Which type of flooring is best?

Luxury Vinyl plank flooring. Looks like wood, ceramic and porcelain tile.

I bet the laminate is most cost efficient but the tile would stand to 3 dogs really well and look fabulous!

Hardwood can be scratched by your dogs. I would choose the waterproof laminate or the wood look tile with the tile being the most durable for 3 dogs. I just installed Life Proof flooring-water resistant-found at Home Depot. Like it very much and am considering installing in my dining room and living room.

You have a lot of work ahead of you. First you will need to remove all the old flooring, including baseboards. All of it - both layers. Then inspect and repair the sub floor. With dogs I would go with tile. Cost depends on material chosen. If you live in a cold climate, I would seriously consider in floor heating. Otherwise the floors will be horrendously cold in winter. Once the dogs start to get old it would be extremely uncomfortable for them.

Hello Danni, We recently did a home addition and placed traditional red oak HW in to match existing flooring in the new areas and sealed it after it was placed. I would not recommend this as the floor finish and wear is inferior to laminate or prefinished Bruce hw that I had experienced in previous homes.

We have one 70# dog and we are terribly disappointed with our professionally installed and sealed floors and the wear and tear evident with almost 3 years if use. Jmho- I hope this helps.

At first glance I would say go with the wood look tile! It’s durable and can be beautiful for a long time. The maintenance is easier than hardwood and termites don’t like the taste😏.

But it really depends on a few things.

Tile on a slab foundation can be hard on knees and backs. You said your kids are grown, as are mine, and I’ve noticed that things like “hard on knees and back” are beginning to matter.

If you are on a raised foundation, an entire ground floor worth of tile is very heavy. It can be done but make sure you have enough support for the weight.

As for cost, Laminate is the cheapest followed by tile with solid hardwood being the most expensive.

I would argue that the cost of installing tile combined with the cost of your time brings it to almost the same cost as hardwood though.

I hope that helps

😊

Generally, wood costs more than laminate. Real tile costs more than wood-look tile. My absolute choice would be laminated wood or tile, plus a wood repair kit. Or spend more for real wood or tile, but repairs are more expensive. Best wishes ☺️

I have engineered hardwood. I love it. Have had it for 10 years. It has "give" in it so it's easier on the knees and hips. Dancers dance and practice on wood floor so they don't get shin splints. I have 2 dogs. They have not damaged the floor. Go with the engineered hardwood and you won't be sorry. If it's going on concrete get the floating floor as concrete tends to hang onto moisture and can warp your floors.