If you have a dog, you know that canines are prone to scratching at the door when they want to come in or out. While this isn’t a problem for carpeting, it can be a serious issue for hardwood flooring. In this blog, we will discuss how to protect hardwood flooring from dog scratches.
Why Is The Dog Scratches Bad For Your Floor?
Dog scratches are bad for hardwood flooring in two ways:
They can damage the finish on your hardwood floors.
They can also leave behind deposits of dog hair and dirt, which can be difficult to remove from the surface of your floors.
This makes it more likely that you’ll need to refinish your hardwood floors sooner than you might otherwise have to do. And, since refinishing a floor is expensive and time-consuming, you’ll want to avoid doing so as much as possible. So here are some tips for keeping your dog from scratching up your floors:
Easiest Ways Protect Hardwood Flooring From Dog Scratches?
There are many ways to protect your hardwood floors from dog scratches. You can find floor protectors at most hardware stores, or you can make your own with a few simple materials. Here are some of the best ways to protect your hardwood flooring from dog scratches:
Scratch Guards
Scratch guards are plastic or rubber strips that you install on the top of your hardwood flooring. They come in different sizes and can be cut to fit any size area of your floor. These items will prevent your pet from scratching at the surface of the wood, but they do not prevent other types of damage such as dents and gouges.
Carpet Padding
Carpet padding is a thin layer of foam that is placed under the carpet so that it lays flat on the floor. You can use this type of padding under rugs and area rugs, but it also works well for protecting hardwood floors from dog scratches. The padding adds an extra layer between the wood and whatever is being dragged across it (such as claws). This prevents any damage from occurring while also eliminating noise from dragging objects across the flooring surface.
Trim Your Dog’s Nails
One of the best ways to protect your hardwood floors is by trimming your dog’s nails regularly. You can do this yourself or take them to a groomer who can do it for you. If you want to do this yourself, make sure that you use a nail clipper that comes with a safety guard so that no part of your nail gets cut off accidentally. Once trimmed, apply an antiseptic cream or petroleum jelly on their paws so that they won’t be able to scratch themselves again immediately after trimming their nails.
Add a Coating Over the Floor
If your dog scratches the floor, you can protect it by adding a coating over the floor.
Add a coat of polyurethane or varnish to the areas that are scratched. This will protect the wood from damage and prevent further deterioration. A thin layer of polyurethane or varnish will also fill in any small indentations made by scratching, helping to restore your floor’s appearance.
On the other hand, if you have linoleum or vinyl flooring, then you can try using scratch repair kits from home improvement stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. These kits include “instant” scratch filler and sanding pads that allow you to quickly fill in deep scratches in LVT Floor or linoleum floors.
A Waterproof Coat Will Also Work
One of the best ways to protect your hardwood floors from dog scratches is by applying a waterproof coating over them. This can be done with any type of water-based stain or sealer. Most people choose to use an oil-based product because it lasts longer than other types of stains or sealers. It also helps prevent dirt from sticking to the surface of your wood flooring instead of absorbing into its pores as water-based products do.
Spend Time Playing With Your Dog
The best way to protect your hardwood flooring from dog scratches is to keep your dog busy with yourself or your kids. If you work all day and your dog is alone, you should consider getting another pet to keep her company. A cat or another small animal may be a good idea because they don’t require as much attention as a dog does.
If you already have multiple pets in the house, it’s important that you give them plenty of attention so they don’t get bored and start chewing on your furniture again. Schedule frequent playtime with your pet so she doesn’t have time to think about chewing on your furniture.
Conclusion
Our final suggestion for protecting wood floors from dog scratches is to use floor protection mats. With the widespread availability of the internet and a number of different sites offering these kinds of products, finding the most appropriate floor protection mat for you and your dog should not pose any problems.
If your floor is completely worn out, you can contact us to get the best hardwood floor installation in Brampton. We will do the job easily and in no time.
