Best Floor Types for Kids and Pets

Choosing a floor that fits your family’s lifestyle is a balancing act between form and function. A busy household with children and pets requires flooring that can handle wear and tear, but also complements your interior design style. Whether it’s scratches, spills or shedding, a lot of potential floor damage can be mitigated with just a bit of careful planning and research.

The first step is acknowledging which factors will dictate your floor choice. There are a variety of aspects you should consider when making sure your home environment can withstand the challenges that come with having pets and children.

Here are a few elements to consider when choosing a kid- and pet-friendly floor for your home:

• Aesthetics – Just because a floor is functional doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on style. Keep in mind that you’ll be seeing these floors for decades, so make sure you consider things like color palette, textures and patterns, even as you weigh more practical factors.

• Wear & Tear – This is a major one for kids and pets. Can your floor handle nail scratches and resist spills and “accidents”? You’ll want to select a floor type that can stand the test of time and roll with the punches.

• Upkeep – How easy is the floor to clean and maintain? This can be based on things like absorption and permeability when it comes to damage, but it can also have to do with stain resistance. You’ll need to think about which floor types require professional cleaning and which you can maintain yourself.

• Comfort – Although you want your floor to be tough, you also have to consider safety and comfortability for kids, in particular. What happens when your child falls or bumps their head while playing? Is it comfortable to sit on it for long periods of time? Keep everyday usage in mind as you make your decision.

Floor Types

Let’s get right into it. Here are the best floor types that work well with kids and pets. We’ll go into why each is great for an active family with animals and the subtle differences of each.

Luxury Vinyl

Luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl planks are great floors for kids and pets because they are easy to clean, resistant to spills and scratches and they come in a variety of styles. This is a great floor type that will keep your home clean, comfortable and in great condition for years to come.

Carpet

Obviously, carpet is the most comfortable of these floor types, adding a safe, soft texture for children and pets to play, walk on and even sleep on. The main element to consider is upkeep, with carpet requiring a little more regular cleaning than other textures. However, there are many different options available to help with stains and shedding, including hypoallergenic carpets, water repellent carpets and stain resistant carpets.

Hardwood

Hardwood is a phenomenal choice when it comes to finding a balance between appearance and practicality. With so many different types of wood available, you can really customize the look as well as the level of resistance you need. For example, you can select a harder wood variety to increase resistance to stains and scratches or you can go softer for a lighter look if you won’t have as much activity in your household.

Tile

If you’re looking for a purely utilitarian option, tile is a great choice for your home. In addition to being one of the more affordable options, most tiles are scratch proof and waterproof. Tile is nice and cool to the touch, and can retain colder temperatures in the summer months. When it gets colder, you always have the option to add rugs or additional furniture to warm up the room.

Laminate

Laminate floors are durable and easy to maintain over time, which makes it a particularly nice option for families with active pets and children.  This floor type is cost-effective, so whether you’re re-flooring an entire home or just renovating a single room, you won’t break the bank. Laminate is available in several different .styles, including scratch resistant, noise resistant and heated laminate, so you can customize your floor based on your family’s specific needs.

Selecting a versatile, comfortable, durable floor can be a big task, but just remember: you can always switch up floor types for different areas of the home, depending on where the kids play, where pets roam and the family gathers. Feel free to mix and match based on whatever works for your family at various life stages.

There are countless options for customizing your floors, too, so don’t feel restricted to one floor type. Take advantage of things like coatings, treatments, and specialty materials in order to create the floor that’s right for you and your family. Every floor has its own unique attributes, so take your time, do your research. Even just a little planning now can do wonders for your floor in the long run.