A dog is man’s best companion. So, as a dog owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that it’s always safe and comfortable. One of the best ways to ensure your dog is comfortable is to choose the best flooring materials for its kennel. So, what’s the best flooring for dogs?
5 Best Flooring for Dogs
When choosing the right flooring materials for your dog’s kennel, you have to consider key factors, including durability, comfort, hygiene, and cost. Make sure the floor can endure the abrasion resulting from heavy use. It should also provide your dog with enough cushioning to prevent sores and other injuries.
The materials you choose for your dog’s kennel must be easy to disinfect and maintain. Make sure your dog lives in a hygienic environment. Also, the flooring materials you choose for your dog’s kennel are affordable.
You shouldn’t spend a fortune on the kennel’s floor. Just make sure the option you go for is pocket-friendly without compromising on the quality. Here are the 5 best flooring materials to choose for your dog’s kennel.
1. Laminate Flooring
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Laminate floors are very popular among dog owners because they’re made of multilayered synthetic flooring products bonded together through lamination. For instance, you can find laminate flooring materials that simulate high-quality and luxurious tiles, wood, gravel, and other flooring materials.
These materials feature photographic applique layers that are placed under a clear protective coating. Their inner layers are normally made of melamine resin and fiber boards. Laminate flooring is a perfect choice for your dog’s kennel because it’s pocket-friendly and requires low maintenance.
You just need to wipe the laminate floor with water and soap for a clean and safe environment for your dog. Furthermore, this flooring material is easy to clean and stainless. So, if your dog litters the floor, you won’t have to worry about ugly stains.
With a proper maintenance routine, your dog’s laminate floor will last for many years. It’s taken through a rigorous lamination process that holds all its layers together, ensuring that the floor remains intact and withstands the wear and tear of regular use. This means that you won’t have to spend money often replacing your kennel’s floor.
However, you need to be careful when using water to clean your dog’s laminate flooring because it can be easily damaged by excess moisture. So, don’t soak it excessively with water because it’ll lose its strength. Furthermore, choose a laminate flooring material that isn’t too slippery. Your dog will experience difficulties walking and standing comfortably on a slippery floor.
2. Hardwood Flooring
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Hardwood flooring is suitable for your dog’s kennel because it doesn’t sustain serious scratches and stains. Dogs love to dig, which can easily damage your expensive kennel flooring. But a hardwood floor can withstand excessive scratching.
Choose hardwood wood with a strong grain for durability. This will save you the hassle of replacing your kennel’s floor now and then. Furthermore, a hardwood floor is low-maintenance.
So, you won’t have to break the bank to repair or service the floor of your dog’s kennel. With soap and water, you can keep your kennel’s hardwood floor clean and stainless. You just have to ensure that you don’t soak the wood completely in water because it can accelerate its deterioration.
Furthermore, this flooring material is affordable because it’s made from timber, which is readily available. You don’t have to spend all your money on an expensive kennel floor when you have pocket-friendly hardwood materials that will serve the same purpose as the deluxe options.
The good thing about hardwood flooring is that it can withstand harsh conditions and retain its original appearance for a long time. This isn’t possible with the more expensive flooring materials. They’re made from delicate products that are easily damaged.
When you’re choosing hardwood for your dog’s kennel flooring, go for the ones with higher Janka hardness ratings like oak, maple, and hickory. Wood with higher Janka ratings is highly resistant to scratches, stains, dents, and other damages caused by your dog.
Make sure the wood has a strong grain pattern. If possible, pick hardwood options that have a straight-grain pattern over swirls because the former has added durability and resistance against scratches.
3. Bamboo Flooring
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Bamboo flooring could be a perfect choice for your dog’s kennel because it is very tough and durable. Bamboo wood is twice as hard as oak wood, making it a great choice for pets like dogs and cats because they’re fond of scratching and digging.
If possible, install a stand-woven bamboo floor for your dog’s kennel because it’s extremely tough and long-lasting. It will not succumb to your dog’s sharp claws no matter how long it scratches it. Some strand-woven bamboo flooring materials have anti-slip polishes that’ll prevent your dog from slipping while walking or standing on the floor.
Additionally, bamboo floors are easy to clean and maintain. They particularly become useful when you want to clean fur from your dot. This flow material is also easy to clean after your dog relieves itself on the floor.
Just make sure the poop and urine are removed from the bamboo floor immediately after the accident to avoid deterioration of the wood. If you want a flooring product that is durable, hygienic, easy to maintain, and pocket-friendly, bamboo tops the list.
4. Floor Tiles
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Tiles are coverings made from hardwearing materials like baked clay, ceramic, stone, and glass. Floor tiles are quite friendly to dogs because they are resistant to scratching and digging. Your dog won’t leave ugly scratch marks on the floor no matter how sharp its claws are.
Secondly, tiles are very easy to clean and maintain because you just need to wipe them with a wet cloth. Many tiles have stainless and spill-resistant varnishes that keep them looking new for years.
Unlike other flooring materials like wood, laminate, and carpets, tiles don’t hold an odor. No matter how well-trained your dog is, it’ll always have “accidents” on the floor. That’s why you need a flooring material that doesn’t trap odor. With tiles, you just need to wipe them with a clean cloth and a mild detergent to keep your dog’s kennel smelling clean and fresh.
Another benefit of choosing tiles for your kennel’s floor is that they’ll control temperatures in the kennel, keeping your dog happy and comfortable. In hot summer, your canine friend will prefer to have a floor that keeps him cool. Tiles come with smooth surfaces that expel heat, creating a nice spot for your dog to cool off.
Since your dog will continuously shed off fur, you need a floor material that doesn’t hide hair and paw prints. Patterned floor tiles make it easy for you to remove fur and prints from the floor.
5. Cork Flooring
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Cork is a special type of wood with a polyurethane protective coating designed to simulate other wood floors. This protective layer enables cork floors to resist spills, paw prints, and stains. This floor is highly elastic and resistant to impact.
Like hardwood, cork flooring is highly resistant to scratches. Furthermore, this material can be finished and customized at the site to give it your preferred anti-slip properties. If you’re using natural cork, apply at least two layers of the protective coating for increased toughness.