Choosing the right or best floor for your dog is more about the finish than the species. A floor with a UV cured aluminum oxide offers good protection but can be difficult to touch up. In fact, repairing scratches on UV flooring could require buffing to fix scratches. More extensive damages might even require a tear out to repair.
On the other hand, a site finished floor using an oil-based polyurethane, may scratch more easily but it is much easier to hide or repair. Before we put “our two cents in,” readers should know that we (Bayou Rustic Flooring) sell unfinished and prefinished flooring. We have no agreement with any manufacturer or finished product. However, if you are discussing the best floor for pets, Monocoat by Rubio starts at the top for Bayou Rustic. For more information, visit our Monocoat series.
Dog Friendly floors
To find the perfect species to create a dog friendly floor, look for character. It is hard to find a better example than our Southern Pine, with its “rustic character,” aka color variations and knots. The beauty of this pine floor is after a decade or so, the floors darken and develop a patina only time can create. But what about correcting those little marks and accidents? This grade has so much character a colored pencil(s) or even a sharpie can work magic. Our customers usually choose a darker stain for Southern Pine floor making little marks tough to see and easier to repair. The following might help if you are searching for a solution for an existing problem:
Homemade Scratch Repair
- Olive oil and vinegar. Mixing equal parts olive oil and vinegar creates a natural wood filler perfect for tiny scratches. Mix the solution together & apply it with a clean rag, done.
- Lemon juice and oil. Mix Together equal parts fresh lemon juice and oil—canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil would all work. Apply to the scratch with a microfiber cloth, being sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, done.
- Walnuts or Brazil Nuts. simply rub the nut over the scratch and let the natural oils fill in the dent. Because of their texture, walnuts and Brazil nuts work the best. We have no 1st hand knowledge; however, trusted sources swear by this one.
Dog friendly means easy to repair
Prefinished floors as in purchased with an existing finish have an ultraviolet or UV curing process that uses aluminum oxide as the topcoat. These UV topcoats are protection for the wood itself, but the surface will scratch. Not a big deal if you have finished flooring, but UV can be tougher to repair. If you sand one spot the UV vanishes, and color matching becomes an issue. Customers end up having to replace much larger sections than just the damaged area.
The easiest to “fix” Bayou Rustic option
Our Monocoat by Rubio finishes allow customers to “topically repair only the affected area” and better yet there is no sanding or ripping out entire rooms because of a high traffic entryway. You simply clean the area in need of repair and apply the desired thin layer of color. The finish will only adhere to the exposed wood, no need to blend. Monocoat is also perfect for Do-it-yourself homeowners; with instructions that read “clean, apply, dry.” Monocoat contains zero harmful chemicals (voc’s), requires no chemicals to maintain and offers limited options pertaining to colors. Bayou Rustic allows our customers to purchase a factory finished Monocoat floor (no UV) or buying just the unfinished version so that they may ‘DIY.’
The best “dog floor” award
Jenifer E., circa 2018 gets our vote for the best dog friendly Bayou floor. Our customer used a blend of three Monocoat colors and our Caribbean Heart Pine to create a floor where any scratch would be extremely hard to detect. Furthermore, as per customer, with three kids under 10 and two dogs she is now “an expert with a sharpie”.
Dog Friendly floors need dog friendly people; while the content of our post is about dog friendly floors, our company founders care passionately about the work of local rescue shelters. Our local shelter, and where we found Ellie is CARA. Community Animal Rescue and Adoption of Jackson Mississippi, or CARA is one of 4000 No Kill Shelters in the United States. If you can help your local shelter, we urge you to do so. Every little bit helps, from blankets to kitty litter. For more information search your local animal shelter or visit CARA of Jackson and adopt a new best friend. Community Animal Rescue and Adoption.
