Big Dogs and wood floors

NoHeat

NoHeat

En-Route
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
4,991
Location
Iowa City, IA
Display Name
Display name:
17
We told the remodeling contractor that we're interested in wood flooring, for our kitchen renovation. We have a 97 pound 4-year-old Labrador. The remodeler informed us that the flooring makers won't warrantee their product if a dog is over 60 lbs. Vinyl strip flooring was recommended.

What exactly does a dog do to damage a wood floor? Dig? Pee? Just walk on it?

I'm a novice dog owner, so I'm just trying to assess what the downside could be.
 
Big dogs tend to dig the claws in when running,or sliding on the floor.
 
Nails. If they take off running, they spin out on the wood and leave scratches. Oh, and jumping, stopping, etc. Wood + dog nails = scratches.
 
Yup, I got wood, and a fairly big dog, and we have creases from the nails in the floor. It's inevitable. We knew it when we put the floor in, and we live with the damage over time. We love our dog, and we wanted natural wood.
 
Yep, surface scratches. No big deal as long as you realize it's going to happen.
 
Yeah it sux laminate seems indestructible with regard to dogs but hardwood is another story.

I am actually about to get rid of the hardwood and replace w/ laminate because my dogs nails have worn some places pretty good over the last 3 years.
 
My dog is right at 60 and he's scratched the floors up. Not too bad though. Looks kinda rustic. I try and strategically place floor mats for him but he still finds areas to scratch. I plan on getting the floors resurfaced when he passes anyway so it's not a big deal.
 
We had real red oak hardwood, not the thin stuff you buy today, but the stuff the house was built with in 1968, in the old house.

We pulled up he carpets, refinished them in a slightly more glossy than satin finish, and the dog(s) scratched them up slowly over 10 years. Sanded, refinished, sold the house, you'd never know the dogs were there.

Helps to put down something solid and thick. The whole point is that you can sand and refinish hardwood, but much of what you get today is thin and useless for that, and mostly just decoration.
 
Velocity173 said:
My dog is right at 60 and he's scratched the floors up. Not too bad though. Looks kinda rustic. I try and strategically place floor mats for him but he still finds areas to scratch. I plan on getting the floors resurfaced when he passes anyway so it's not a big deal.
Click to expand...

That's our take on it. Washington's home at Mount Vernon had scratched-up floors. Our colonial will be just fine with a few scratches from our two 80# English labs.
 
I didn't have too much of a issue with a 140 dog and bamboo floors, it was only by a door she would wait by that I had some scratches.

I'd say go for a more rustic look if you're really worried about it.
 
NoHeat said:
We told the remodeling contractor that we're interested in wood flooring, for our kitchen renovation. We have a 97 pound 4-year-old Labrador. The remodeler informed us that the flooring makers won't warrantee their product if a dog is over 60 lbs. Vinyl strip flooring was recommended.

What exactly does a dog do to damage a wood floor? Dig? Pee? Just walk on it?

I'm a novice dog owner, so I'm just trying to assess what the downside could be.
Click to expand...

A big dog will mar a wood floor over time with their nails. Esp if they takeoff running over them.
 
I don't think a dog has to be 60 pounds to damage a wood floor. My daughter's dog isn't that big, but you can tell he's been around. If you get wood, just accept the fact that the dog will make it clear that it is his home, as well. Comes with the territory.
 
My house has Pergo laminate floors that have held fine to many dogs, including the current devil dog that takes off clawing the air like Scooby-doo when he sees something outside to bark at. My dogs have been 50-70 pounds.
 
We put in solid red oak hardwood flooring ten years ago, and it has held up well with our 80+ pound German Shepherds.
 
The last custom house I built before exiting the industry was for a construction litigation attorney. They had a grossly overweight (130-140lb) yellow lab and real hardwood floors (oak). After a month they looked like sh&t. After a year, they were a disaster and the a$*hole tried to convince me the scratches resulted from improperly cured finish on the wood floors and wanted me to pay to refinish them.

He was the final straw on why I hated the biz. Dealing with illiterate and low IQ subs were the initial bushel(s) of straws.

I let him know my thoughts on the matter.

Dogs will scratch wood floors. And put your fatass dog on a diet. And tell your crazy ass wife with DDDD implants to stop texting me with questions.

I'm much happier now.
 
