Whether you're remodeling your existing home or building a new one, the flooring will be one of the biggest decisions that you need to make. Especially if you have pets or plan to get some, the flooring you choose will have a significant effect on the comfort of your home over the long-term. Before you find yourself with carpeting or flooring that's problematic with your animals, there are a few things that you should think about. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Allergy Issues
One of the biggest challenges of pets and flooring is the accumulation of pet dander in the carpets and on the floors. Especially for those who are sensitive to dust, pet dander, and other allergens, this can make the home an uncomfortable environment.
With some flooring, you'll have to vacuum, sweep, and clean up daily to keep the allergens at bay. This is a lot of work and demand on your time. You can minimize this by choosing flooring that doesn't accumulate as much pet hair. This includes tile, linoleum, or hardwood floors.
Traction Troubles
Pets, especially young pets, are prone to injuries from slipping on hardwood or smooth floor surfaces. If you opt for smooth-surface flooring to help keep allergens at bay, you'll want to place some runner carpets or throw rugs in the hallways, around the stairs, and in front of furniture. That way, your pets have something to help them gain traction when they are walking on the floors. This reduces the risk of your pets slipping while they walk and suffering a leg or back injury.
Pet Damage
When it comes to damage caused by your pets, you'll want to choose the most damage-resistant flooring possible. Pet claws and chewing are both hazards to your flooring, so you'll want to consider these things when you choose the right flooring for your home. Hardwood flooring is particularly vulnerable to scratches from pet claws, while the carpet is the most vulnerable to damage from chewing. Consider installing vinyl, tile, or similar flooring to help minimize the damage that your pets can cause.
These are a few of the most important things to consider when you're choosing new flooring in a home where there will be pets. The more you know what to think about, the easier it is for you to protect the condition of your flooring while still enjoying your pets. Contact a company, such as All Maintenance Electric & UBH Handyman for more information.
When you build a home or make a large addition to the home, you will hire a general contractor to oversee the project and do the majority of the work. This individual may subcontract some small tasks to specialists, such as window installers and HVAC techs, but for the most part, it is their responsibility to ensure everything is built according to plan.
As you can imagine, general contractors have very varied jobs. No two days are alike! On this website, you will learn more about what general contractors do, which will come in handy the next time you need to hire one.