How do I protect my wood floors?!

[Jero312]

I know this may come up alot, and I did a google search but most things I found were just manufactures advertisements for different products. I have 200yr old wide pine flooring, and unfortunately I have some surface scratches in the heavily trafficked ''living room'' that have shown up since I moved in. I have a dog and everyone takes off their shoes in our house, the previous owners had a dog and 4 young kids and there wasnt many scratches when we moved in. my question is how can I preserve the great condition of our floors, what products should I used and are there any special techniques I should know about? also is there any way to get rid of surface scractches left by my dog? thanks in advance.

[chooseopen]

I haven't found a good solution yet. To some extent, completely protecting wood floor may be unattainable. I haven't lived in my 120 year old house, so I cant tell you about that... However, the solid oak floors in my old house (45 years old) and the brand new oak floors in my current house have not faired so well with my 65 pound Boxer and two kids. Not only does the finish scratch, but the claws tend to put small gouges in the wood surface. We try to keep the dog's nails clipped short and use area rugs in the high traffic areas... Luckily, the floors can be screened or sanded in the future to restore them again...

[jwesevich]

But only so often....

jeff

[mross_pitt]

is there any way to get rid of surface scractches left by my dog?

Depends on what kind of finish you have now. Different finishes can be repaired in different ways.


Otherwise, there's not much to be done. You can try something like SoftPaws for your dogs nails. They get mixed reviews because some dogs will pull them right off and they also sound like tap shoes walking around your house all night. We have a similar large bouncy dog that likes to run full speed and slide around corners as well.

[steponmebbbboom]

I think you already know the answer to this question but no one wants to really say it. In the end, it comes down to a choice: You can't have your cake and eat it too. The only question that remains is how to resolve the consequences of your decision with your sensitivities. Who can answer such a question? The dog has claws. The floors are 200 years old. The dog is probably less than 10. The damage its claws do will last an eternity. The answer seems so simple, yet, dogs are awesome. Old houses are awesome, too. So are kids. So is being a bachelor. Oil. The environment. Jesus. Darwin. Money. Justice. Death.

Our houses are lucky, they just sit there. We have to make all the decisions!

Choose wisely

[James]

You will have to start with rugs in all the high traffic areas. I have dogs, and they do come in at night(but not during the day much). My down stairs floors are varnished(but not till the last owner so far as I can tell). The upstairs floors have never had a finish put on them in the last 240 plus years. They seem to actually show less impact from the dogs, and me, than the downstairs floors do. But I do have rugs in most all the high traffic areas.

[downtowndahlgren]

Well, I was "lucky", I guess, because all the PO's of my house apparently disregarded the soft properties of antique heart pine. They dragged a parlor stove across the living room floor, used heavy furniture without casters, etc., so my floors have a LOT of character and scratches. Nonetheless, it bothers me no end when my two youngest cats tearass across the rooms and put new scratches in the finish. Even though I clip their claws weekly, it still takes its' toll. But, since getting rid of the cats is NOT an option, I just try and mitigate the damage with rugs, as James said. Although, apparently rug surfing is a favorite cat activity, regardless of whatever "non-slip" backing I use. Oh well, it's a home, not a museum.

[pqtex]

I scratch my head sometimes over the concern folks have over the finishes on the floor. The discussion has come up before about removing shoes in homes, but in my neck of the woods, to ask guests to remove shoes would be a huge breach of ettiquette. Seriously, we just don't do that around here. I don't know anyone who takes off their shoes when going to someone's home, unless the weather is messy or they have been working in the garden, etc. If someone had on stiletto heels or had muddy shoes, I'd make the request, but I'd still feel funny doing it.

I have heart pine floors that were installed in 1913 probably from locally grown and milled yellow longleaf pine. I have rugs in places, but not everywhere. I don't know what the finish is, maybe shellac. I doubt I will ever refinish them because I love the soft patina and color. My personal view is that if you have created a finish so delicate that it has to be babied, or can't be walked on, it shouldn't be on a floor.

Floors are meant to be walked on. In fact, my great-grandparents used to host parties and dances in this house. They would move all the furniture from the center hall/living room and roll up the carpets. Mamoo played the guitar and Papoo played the fiddle. They even called square dances in this room. I admit that I don't exactly know what the floor looks like in this particular room, because it is the only room that has carpet--and maybe that's the reason it has carpet , but I think it's a cool story. The carpet will remain until we finish other things in the room, then we'll find out what condition that floor is in. The floors in the rest of the house are in fine condition after almost 100 years and 5 generations (6 generations if you count my great-nieces who have visited, but never lived here).

I take care of my things and don't abuse them, but I'd rather live in the house than treat it like a museum. As to the pets, I love animals and I would not want to ever live in a home without a pet. I haven't owned a dog in a long time, so I can't say what their claws do to floors, but my cats, even when having crazy fits, have done no noticeable damage to my floors, other than to move the rugs around when engaging in their shenanigans.

The old workshop over my parents' garage has an unfinished wood floor. I love that floor. It is worn and smooth, despite all the mess and work that went on in there for decades--or maybe because of it!

[artfox]

I agree with pqtex about floors. Mine (oak and pine, ca.1935) were simply sanded, sealed and waxed before I moved in. I knew what my terriers' nails would do to a shiny finish.

[mross_pitt]

but in my neck of the woods, to ask guests to remove shoes would be a huge breach of ettiquette.

You probably don't often have people and pets sometimes walking through a foot of snow, road salt, and cinders, before entering your house. Floors, like cars, last longer in Texas.