Kitchen flooring

Holly A
by Holly A
We need to redo our kitchen floor. I would like wood but we have a large dog and are afraid of her scratching it. My husband would like tile, I have the grout lines. Any suggestions? Is there a wood floor that is strong enough to last with large dogs? Thank you in advance for your help.
  8 answers
  • There are many hardwoods, like Bamboo, Kempas and even some Oaks that are hard and suited for large dogs. Don't think you won't ever get scratches, you will. Dogs find a way! But the damage should be minimal and if the hardwoods are solid (do you live on a basement?) you have the opportunity to refinish them. Hardwoods are extremely popular in kitchens and first floors all around Atlanta. Tile is also a popular choice on both coasts! Something that might make both you and your husband happy is ceramic tile that looks like hardwood flooring. If you Google it, you'll find lots of options. Here's a little info on it: http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archive/2007/07/ceramic-tile-th/ Certain tile can also be laid so that grout lines are very, very thin!
  • 3po3 3po3 on Jan 24, 2012
    I think you should go with tile. AK is right that there are many great tile options out there, including the faux hardwood and other nice looks. Tile is less susceptible to scratching, and it is a better choice for a kitchen, where a flooded dishwasher or something can really do a number on hardwood.
  • Tile is your best bet Holly, like AK said they can be laid very close to minimize grout lines.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Jan 25, 2012
    Dislike tile/grout in the kitchen too. I am a large dog owner and own hardwoods. Would have it no other way. Maintenance is easier and I love the look of having hardwoods on my main floor. Tile is so hard .. on the feet and the body. Would require fatigue rugs, which I find to be yet another thing to clean.
  • Terry S Terry S on Jan 25, 2012
    loved my hardwood kitchen floors until i saw what happened to them when the dog decided to chase the cat through the house :)i guess it depends alot if your dog is active or mellow . i have tile now and love it .
  • There are many options out there for you. There are plenty of woods that will stand up to dogs paws, including some bamboos, and corks. Are you on a slab or a wood subfloor?? In the way of tile, there are also many options. I have taken to using rectified tiles and shoving grout lines to minimal to aid in the grout line cleaning dilemma!!! Let me know what I can do to help!
  • Melissa A Melissa A on Jan 26, 2012
    It certainly depends on how your dog would like the wod too! I have a friend who put laminate wood in their kitchen and the dog will NOT step foot in there because it's just too slick for him. The rest of their house is hardwood, but the real stuff. So I think it really depends on your pet situation!!
  • Bonnie B Bonnie B on Apr 14, 2012
    Our ex-racing Greyhounds also had a problem with feeling secure walking on our wood floors. Accent runners helped dramatically.