Make laminate floors pet friendly with rug runners

If you have dogs then you will fully understand why there was a much needed requirement for this article! Our modern houses cannot really be all too pleasant for our pet’s paws and limbs and any type of excitement or doorbell ringing in our house brings with it the uncontrollable cartoon legs spinning around on one spot. Laminate floors are so very practical if you have dogs; it keeps the pet smell to an absolute minimum, it is easy to clean and doesn’t get matted with fur like a carpet does, although the constant clatter of claws on the laminate will begin to drive you a little potty, not to mention when you are trying to get into a good book and your hound decides to drop it’s bone right by your side on the hard floor…Time for a solution to the constant clattering of claws and an end to the scramble to the door! A solution that will not require you to completely re-fit your home with new carpets! This solution is rug runners.

Sound absorbent

Any type of rug is great when you have pets. Not only does it make it easier for them to walk on, it will also help to keep the sound down. Materials in a hallway or any type of room for that matter, help to absorb sounds and noises – especially barking which can be amplified when you have a home with bare walls and laminate floors. If barking has become louder since you fitted that beautiful looking laminate flooring or tiled floor then you may want to consider filling up you space with some softer furnishings to help the echo. This really is a tried and tested solution to this problem, and a rug will help you to dampen the volume of the barking. The hot spot area is usually in the hall way so you may wish to look at a runner rug. Runner rugs are typically long in length and will fit perfectly in to a tight hallway. You can buy other proportions but you will have to see what space you have to work with before you begin your search.

Traction control

Runner rugs are great and will help your pet to gain some sort of traction on the floor to the front door! If you have quite excitable dogs, then you will understand this one…Dogs can be rather eager to great the postman or any guests that were thinking of paying you a visit and the inevitable scramble to the front door can be quite a chaotic one for all involved. A runner rug leading up to the front door will help to slow down the panic and you will be able to gain more control as they will not be sliding around everywhere! On a more serious note the scramble can take its toll on limbs and if your dog was to slip and fall awkwardly he could hurt himself. The easiest solution for this problem is to fit a non-slip back to your rug runner in the hall. Rug runners with non-slip backing make it safer for all of your family and the chances of sliding around are certainly lessened. Children can also benefit from this as well. The non slip backing can be already part of the rug design, although if you can’t find one it is easy to pick up a roll of non-slip backing from online or from any good home store. To fit, it simply needs to be cut to the size of your rug and placed underneath so that it grips onto the floor successfully.

Practicalities

Rugs runners need to be washable if you have pets too so there is no point buying shag rugs. This we feel is a definite requirement particularly if you have dogs. Dogs tend to get quite muddy out on their walks and the hall way (being the main through way of the house) will get abused and will get dirty quickly. You will notice this is more of a necessity during the winter months when there is nowhere else for you to dry off. A machine washable rug runner is perfect for this. Machine washable rug runners usually come with a poly backing which not only acts as the non-slip factor but it can also be easily folded up so that it can fit into your machine.  

Rug runners come in a variety of designs and styles, and depending on your requirements there should be something exciting out there for you. If you are interested in purchasing one for your home, be sure to check the measurements before purchasing and also bear in mind that if you do have pets – a wool rug runner is not very practical and It will cost you more in cleaning bills than the rug originally cost. Look out for magic mats that help to collect the dirt and are easily hovered as well.