Have young kids and pets at home? Your floors are about to meet their match. Between spills, scratches, muddy paws and dropped food, it adds up fast. Finding the right flooring for a family home isn’t easy. Sure, you want it to look good, but it also has to keep up with your lifestyle.
At Carpet To Go Flooring, our team helps families across the Carolinas find the flooring products that make the most sense for them. Here’s what our experts recommend for homes with kids and pets.
What Questions Should You Ask?
Before deciding on a flooring product, you have to think about what your floors will have to deal with. For example, a home with a toddler and a golden retriever will need different flooring from a home with older kids and a cat.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- How many kids and pets are in the home and how active are they?
- Are spills and accidents a regular occurrence?
- Is scratch resistance a top priority?
- Are you looking for a hard surface flooring or carpet?
- What rooms are you replacing?
Before you start browsing, you should know the answers to these questions. Besides saving you time, it will help you choose the right product faster.
What Hard Surface Options are Available?
Leaning toward hard surface flooring in a home with kids and pets? Two products stand out: waterproof flooring and laminate. Consider the following:
Waterproof Flooring (LVP)
For families with young kids and pets, waterproof flooring is the way to go. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is one of the best hard surface options on the market. It withstands spills and moisture without warping or damage while being easy to maintain. Plus, a realistic image layer offers stunning wood and stone visuals. That means you don’t have to sacrifice style for practicality and waterproof flooring options are more durable than ever.
However, you should note that the floor is waterproof, but you shouldn’t leave standing water. It can get between the seams and penetrate the subfloor over time. Cleaning up spills is a good habit regardless of the flooring you have.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is ideal for busy family homes and it’s not what it used to be. Older products would separate and buckle when it got wet. That said, many modern laminate options are waterproof and scratch-resistant, making them perfect for high-traffic family spaces.
When you have pets, scratches and daily wear are the biggest concerns. That’s why laminate deserves a serious look. It’s easy to maintain, durable and comes at an accessible price point.
When Should You Go With Carpet?
Carpets never went out of style for family homes, especially in bedrooms and living areas where comfort underfoot comes first. With kids and pets, not all carpet is created equal, and the backing makes the biggest difference.
For families, Lifeguard backing is the best option. This waterproof backing technology is exclusively offered by Shaw Floors and is only available through independent flooring retailers like Carpet To Go Flooring so you won’t find it at big box stores.
Lifeguard backing is a waterproof barrier that prevents spills and pet accidents from soaking through to the subfloor. If something does get through the carpet fibers, that subfloor stays protected. For families with young kids and pets, it’s a game changer. You get the comfort and warmth of carpet without having to worry about the permanent damage from accidents.
How Do You Put Everything Together?
For families with kids and pets, here’s the best way to weigh your options:
- Hard surface and spills are the main concern: Waterproof Flooring (LVP)
- Hard surface and scratches are the main concern: Laminate Flooring
- Comfort matters and you want carpet: Carpet with Lifeguard Backing
Ultimately, the right option comes down to your home, your priorities and the specific rooms where you’re installing flooring. At Carpet To Go Flooring, our team gets to know you before making every recommendation. Our goal is to always suggest products that fit your home and your family.
Ready to find the right floors for your family? Visit one of our showrooms in Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord, Winston-Salem or Charleston, SC or contact us to schedule a free in-home consultation today!
