We love our pets, but sometimes their nails can unintentionally scratch and damage our wood floor. When you spend money on luxury flooring, you must do everything in your power to protect it and keep it looking brand new. Keep a watchful eye on your pet and the floors. Use our tips to stop and prevent damage from occurring.
Trim Pet Nails
Scratches from claws and nails are the most likely cause of pet damage on your flooring. A sure way to keep the scratching and scuffs at bay is to trim your cat’s or dog’s nails regularly. If you have a dog, go on daily walks to further file the nails. Keep them dull instead of sharp and pointy.
Wax and Apply Scratch Resistant Coating
You don’t have to wax your hardwood often, but once every year should suffice. Additionally, adding a layer of scratch-resistant coating will improve the protection against pets. This coating does not need to be applied as often as the wax but could help prevent minor scratches.
Clean Up Accidents Immediately
No pet is perfect. That is why you must learn ways to protect your wood floors from pets. Even if they are potty trained, there still could be accidents from time to time. If one happens, clean up the mess as quickly as possible to protect the floor before the urine can seep into the floorboards. Use wood floor cleaner to further clean up the mess—keep an eye on areas of your home where your pet tends to have accidents.
Place Carpet Runners
Place carpet runners in areas of your home that see high volumes of traffic. Typically, entrances are great options for placing these rugs. Also put them in areas where the animal likes to roam. Furthermore, use carpet runners to hide the damage you can no longer fix without sanding down the floor—this makes the floors appear in better condition than they might be.
There might come a time when the damage is irreversible or so large that you need to contact a floor refinishing company to sand down and refinish the floors or install new ones. Contact Portland Floor today and start protecting your floors from pet damage to ensure the wood keeps its high quality and luxury feel.