I am thinking of putting down wood laminate in my house. Does anyone with cats have this? I am afraid that cat spray/pee may get on the floor and soak down between the crack and stink up my house forever!
hi, kim! listen, we have a very large family of cats, and i thought that same thing about the flooring, but did not listen to myself and we put down the wood flooring, like pergo, in my living, dining, hall and bedroom. a big, costly mistake i must say for us anyway, the flooring is warping very bad, and i totally hate it. i found the only thing that the cats seem to be able to live with, as well as us, is the vinal flooring, the good thick kind, we did put that in our kitchen, and it has stood the time with the cats and us also. maybe others have had better luck, but i will not ever do that with wood flooring again! our home is the cats home too and i think the vinal flooring looks just as good as what we had down in the first place! hope this has helped you with your question!
Assume that if your cat pees or sprays now in the house, he/she will continue to do that on the new floor also. I begged to get the floor laminate in my living room and I deeply regret it. Here's why: I have 2 dogs, a cat, and a daycare in my home. I have alot of traffic in the living room and did not worn down carpet. But the laminate is really hard to keep looking nice. I sweep and mop daily, but there's a catch. You cannot ever walk barefoot on it or the oil from your clean or dirty foot leaves a print on the floor and the same goes for the animals. Also, I have to sweep, mop and vacuum the room because I have an 8X10 rug in there, so it's like cleaning the floor 3 times a day.
Hi Kim,
Wood laminate flooring is just like real wood floors only a bit thinner.I'm not sure if it is actual wood planks or if it's pressed but in any case if you have cats that spray{pee}in the house now they will continue to do so and yes the flooring will absorb the pee.This may take a while but in time it will damage the flooring with stains also,not to mention it smells pretty bad too! Go with a good linoleum or vinyl and even with cats it will last a lifetime if laid properly.
I have recently bought a house with laminate floors.
It covers the whole downstairs.I was worried about it when we bought a new puppy. To my surprise the first time the puppy had an accident, it bubbled up on top of the floor and didn't soak in.
Be more concerned about the cat scratching your laminate floor. I have a cat annd laminate floor in my kitchen and my cat slides on the floor and scratchs the laminate.
thank you for saving me lots of money,, I was going to buy laminate yesterday, I have a diabetic cat that pees everywhere when his sugar is high. I cannot live with my carpet though. NOt sure what to do!!! ( BUT THANKS)
I wouldn't consider the laminate flooring if your cat pees in the house. The floor will damage with any prolonged liquid spill.
Wow, thank you for telling me about laminate flooring. I have cats that pee and have to go barefoot constantly due to a foot problem. I was getting ready to replace the carpet with laminate.
If you are going to invest in flooring, why not invest in "fixing" the cat? Just an idea.
I have 2 large dogs and 4 cats. My previous house, that I owned for 13 years had vinyl flooring everywhere, was perfect because it was waterproof except for the seams, but they were sealed well. The vinyl lasted all those years with little damage. When I moved to a new, wall to wall carpet house, it was soon warn out with the constant shampooing.
For what it's worth, "fixing" your cat does not necessarily stop a spraying problem. Even neutered cats will spray if there are other cats outside. Sometimes but not always. My male didnt start spraying until about a year after he was fixed.
And I think laminate floors are fine for people who actually love cleaning their floors, have no kids or pets. Yes, they look gorgeous. I have always preferred vinyl and carpet.
I installed Pergo flooring about 9 months ago. It has really held up well, except for a few spots in the dining room area. It seems to be bubbling a little on the corners of the seams on two planks. Also there are spots that seem to have air pockets under them.
I just put in Dupont flooring with 30 year warranty. It is 1 month old in a brand new family room addition. We can see the floor flex slightly when you walk in certain areas. I just put a couch in the room for Xmas. I used a carpet cleaning machine with the upholstery attachment to clean the couch. I wiped up any water spots with towels immediately. I emptied and cleaned the carpet cleaner.
I cleaned a chair the next morning and removed the machine. Later in the afternoon my husband noticed a slight raise around two of the seams. Did some water leak out of the cleaner. If it did it was only what was in the lines maybe two cups. I have skylights I hope I do not get moisture in. If this floor is this sensitive I am in big trouble. I also have a dog who is getting very old. He loves to lay in front of the pellet stove. He normally never has an accident. Maybe I need to penalize him to a new room with vinyl flooring.
