[Pearl Grey]

Does it offer sufficient traction? Is it soft? Is it quiet?

I can find tons of info on how well vinyl plank holds up to dogs, but I want to know how well dogs hold up to vinyl plank. I want something my older dogs won't slip and slide on. I'd also like something that doesn't clack like an oncoming train when dogs run across it.

I have a twelve year old Brittany, a six year old border/pyr, and we're welcoming an eight week old spoo the first of March.

My laminate veneer was a complete dog fail. It's slick, hard, loud and cold. Plus of course it separates into sheets when it gets wet.

I'm thinking of installing vinyl planks but would love the benefit of someone else's experience first!

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I had vinyl plank in my last apartment. My dog really liked it, no sliding and I liked it because it was pretty water proof. I think the stuff in the apartment was glued down. I would go to the store and touch the sample boxes to feel which have a nicer surface, but it was definitely less slick than laminate or hardwood. We have sheet vinyl in the kitchen and bathroom which also works well for the dogs.

 

[Pearl Grey]

Thanks! I would really rather have roll (sheet) vinyl. That's what we replaced the bathroom ceramic tile with (talk about cold and slick when wet!). I love it. It's soft, quiet and warm. And it looks great, I think!
But I'm told we'd have to hire an installer for that. We're not allowing anyone into our home now, because COVID, and vinyl plank seems like a DIY project. Definitely looks easier to do than the laminate was!

 

[fjm]

I had high quality Karndean vinyl planks installed in the kitchen of a flat some years ago and was very pleased with it. I think it is one of those things where you get what you pay for - and that includes prepping the floor before they are laid, using the correct, unpleasantly volatile adhesives, and having the right equipment to press and roll them down. Not all are non slip - important to check for dogs - and as there is no underlay they can be noisier than laminate. I have laid sheet vinyl myself - on my own in a bathroom 9' x 13', so lots of tricky cuts and extremely difficult to manoeuvre the roll, plus it tore like wet tissue paper if given the smallest opportunity. One of those jobs where you get half way and wish you'd never started, but it looked OK when I had finished and Sophy really appreciates the traction it provides.

 

[Pearl Grey]

I've decided on the Smartcore Blue Ridge Pine Vinyl Plank flooring, which has some texture to it so shouldn't be so slippery. I'm going to spring for the underlayment as well, which is supposed to make it quieter. It occurred to me that while the softer sheet vinyl is great in the bathroom (5 years old now and still looks new) it might not hold up so well in higher traffic areas.

 

[kelly1380]

In my experience, LVP (luxury vinyl planking) holds up really well with dogs of all sizes, but after we had it installed, our boxer/mastiff mix fell down the stairs and torn a bunch knee ligaments. Not great. So we put grippy carpet patches on the stairs to help. Otherwise, a great product!