Last edited:
Blatham489 said:
The last custom house I built before exiting the industry was for a construction litigation attorney. They had a grossly overweight (130-140lb) yellow lab and real hardwood floors (oak). After a month they looked like sh&t. After a year, they were a disaster and the a$*hole tried to convince me the scratches resulted from improperly cured finish on the wood floors and wanted me to pay to refinish them.

He was the final straw on why I hated the biz. Dealing with illiterate and low IQ subs were the initial bushel(s) of straws.

I let him know my thoughts on the matter.

Dogs will scratch wood floors. And put your fatass dog on a diet. And tell your crazy ass wife with DDDD implants to stop texting me with questions.

I'm much happier now.
Click to expand...

BTDT......

I feel your pain...:redface:

Ps...We had two St Bernards... One was 190 and the other was 160....

They do mark up the floors a bit, but hey... they are the kids...:yes:
 
Thanks, all, for the info.

It is amazing how many ways owning a dog changes how you live. Especially compared to a cat. We've got one of each, and I am pretty sure the cat couldn't hurt the wood floor
 
NoHeat said:
Thanks, all, for the info.

It is amazing how many ways owning a dog changes how you live. Especially compared to a cat. We've got one of each, and I am pretty sure the cat couldn't hurt the wood floor
Click to expand...


Depends on where it pees.
 
The species of wood is important. Get a harder wood like hickory or pecan. Walnut may be beautiful, but it is soft. White oak is harder than red. It also helps to keep your dogs claws trimmed.
 
NoHeat said:
Thanks, all, for the info.

It is amazing how many ways owning a dog changes how you live. Especially compared to a cat. We've got one of each, and I am pretty sure the cat couldn't hurt the wood floor
Click to expand...

Wouldn't count on that - whenever the can opener started our cat would burn rubber to get into the kitchen, and drift around the corner. Back claws marred the finish, but not the wood itself.

I'm probably the worst offender with our wood floors. I tend to either knock over or drop cans from the pantry shelf or do something similar and leave dents in the floor.
 
There are some hard polyurethane sealers and finishes that should help with scratches ..
 
They scratch the hell out of it. My house was built in 1937. We just call the scratch marks character.
 
Prefinish maple here (likely some Aluminum oxide in the finish). Two, well now only one :( , dog. Some scratches, but none through the finish. Going on 7-8 years now...

It is my understanding that it's hard to beat the prefinish durability, but we made sure we put in true 3/4 flooring so refinishing will be an option for us and/or future owners.
 
NoHeat said:
We told the remodeling contractor that we're interested in wood flooring, for our kitchen renovation. We have a 97 pound 4-year-old Labrador. The remodeler informed us that the flooring makers won't warrantee their product if a dog is over 60 lbs. Vinyl strip flooring was recommended.

What exactly does a dog do to damage a wood floor? Dig? Pee? Just walk on it?

I'm a novice dog owner, so I'm just trying to assess what the downside could be.
Click to expand...

Depends if it's solid wood or veneer. Veneer won't hold up to their weight and claws and will come apart. Solid wood not a big issue. I have become very impressed with not only the cost but also durability of Bamboo flooring, it's also pretty and very Eco friendly given the growth and re harvest rates available.
 
docmirror said:
Yup, I got wood, and a fairly big dog, and we have creases from the nails in the floor. It's inevitable. We knew it when we put the floor in, and we live with the damage over time. We love our dog, and we wanted natural wood.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's no big deal if you have solid wood floors. A sand and refinish, back to new.
 
I lived in a place in Key West with Purpleheart floors. That stuff was difficult to ding. Epitong would probably be good for big dogs as well.
 
Two labs, oak floors, unlimited energy. They do about 20 burn outs day on the floors, when the doorbell rings, their bowls are picked up, the cat hisses, etc. I keep their nails short buy taking them running with me everyday on pavement. I have the floors finished with Bona and I use their maintenance products as well. No noticeable problems, but we have more of a satin finish vs. high gloss.
 
I've got the 3/4" traditional stained white oak, Bona finished/maintained. Satin gloss, and its tough as a basketball court. Ten years with a 165 lb Newfoundland that loved to lie on the A/C vents even when damp from being in the lake did not faze it. She did more damage scratching on the sliding glass door wanting to come inside...Maintain the claws- good advice.

The cat, on the other hand, is single-handedly destroying my baseboards in a couple of places. Wife keeps the thing alive by assuring me the critter will be declawed soon. I'm waiting patiently. And thinking about steel baseboards.
 
I have a 135lb black lab mix.... I'll take pics of the floor next time I go home
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top