Homeowners with kids and pets know they can be tough on floors. So what should they consider when shopping for new ones?

Ryan Salzwedel, “The Empire Man,” shares what type of flooring to look for if you have little feet or paws roaming around your house!

Best floors for households with kids and pets: (highly durable, stain and soil resistant and easy to clean)

Vinyl Plank
• This is a vinyl plank flooring. One of the most popular wood-look floors we offer – with good reason!
• Vinyl plank flooring is extremely durable, scratch-resistant, dent-resistant, scuff-resistant, and stain-resistant – ideal for homes with kids, pets, and higher traffic.
• Vinyl plank is known to be moisture resistant as well, and some options are even 100% waterproof.
• Vinyl plank stand up to pets’ nails and kids messes better than almost any other surfaces, and it’s comfortable for them to walk on.
• When your kids spill something or your pet has an accident, it helps keep the liquids on the surface, making cleanup tremendously easy.
• It’s a great whole house flooring as you can put it anywhere without worry, especially kitchens, bathrooms, play rooms, mudrooms, laundry rooms, and more.
• Some vinyl plank options have a cork backing that helps reduce noise and makes the floor feel warmer.
• Budget-friendly without sacrificing quality or style.
• Finally, it looks great too! Vinyl plank looks and feels so much like real wood, most people can’t tell the difference.

Laminate Flooring
• The finish on laminate floors can help resist scratches, so you can worry less about your pet’s nails or kids running through the house.
• Laminate can resist topical water exposure as well. Some options are even 100% waterproof, meaning they can tolerate splashes, spills, and condensation.’
• Laminate isn’t as susceptible to dents and gouges that traditional hardwood may develop.
• Laminate flooring is easy to clean, just sweep or vacuum regularly, and occasionally wipe using a cleaner made for laminate floor.
• Wood laminate also looks just like real wood floors. Notice the texture and color looks incredibly authentic. It even has a wood grain!
• Budget-friendly without sacrificing quality or style.

Carpet
• Yes, carpet and kids or pets can co-exist!
• Carpet is soft and comfortable; perfect for kids and pets as we all know they can spend a lot of time on the floor!
• HOME Fresh carpet, an Empire exclusive, is a great choice! It is not only highly durable, stain and soil resistant, it also helps keep your home clean and smelling fresh.
o It’s made with a premium padding attached, so it won’t trap dirt, allergens, or moisture.
o It’s mold and mildew resistant.
o Natural minerals baked within the fibers help neutralize common household odors.
• Empire carries carpet, including HOME Fresh, with added Pet Urine Protection that helps protect carpet fibers from stains due to pet urine.
• If you have pets, keep in mind their nails can snag and cause damage to carpet, the best carpet types for pets is HOME Fresh, plush, or frieze.
• Look for a carpet with added stain and soil protection.
• Carpet can’t go in every area of the home, but it’s great for bedrooms, basements, play rooms, or any area where you want it to be warmer and cozier.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (if You Want a Tile Look)
• Luxury vinyl tile is a great way to get a realistic tile look with the benefits of vinyl, perfect for households with kids or pets.
• Luxury vinyl tile is extremely durable with superior scratch, dent, and stain resistance.
• When accidents happen, vinyl flooring is easy to clean.
• Luxury vinyl tile floors can be more comfortable and more slip resistant than other flooring options available.
• Unlike real tile, you can choose to have luxury vinyl tile without grout, making it even more durable.
• Budget-friendly without sacrificing quality or style.

Porcelain Tile
• For certain rooms in the home or if you live in a warmer climate, porcelain tile can be a good option.
• Porcelain tile is known for being extremely tough and is inherently scratch-resistant.
• Some options, like this, are also slip resistant, which is a really important feature for floors when there are kids and pets running around.
• Porcelain tile is easy to clean, a damp mop is all you need to clean up spills.

So, if you have kids or pets, Empire has some highly durable, stain and soil resistant, and easy to clean options to choose from.

How does Empire work?

Empire Today makes getting beautiful new floors easy!
• Shop-at-Home: Empire brings the store to you. You don’t have to spend time driving all over town shopping for floors. A knowledgeable flooring professional will bring 100s of samples right to your home.
• Quality Products: When it comes to floors, quality matters. Empire offers floors from the best brands in the world, with quality for every budget, no matter what you’re looking for.
• Get Professional Installation, even Next Day: You don’t have to wait weeks for new floors. Because we stock 100s of floors you can get new floors tomorrow. For more than 60 years, Empire has installed floors in millions of homes. It’s what we do, every day – we handpick the best crews and ensure every detail of your custom installation is just right.
• All-Inclusive Price Estimate: We want you to know what you’re going to spend on floors up front. You’ll get a simple, all-inclusive estimate – with no hidden fees – during your in-home appointment. Everything from the product, padding, and installation, to the removal and hauling away of your existing floors, plus clean up when the project is complete. We’ll even put your furniture back in place when we are done.

Call our famous number, and I am sure you can even sing the jingle, 800-588-2300 or visit EmpireToday.com to schedule an in-home appointment.

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