I have laminate flooring and a dog and I regret it. I bought Laminate wood, cause they say it's pet friendly more resistant to scratches and spills. Think twice. My dog had a accident on my floor and now it has a up lifted seem that is eating me alive. I wish I had went with ceramic tile. I wish I also did what your doing and researching before buying. Good luck.
Wow, I didn't realize how many people are having the same problem with their laminate floors. We just had ours installed about 2 years ago and lately both our cat and dog have peed in areas. If that wasn't bad enough, we are selling our house and the floor is bubbling in places so we've put an area rug down for the showings. The manufacturer won't guarantee the floor because we have pets. Will NEVER do laminate again! Hey does anyone have any suggestions though how to maybe press the seam back down?
Hi Kim,
We had our house renovated 3 years ago. I was totally convinced by a salesman at Home Depot that these floors were indestructable. 2 weeks after they had been installed, I began to notice that some of the boards were beginning to swell at the seams. I called Home Depot and asked that someone come and see what was happening. I was told that someone would be calling back to schedule an appointment. Never got a call back. I must have called 6 or 7 times - still never got a call back. I called the manufacturer, who steered me back to Home Depot. It was a vicious cycle. In addition, no one could seem to find my paperwork. The manager at Home Depot said that they only keep those records for a short period of time. I even went into Home Depot with my copy of the paperwork. To make a long story short, they finally, miraculously found my sales records, but referred me back to the manufacturer. All the while, I was watching the floor buckle more each day. Seems that the 25 year warranty couldn't be honored because I live on the water and they are not responsible if there is a high humidity factor involved. I've heard enough horror stories from too many people about these floors (after I spent $5,000. on them). I laugh everytime I see the commercial with the dogs running in. It's going to cost me a fortune to have them taken out and replaced. They look hideous at this point. Many of the seams are swollen up an inch. I spoke with a gentleman who has been in the flooring business for over 30 years. He said that he sold them when they first came out, but had so many complaints and saw so much of the same thing that happened to me, that he will not sell them. He advised me that the best flooring to get was Congoleum. As soon as I can afford to have these suckers replaced, I will. In the meantime, I'm trying to cover what I can with area rugs. I've had to sand down a big majority of the swollen seams the rugs will lie flat. I might as well have taken the $5,000. and burned it. This was not a cheap brand. I know that there have been many lawsuits against the false advertising and misrepresentation that these companies tell the public. I spoke to my attorney about this, but it would cost more to fight them than it would to have another floor installed. Don't be taken, as I was. Get yourself a good grade of vinyl. Best of luck to you.
I bought a new condo with laminate flooring and I have 2 cats. My problem is not with pee damage but with nail damage. My cats are young and play a lot. They have completely scratched the floor in less than a month. I will have to replace it before reselling. I am against de-clawing but now know why someone would do it. Clipping their nails incessantly doesn't help.
I am looking to install either hardwood floors or laminate flooring. I have 3 dogs and a cat. What is better? I read all the feedbacks and now I'm more confised then ever. I am looking for something that my dogs can't ruin. HELP!
We adopted a homeless kitty from the Boy's and Girl's club. We love him dearly but he does spray alot, having been turned from a "wild" kitty into a cherished household pet. After having completely and repeatedly marking his territory all over our light Berber carpeting we decided to try a new VINYL plank laminate from the Home Depot. It is waterproof and can be placed in wet areas (bathrooms, kitchens) or throughout the house. Because it has a 25-30 year warranty (however some folks have vinyl in their homes that is 40 years old) it is technically a GREEN product as well, up there with renewable resources because it needs to be replaced so infrequently (30 years) and may even be recyclable after that (check with your local recycling experts). It looks great and even has a wood grained wood texture. It goes together tongue and groove in wide planks. The joint lines can be staggered and it looks great and feels great under the feet. No cold floors, environmentally friendly, and kitty and kids mishaps clean up quickly and easily. Also, it's super easy to install yourself and very reasonably priced.
I have 3 cats and just about 2 months ago put in Dupont Laminate flooring. It's great, clean up very quick and no way it's seaping into floor boards
Re: By kgurrl (5) Contact
"If you are going to invest in flooring, why not invest in "fixing" the cat? Just an idea."
Fixed cats and dogs still spray.
We just had our 22 year old carpet removed and put down laminate throughout our whole house, minus the kitchen and bathrooms. It looked gorgeous!
