Little hands and paws have a way of causing lots of premature wear-and-tear. From unremovable stains in the carpet to scratch marks on the furniture, the chaos these little beings can wreak on your home seems to know no bounds. Instead of just handling it, there are ways to proactively defend against the mess and destruction. Below, we’ll go over a few materials and home design options to make your house more resistant to kids and pets.
Let’s start with one of the most challenging areas: your floors. Seeing lots of traffic day in and day out, certain flooring may become worn much faster than others. A great choice for families with kids or accident-prone pets is solution-dyed fiber carpeting. Using modern technology, this method lets the carpet fiber soak up the dye, which makes it much more resistant to new colors or “stains.” Available in all shades, these carpets are free of damaging materials and chemicals, making them a perfect choice for maintaining the aesthetics while also keeping the family healthy and happy.
Another option is luxury vinyl plank flooring, particularly one with stone plastic composite (SPC). Sustainable and waterproof, the core layer made of stone dust makes this surface denser and more robust than other vinyl planks and composite flooring options. It also exhibits a transparent wear layer for lots of scratch and stain resistance. Easy to install, SPC comes in a variety of wood and stone visuals to match the design you want.
Next are the walls. With kids using them as a canvas and pets splashing muck all the way up to the ceiling, a house’s walls need a little assistance defensively from time to time. A great way to improve your walls is with the right paint. By choosing one with a satin or eggshell finish, it makes the walls a lot easier to maintain, since messes can be wiped away quickly and easily.
If you’d like to add more flair but still have family-friendly walls, there’s also pet-proof wallpaper. Ideal for an accent wall or enchanting entryway, modern wallpaper has so much potential design-wise. It’s also made with safe, durable materials for stronger resistance and easy clean-up. When next renovating your walls, think about browsing the wide selection of non-woven or laminated options to help you find a unique look to love.
Lastly, it’s important to be picky when it comes to furniture fabrics. A wide variety of fabrics have been made to withstand even the most active of households. For instance, solution-dyed acrylic fabrics are spill- and stain-proof, making them perfect for functional yet still decorative throw pillows and furniture cushions. If you’ve already invested in furnishings, there are also slipcovers to make upkeep easier. Machine-washable and versatile, modern slipcovers can be rotated seasonally and help prolong the life of your higher-traffic furniture.
Want to learn more about kid- and pet-friendly materials for your home? Check out the accompanying resource from Floor Covering Associates for further information.
https://whitesandsdesignbuild.com/kid-pet-friendly-luxury-home/
https://www.fcainc.com/waterproof-vinyl-flooring/
https://www.fcainc.com/carpet/
Infographic created by FCA Floor Covering Associates, Top-of-the-Line Flooring Store Serving the Chicago Area
