Who walks on the floor in your house?
Are you a young couple buying your first home? Two fifty something empty nesters?
Or maybe your household includes multiple generations under one roof: from toddlers (who are constantly moving), to twentysomethings (who forget to remove their shoes), to fortysomethings (who work on their feet all day), to Grandpa (who doesn’t get around well, weighs 300 pounds, and comes with his own 150-pound motor scooter). Add to this several young, active, furry kids, and you have some thinking to do.
Pet Precautions
Different households naturally imply different types of wear and tear on your flooring. With pets, the younger animals will, of course, be more active and likely more destructive depending on breed, size, and more. Elderly dogs and cats might have problems with incontinence. Sometimes a simple trip to the vet can reveal a treatable condition. If the vet can’t help, you will need to take precautions to respect the dignity of your pets and your floors and purchase “pet briefs,” which are really just diapers (good luck keeping them on).
Are you prepared to protect your hardwood with rugs, clean it several times weekly as messes happen, and be diligent about proper maintenance? Well, if you’re ready to put in the work, even with a variety of household members, a quality wood flooring can resemble Grandma’s feather bed (though few things can withstand such abuse).
Just remember: the more activity and weight your floors must endure, the faster they will wear and possibly need to be repaired/refinished. If you think you’d be too stressed about maintenance based on your household, you might be better off with laminate or carpet. But also remember that solid hardwood can be refinished many times over and is more forgiving than carpet (imagine cleanup duty from incontinent toddlers, elders, or dogs–on carpet). Hardwood is also the top choice in flooring material when selling your home. Call us or stop by our friendly, no-pressure flooring shop to talk it out.