Protecting your hardwood floors from the paws of your furry friends.

An important, but overlooked consideration when contemplating wood flooring is how well they will hold up under the traffic of your four legged friends. When it comes to pets and your wood floors there are a few things to consider. How well your floors hold up under larger pets will be determined by both the species of wood for your flooring and the type of finish you put on it.

Even the best floor finish manufacturers will tell you that their product will not withstand the punishment provided by large pets. Make sure that you don’t set your expectations too high and be prepared to see some damage. Most pre-finished floor manufacturers will not warrant against damage done by pets, so that is another consideration to keep in mind when buying.

That being said, some types of floor finishes will hold up better than others. Two part water-based finishes that are formulated for high traffic or commercial settings generally perform better than oil-based polyurethane. Make sure you ask your contractor if he is proficient using high traffic residential or commercial finishes that might better withstand abuse from your pets.

You’ll also want to consider the species of wood used for your flooring. Some denser species will do a better job holding up under pets than others. For example, if you put in a yellow pine floor, which is naturally soft wood, even with the best finish, your pet’s weight will probably dent the wood itself. On the other hand if you put Brazilian Cherry floor in your home, your pets’ ability to dent this dense wood will be much less.

Ask your contractor what he or she recommends to withstand abuse from your pets. Be willing to buy a denser species such as hickory, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany or Maple to withstand the wear and tear and be willing to spend a little more for two-part water-based finishes that will provide more durability under the extra wear and tear. As always, have reasonable expectations as to what will happen to the appearance of the floor with a pet running around on it.