We specifically purchased the product we did, after asking about durability in regards to pets. On occasion, our dog has accidents, albeit, very rare. The vendor (Bob's Carpet Mart) told us that if any moisture (ie, water, cat pee) got on the laminate, that "research shows that laminate can be subjected to moisture for up to 3 days without any damage." The owner told us, "just get it up as fast as you can- it'll be ok."
Well, one week later, the dog pees and 20 minutes later, I've got it all cleaned up. The boards are now bubbled around the seams. What a TOTAL WASTE of $5000! Bob's Carpet Mart- you SUCK.
Dear Kim: I would not purchase ANY laminate flooring, with exception to, perhaps, bamboo flooring it's suppose to be able to withstand water, but I don't know this to be factual. I purchased Pergo 13 years ago - wasn't cheap. The first night, a spray bottle turned over and leaked and warped the edges-- will never buy laminate again.
In the early days it was false advertising - displays had water display showing water would not harm Pergo - false advertising because they didn't have the water on a seam. If you have animals or concerns of water spills, you may want to check into a plank vinyl - Allure brand - don't think it's sold in the big box stores.
A friend of my builds homes in south Texas (on the coast) and uses this brand - no it's not wood but most folks can't tell the difference and you're not going to worry your self sick about warped ugly wood laminate. Good luck.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I need any advice or suggestions concerning laminate flooring. We are planning to replace the living room and dining room floors with laminate, but we have a dog and 2 cats and wonder about scratches, etc. Could anyone tell me of their experience with this type of flooring? Thank you.
By Marlene from Billerica, MA
We have two dogs (54 and 64 pounds) and scratches haven't been a problem. Our older dog is now 16 and having "old man hip problems." The laminate floor is a problem for him as he sometimes slips and slides on the laminate flooring. When he falls down he can't get up without help (he weighs 64 pounds). Usually we try to get him back to the carpet so he can regain his footing.
The 8 year old navigates the flooring better; sometimes she slides when she is running and turning a corner; however, she is able to maintain her balance better. You will also need to keep their nails trimmed. You'll know it is time because you will hear the tap, tap, tap when they walk. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting the laminate flooring as tile or other flooring would be slippery too.
I wouldn't get it again if my life depended on it.I HATE it,We have it in living room and 3 bedrooms . We got pergo ,paid a lot for it and hate it.We have 4 sm dogs and it shows fur,dirt , you can swiffer it and someone walks on it it shows foot prints, if the dogs pee on it and you don't get it up in time it buckles.My dogs didn't scratch it my kids did. Don't get it! Get tile instead.
Remember that pergo is basically plastic but a lot of people love it because they do not know the difference. My husband builds houses and he only puts in the real wood. It is more expensive in the long run, you could always put an area rug over it. Good luck with I like you hate carpet.
We do rescue and always have a housefull too, and thought that 30 year warranteed laminate would be perfect.WRONG! My contractor convinced me that Armstrong flooring would be my best choice. Within about 18 months, the color started to come off, and NOT in a place where there was a lot of traffic.
The Armstrong rep came and looked at it and said that he's never seen anything like it. He authorized having the flooring in that room replaced for free. Within a year the same thing happened, and also some of the corners broke off the tiles. Armstrong then authorized replacing ALL the flooring. Now, 2 years later, I need to replace all the flooring yet again, but Armstrong will do nothing even with the 30 year waranty.
Close to $10,000 for a floor that is destroyed. I also have a friend who used the same brand, and the same pattern, but a different color who is having the same problem. Can't say the same thing would happen with another brand, and certainly the animals had nothing to do with the problem. But if you do go with laminate, make sure you have a really good guarantee, in writing that says that they will replace the floor all the way up to the 30 year mark (unless there's some kind of negligence on your part).
My mother-in-law has laminated floors and our dogs (135 & 50 pounds) nails haven't left a scratch.
We have had laminate in two houses. We installed in the first, and our new home already had it installed. It's a pain to keep looking nice (streaks) first of all. Our German Short-hairs end up slipping when they get excited and go charging through the kitchen or dining room. I will never install again because I am waiting for them to throw hips out. Once I can, I am getting rid of it and installing tile!
I have 5 very active dogs 3 Beagles 1 Harrier and a Collie.
i would highly recommend Pergo hand scraped 10 mill non glare flooring. It is fantastic and very easy to care for.
4 Pack plus 1
I feel the same way. Filthy all the time. I don't want to spend my whole life vacuuming.
