Hardwood floors make your home elegant and classy. They also add sophistication and warmth to your home. However, if you have pets, and especially dogs, you can have a hard time protecting their fine finish. So can you keep hardwood floors beautify and scratch free if you have a dog? The answer is yes. Dogs are tough when it comes to wood floors, but you can take steps to protect hardwood floors from dog claws;
Here are seven tips to protect hardwood floors from dogs and minimize the damage;
1. Claw Coverings
It is not always easy to trim your dog’s nail often. The best option is to cover them with a unique soft-nail caps that will not only prevent abrasions to your wood floors but will also enhance the safety of your dog by preventing him from slipping on a newly-waxed or polished hard floor and possibly injuring himself. However, you will need to look for specially-made soft nail caps that offer adequate traction.
2. Waxing
You can protect hardwood floors from dogs by applying a layer of protective wax to provide a cushion between your dog’s claws and the floor. Reapplying wax can help treat light scratches and fill in the abrasions that were caused by your dog or puppy.
3. Using Carpeting and Rugs
If you have tried many solutions, but none seem to be working for you, you can make a quick fix by investing in carpets and rugs. Placing rugs and carpets in busy areas of your hardwood and where your dog seems to pass through a lot can be a quick fix. This will protect your hardwood easily and quickly; you will love the company of your canine companion because you won’t see him as a destroyer of your expensive flooring.
4. Trim Your Dog’s Nails
While puppies have small nails, they like to race around the house and play with kids and toys. In the course of their plays, they can make scratches on softwood when trying to gain traction. A groomer or veterinarian can trim your dog’s nails if you find it uncomfortable doing the task yourself.
Dogs get excited and even dance around when the owner comes home. They can rush to every corner of the house due to the excitement. In the course of their excitement, they can leave scratches on the hardwood floor while trying to gain traction.
5. Clean Up Dog Messes As Fast As Possible
Very few things ruin a hardwood floor as quickly as dog’s urine as it seeps into the integrated boards, leaving a very unpleasant odor that causes staining. If you have not trained your puppy on how to use a potty, it can mess around. This becomes a problem if your puppy has marked a spot on the floor as it tends to reuse the same spot over and over again.
Clean up dog’s urine as soon as you can to prevent discoloration of your floor and odor. If urine has settled for several hours, use vinegar to minimize the damage. If the stain becomes too stubborn, you might need to patch the area to make it new again.
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6. Protect from Food
Avoid feeding your dog directly from the floor. However, if you cannot avoid having your dog feed on the floor, place its water dishes and food on an easy-to-clean mat to protect your flooring finish. Also, buy heavy bowls or those with a non-slip rubber bottom to prevent it from slipping in case your dog pushes it off the mat. These bowls have minimal chances of scratching your floor.
7. Choose your Floor Finish Wisely
If you are yet to install a hardwood floor in your home, you can consult flooring expert to advise you on the best floor finish for your dogs and your home. This is because some finishes are difficult, or even impossible to repair, while others are straightforward to repair. Although the ones that are easy to repair, such as shellac and wax, are older and require more maintenance, they can be a good choice for anyone with dogs.
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The Bottom Line
While you love your canine friend, it is doubtful that you enjoy the damage they cause in the home, especially on hardwood floor. Pet nails can scratch its surfaces and damage the flooring. Protect hardwood floor from dogs with the tips above.
