank floors are easy to clean, plus they resist chipping, discoloration, fading and delamination. In addition, this flooring is more dimensionally-stable than its hardwood counterpart and will not shrink and expand depending on the humidity levels.
Light Colors
Light colors are great for hiding scratches and dents.Therefore, light blond hardwood flooring options are best for busy households, as opposed to dark stains and finishes that highlight any scratches that may occur.
Waterproof Wood Flooring
Designer Wood Flooring sells and installs American Aquawood’s waterproof wood flooring that resists water and makes clean-up easy. Heavy traffic…pets…kids…you name it, this flooring can handle it. This is real hardwood flooring that resists water while adding warmth, comfort, and hardwood texturefor visual appeal.
Matte Finishes
Matte finishes are better over glossy finishes because they tend to hide imperfections. High-gloss floors reveal abnormalities more readily over matte floors that mask scratches, scrapes and dents.
Janka Hardness
Floors with a high Janka Hardness Test are better suited for homeowners with pets and children. The Janka Rating measures the effect a dent has on specific flooring types, and puts this into a numerical rating. Brazilian hardwood floors tend to be the strongest; however, they’re not light in color. On the other hand, maple is strong and it comes in lighter colors.
The Janka number is useful in determining how well a wood withstands dents, dings, and wear and tear. It can also help installers predict the level of difficulty when they nail, screw, sand, or saw a particular wood species. Learn more about the Janka rating here.
Contact Designer Wood Flooring in San Antonio
To learn more about our versatile, durable wood flooring options in San Antonio, contact us at
830-228-4866 or email us at designerwoodflooring@yahoo.com. Our showroom is in Spring Branch, TX, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays by appointment.
