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So I was at my mother in law's house today and although she has quite a few small dogs running around the place, i noticed that their toenails do not sound that loud, and there are no spots on the floor where there is (obviously because of moisture) bucking up and h2o/doggy pee pee damage. I asked her what kind of flooring did she have in that particular room and she said it was a type of linoleum. I explained my situation, that we have one small dog and two cats and it seems like their roughhousing (and occaisional dog peepee accidents) are kind of hard on our floor. I can never get a str8 answer from anyone what or who made the laminate flooring in my home, like does it stand up to animal stratches, accidents, etc. I have always put down large area rugs but I get tired of cleaning them and I'm sure they trap dust and dander and stuff.
So now I am interested in some kind of linoleum flooring (which is what my kitchen and bathrooms have and it is quite durable) but I'm not sure what kind to look for. I obvioulsy need something waterproof because I cannot mop my laminate floor without some kind of damage happening.
Please, serious and helpful replies- most dogs, even well trained ones, will on occasion will have an "accident"!
I dont have any information on linoleum flooring but, if you post your question in the DOGS forum, you might get some good advice.
I adopt only older dogs and, many years ago, I installed porcelain tile throughout my house. It's bee wonderful. My older dogs are always large and their feet sometimes arent too steady on the tile, so I use large, plush bathroom rugs as area rugs where needed.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We recently used a vinyl plank product in one of the bathrooms that would work well, they are self stick, 4" x 36" and waterproof. There is a similar product that comes in 12" squares and looks like stone that we used in the laundry room and pantry. Both are hard to tell from the real thing at a fraction of the cost and hold up very well. We have two large dogs and will have to wait until they are gone before replacing the hardwood floors that they have worn out, and on laminate they would slide all over the place.
There are different qualities of vinyl flooring--which is probably what you have unless your house is really old. If you buy a better quality the colors go deeper into the floor and scratches, etc. don't show as much. A good quality laminate, either a wood look or tile look will hold up very well too. If you get the cheep stuff, not so much.
Your other option is ceramic tile or such, but a lot of people don't like that.
I really like laminate flooring (which I have in my home) but it is not totally impervious to scratches. You might want to consider a lighter laminate floor (i.e. beech) if you choose to go that route. I wouldn't write tile off...I really love tile. It is attractive, virtually indestructible and easy to maintain. As a mother of two, including a toddler, "easy to maintain" is a must.
You can google linoleum or Marmoleum to find out the properties of this product, which has had a revival in homes. But I wonder if you are not seeing sheet vinyl in your mom's house? Good vinyl can be very good indeed. But it isn't on trend. It can be hard to clean if it is textured. But overall it is easy to maintain.
I've had laminate, and I found it quite easy to keep clean, and it was durable as well.
I've heard about Pergo laminate, which is supposed to be the toughest thing around when it comes to animals' comings and goings. Definetely not cheap, i'd imagine!
MIL may have sheet vinyl, but she said it was linoleum...All I know is that when her six little dogs trotted across the living room it sounded like they were tip-toeing. The dogs are of varying ages, so I know they have some accidental oopsies. But one thing I know for sure is that the floor does not warp under moisture, and mine has.
Went out today and bought an 8 by 6 foot sheet of vinyl from home depot just to give it a try. It cost less than 30$ for that size so I haven't lost much if I am disappointed.
One of the biggest firms in flooring sheet vinyl is the "CONGOLEUM" brand. Their higher end products have a unique multilayer construction with a super durable wear layer, actual embedded color particles and a very substantial layer of integral foam padding that make it about as quiet as carpet. Considerable more costly than the cheap stuff sold at a big box store but still an excellent choice for exactly the reasons the OP stated: highly resistant to pet accidents, easy to clean / sanitize, wide range of color options, great options for installations.
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