Looking for advisement...:)

[marnold]

I am respectfully requesting help from my educated friends. My nearly 1 year old German Shepherd baby is in destructo mode! I have narrowed down the reasons for his behavior and honestly at this point it doesn't really matter. Our carpet is 14 years old and we need to replace it. We have struggled with what type flooring for months. Carpet is very comfortable and I have enjoyed it but it just doesn't make sense with our animals who love to make mud pies and bring mommy presents. We have been waiting for our little destructo to get through the "stage" he is in to make a decision. That time is upon us.

I need some input from owners of laminate flooring who also happen to be raising an energetic furry baby. We cannot get a straight answer from any of our local dealers because nobody around here considers a dog part of the family apparently.Heaven forbid! They look at us like we are crazy when we tell them that we own...a dog door!

What I need to know is:
Do you like your laminate flooring? Why?
Do you have a favorite brand that you would recommend to your own family?
How long have you had it and is it warrantied?
Are scratches a problem (i.e. toenails)?
Would you recommend this type flooring for two adult German Shepherds who like to play?
If you would not recommend laminate and could put anything else in, what would it be?

Please do not advise me on my mothering skills. We have always treated our pets this way and they are in no way terribly behaved. We choose not to kennel our animals and we are perfectly happy to have the dog door. I am just replacing my carpet after 14 years of abuse by humans and animals alike.

Thanks in advance! MWAH!

 

[ImFiddY]

I put down Bruce lock-n-fold engineered flooring and it seems slippery for the dog and it's scratches when he runs around like his tail is on fire.

My other house has real wood flooring while it scratched it held up well to the abuse.

 

[marnold]

Thanks parkercp! Now when you say it scratches...does it look terrible? My babes are spazzy beyond spazzy. I guess what I am asking is will it eventually look so terrible that I will have to replace it? Would you recommend area rugs?

 

[kathryn]

I know there are different types of woods used for wood floors, and some scratch more easily than others (sometimes even wearing high heels around on the floors will scratch some).

Check out the sturdier woods, and also what you can do to finish them. I think protecting the wood is partly using the right kind of treatment on the surface, so any scratches are in the coating (which can be redone) and not on the wood.

I have wood floors for my cats (and also for me, as they don't hold allergens the way carpet can) and put down area rugs in the cold months.

 

[marnold]

thanks Kathryn. We were actually looking at the poor man's wood flooring, laminate. In this economy, we just cannot see spending that much for hardwood. If I had it my way, we would have tile everywhere! DH did our kitchen, both bathrooms and the entry and I HEART the cleanup.

 

[ImFiddY]

I've only been in this house for 7 months now. My last dog on his finals days on this earth had thrown up and poo'd and was so weak he layed down in it, the floor edges warped and raised but did dry down but still is visably dimpled.

I have a new pound dog and he runs like a mad man around here and I'm noticing slight scratches. I'm concerned that I have these scratches after only a month then what is the floor going to look like in a few years.

The Bruce lock-n-fold was not cheap either. I'm thinking I should have gone with the Pergo elite stuff that is just plastic and looks about as good.

If I had it to do over I would either go all the way with real wood flooring or take another look at the Pergo real touch elite.

 

[Gayle]

Melissa - I'm going through the same thing. We're going to replace all of our flooring within the next year. We had carpet, which was horrible, and oak hardwood, which to my surprise showed scratches from dog nails like there was no tomorrow.

Based on what I've gleaned from the GardenWeb flooring forum regarding floors and dogs, I'm going with a laminate product also. I haven't decided 100% on a brand, but I'm leaning toward Pergo (NOT what's sold at Home Depot or Lowes - I'd avoid that stuff). I plan to get some samples and beat the hell out them.

My best friend and his wife have two dogs and two kids. They put down a Columbia laminate product in their kitchen/hall/bath about 9 years ago, and IMO it still looks great. It has a matte finish, so doesn't show marks like a gloss finish would.

The other flooring that GW dog owners recommended for durability was tile, which is great (I have porcelain in my bath and it's bullet-proof), but is more expensive overall (product and install) and not so great year round in my cold climate for a whole house.

Check out Hosking Hardwoods web site. http://www.hoskinghardwood.com/Laminate_Floors_9/38/About_Laminate_Flooring.aspx

They have an excellent article about choosing a laminate floor, and they include a rating system where they give a "starred" rating for each of the products they sell.

Hope this helps!

ETA: We're also going to do area rugs with it. Cuz, I like pretty area rugs.

 

[Gayle]

One more thing...most laminate companies make a commercial flooring product. They're usually a little more expensive than the residential market products, but they tend to be more durable. I plan to check some out, as well.

 

[marnold]

Thanks Parkercp!

Gayle! I am SO glad I am not alone! Your ideas are perfect. I also was not impressed with the PERGO at Home Depot. It looks like that stuff which people used to glue in 70s to wall which was supposed to look like wood. I love the article recommend to! Won't it be great to get rid of gross carpet and get wonderful area rugs?

Thanks again guys!

 

[Gayle]

Won't it be great to get rid of gross carpet and get wonderful area rugs?

DH got bored one day and tore out all the carpet...and hardwood. The carpet was sick.

We've had plywood floors in most of the house since last May...nightmare to clean!

I SOOOOOOO cannot wait to get new flooring in. Good luck in making your choice.

 

[marnold]

That is hilarious! We talked about doing the same thing last night and today! I am so disgusted by it, I won't sit on the floor anymore! Thanks for the help chickie!