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Why Concrete Floors Are Pet-Friendly
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Greetings!
Your clients who have pets consider them to be important members of the family, and will often think about the needs of their four-footed companions when choosing the flooring materials they use in their home. This is a great selling point for concrete, since few flooring materials are friendlier to pets and their owners than concrete. Not only do concrete floors stand up well to claws and muddy paws, they can also contribute to pet comfort and health. Here are six reasons why.
Jim Peterson,
The Concrete Network
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 1) They resist pet stains and odors.
When the pores in concrete are sealed with a protective film-forming sealer or floor finish, pet urine can't seep into the floor and leave behind lingering odors and stains. (See Six Common Questions about Concrete Floor Sealers.)
2) They are easy to clean.
When family pets shed fur or race through the house with rain-soaked or muddy paws, cleaning up after them is no sweat if the floors are concrete. Tell homeowners that they can simply give the floor a few swipes with a broom, towel or mop, and the mess is history. See Caring for Concrete Floors.
3) They won't trap pet dander, fleas or mites.
In addition to fur, pets shed animal dander that can aggravate allergies in people who are sensitive. Smooth floor surfaces like concrete won't trap this dander the way carpet will, making the dander easy to remove during routine cleaning. Concrete floors also won't harbor fleas or mites that pets may carry into the home. (For more information, watch the video Controlling Allergens.)
4) They are nontoxic.
Synthetic carpets can emit volatile organic compounds, or
VOCs, as can some carpet adhesives and padding. Some of
the adhesives used under vinyl sheet goods and linoleum can
also emit VOCs. Concrete floors, stained with nontoxic
pigments, do not release VOCs that can be harmful to homeowners as well as their pets.
 5) You can heat them.
Because hot air rises, many homes tend to be colder at floor level. And since that's where pets spend most of their time, the ability to warm up concrete floors with radiant heating will keep them comfortable while saving the homeowner big money on energy bills.
6) They are scratch resistant.
Rambunctious pets and their claws can really scratch up hardwood flooring. Concrete floors are inherently scratch resistant, and when protected with a good sealer or floor wax, they are virtually scratchproof. View this chart comparing the performance of concrete sealers.
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