How Do I Protect My Hardwood Floor From Dog Nail Scratches?

The following blog post is a recommended post by one of our followers.  Several of our clients have had great success with this protection application and have added years of life to their hardwood flooring systems.

The following information was obtained from:   www.softpaws.net

“Invented by veterinarian Dr. Toby Wexler, Soft Paws has been on the market since 1990. Soft Paws nail caps for dogs are vinyl nail caps that glue on to your dog’s nails. They cover your dog’s nails to keep them blunt and harmless. This fantastic product helps protect you and your belongings against problem dog scratching.

Soft Paws offers protection against the following situations: 
Damage to Household Surfaces: Hardwood Floors - Doors - Walls - Screens - Furniture - Carpets. The nail caps effectively blunt your dog’s nails so their ability to scratch surfaces is significantly reduced.
Canine Skin Conditions: Allergic Skin Conditions - Chronic scratching. By blunting the nails, less damage occurs when your dog scratches. This can help your dog’s skin heal faster.
Protects from Dog Scratches: Dogs That Jump Up & Scratch You - Elderly People with Fragile Skin - Diabetics - People Taking Blood Thinners. Soft Paws can help you to feel more relaxed about enjoying your dog’s affection by blunting your dog’s nails

The application is simple. Just fill each nail cap with the adhesive provided & slide it over the nail. It's that easy! 

Soft Paws are extremely safe and non-toxic. Even if your dog swallows one, no harm will come. The nail cap will safely pass through the digestive system.

Each Soft Paws kit contains 40 nail caps, adhesive and easy to follow instructions. The cost is only $18.95 per kit. 
The length of time each kit lasts depends on your individual needs. Each application lasts approximately 4-6 weeks. Depending on your needs, you will apply the nail caps to all four paws or just the front paws. For example, if you are using Soft Paws to protect against your dog scratching the doors, walls or screens, you may wish to apply the nail caps to the front paws only. This will give you four front paw applications per pack, and the package will last you approximately 4-6 months.”

What Rooms Should Hardwood Floors Not Be Installed In?

The following post was a suggested topic by one of our followers, “Mindycure”

Thanks for the suggestion!

Even though hardwood floors can be installed in any room, I typically do not recommend installing hardwoods in full Bathrooms, Laundry rooms or in very active Kitchens.  I will go a little more in depth as to each in just a moment.  Having my recommendations in mind… If you are conscious of spills and proper maintenance, hardwoods will perform just fine in these areas.

Full Bathrooms… A bathroom with a bathtub / shower, toilet and vanity w/ sink.  With as much wet activity that occurs in a full bath, hardwoods will be much harder to maintain.  Getting out of the shower, washing hands in the sink and potential for toilet overflow are all factors that could cause a hardwood floor to fail or sustain water damage.  Installing hardwood in half bathrooms, or bathrooms with no tub or shower, typically get less use and therefore are acceptable for hardwoods.

Laundry Rooms…  Rarely will I install a hardwood system in a laundry room.  There is a high potential for water damage with washing machines because they do leak quite often.  Most of the time, home owners have no idea they are leaking because the water hoses in the back of the machine frequently spring pin hole leaks that weep for weeks or months unnoticed.  In addition, dryers produce a large amount of steam that can negatively affect the relative humidity in the room that can cause a hardwood system to react drastically, ie: cupping and (or) crowning. 

Very Active Kitchens…  What I mean by an active Kitchen is a commercial set up or medium to large family residence that uses the Kitchen several times per day.  The Kitchen is the most likely room in the house to have a spill.  Spills equal moisture introduction, which means added moisture content to the hardwood floor system.  Refrigerators, especially those with ice makers, produce condensation that can run onto the floor as well.  Dish Washers produce a lot of steam… So forth and so on.

To sum it up…  The above recommendations are just that… My recommendations based on my training and experience.  A hardwood floor can perform properly in any area that you desire one, assuming you are willing to put the time in that is necessary to keep it performing properly.  Area rugs, proper and frequent maintenance are the key to keeping your hardwood flooring system looking great and performing for years.