Achieving Harmony Between Your Pets And Your Hardwood Floors
Posted on: 30 August 2018
Hardwood flooring can add elegance and style to your living space. Modern homes often feature hardwood flooring as a primary design element. While you might love the look of your hardwood floors, they may not be the best option for your pet.
Pets are notorious for causing damage to hardwood flooring, but you don't have to make a choice between the floors and the animal you love. Achieve harmony between your pets and your hardwood floors with the following tips.
Apply extra coats of finish.
Refinishing your hardwood floors with your pet in mind can help minimize the amount of damage your dog or cat does over time. Extra coats of finish should be applied to your floors to create a durable seal that will protect the wood itself against scratches from your pet's claws.
A fresh coat of polyurethane applied to your hardwood floors can fill in any scratches to the existing finish and restore the beauty of your flooring with ease.
Invest in a more durable finish product.
If you have a particularly rambunctious pet, the likelihood of your floors sustaining ongoing claw damage is high. It may be beneficial for you to invest in a more durable finish product to give your floors the protection they need.
Waterborne finishes that are catalyzed with cross-linkers can achieve a more durable bond. This creates a tougher finish that will be more challenging for your pet to scratch through. A waterborne finish can be applied over both oil-based or water-based polyurethane coats currently covering your hardwood floors.
The cost of a waterborne finish is higher than a traditional finish, but these durable finishes are more affordable than sanding your hardwood floors regularly to remove scratch marks produced by your pet.
Use a penetrating oil for a more natural look.
Polyurethane finishes can give you the durability needed to protect your floors against pet damage, but some homeowners don't like the plastic-like look some finishes create. If you want a more natural look for your hardwood floors, you can refinish floor surfaces with a penetrating oil. These oils strengthen the wood grain so that it can take the brunt of daily living. Penetrating oils can be used for spot treatments, and they should be used often to maintain maximum structural stability.
Creating harmony between your pet and your hardwood floor doesn't have to be impossible. Use the right refinishing products to eliminate unsightly scratches caused by your pet's claws.
For more information on refinishing your hardwood floors, contact companies such as Kenton Carpet Care.
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