# Dog damaged solid wood floor- advise please



## KAIsaacs (1 Feb 2014)

Hi all, I have a solid wood Elka spiced acacia floor. It is throughout my home including stairs. I was naively sold up the river by the original retailer / fitter who told me it was extremely hard wearing. I had told them I was getting a dog. Four years on my beautiful cocker spaniel has clawed to floor within an inch of its life. Can anyone out there advise:
1. Should I cut my losses and rip it up to replace with something like Kardean
2. Is there an appropriate way to refinish in the same finish and coat with something to make the finish scratch resistant?
3. Would it be better to refinish differently to make scratched less visible.
It cost me a lot of money and was a beautiful floor, I don't have enough knowledge to decide the best way forward!
Cheers


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## heatherw (1 Feb 2014)

Get some socks for the dog?


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## Mike.S (1 Feb 2014)

KAIsaacs":gqqlzg7z said:


> It cost me a lot of money and was a beautiful floor, I don't have enough knowledge to decide the best way forward!



Without seeing the condition of the floor (you can't post pictures on this forum until you've posted 3 times I think) it's difficult to give accurate advice. But, if it was mine, I'd consider:

- Is it finished with oil or lacquer (see Elkafloor website in case of need)?
- If scratches are not too deep (2-3mm) then the affected areas can be sanded and resealed (with oil or lacquer). This may not exactly match adjacent areas (likely it will be lighter) but should blend in over time. Usually best to sand/reseal the whole room rather than just patches of floor. Much cheaper than ripping it up and laying a new floor - which will be expossed to the same scratching!
- call in the original retailer/fitter and/or an alternative firm and get their advice (usually free).

Hope that helps.


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## rafezetter (1 Feb 2014)

I'd agree with calling the supplier, but to be honest I'd not expect a lot from them. If you had contacted them as soon as it was obvious that the floor wasn't as hard wearing as stated by staff, you might have been able to claim the floor was not fit for purpose based on the information you received, and they should sort the problem out, whether it be a cash sum or replacing the floor with something else.

Verbal product advice given by shop staff is still considered contractual as far as sales regulations are concerned, in as much as you are relying on them to give you proper advice and information about the product you are interested in; so any specifics you mention - like a dog and how hard wearing would it be for that kind of environment - and the answers you receive, can be accepted as the basis for a claim of misrepresentation by the seller, even if done perfectly innocently. It's still their fault for either not providing enough staff product training, or the particular sales member for ad-libbing information to close a deal when s/he had no real clue.

But only up to a point, the "fit for purpose" window for any item is 6 years, BUT the longer you leave it, the harder it will be for you to adequately explain why you didn't act on it sooner, which would also go against you, should you need to escalate it to a civil claim. Four years down the road and a badly damaged floor is pretty slim pickin's to make a case to either the supplier or trading standards.

As far as the floor is concerned, if it's solid wood you could contact the manufacturer and find out how thick the top layer is (the core is usually cheaper wood) as they are often made so that they will withstand 2 complete sanding / refinishes. If you can sand / refinish I'd contact a company that specializes in commercial flooring finishing as they have products designed to help wood withstand women and high heels, pretty darn near bulletproof. 

Add all that up and see which is cheaper - sand / refinish or new floor (with correct advice from the manufacturer if possible). If new floor then maybe bamboo as that is extremely hard wearing as it actually has silica in it, taken into the fibres of the plant as it grows (it's essentially glassfibre re-enforced naturally) and it comes in colours other than natural yellow too.

http://www.calibamboo.com/whybamboo.html


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## [email protected] (1 Feb 2014)

I think the original cost of the floor would influence my way forward. Despite being a woody person I actually dont like wood on floors unless old pine/ oak boards etc nor wooden worktops in kitchens. If a dog issue was to be ongoing I'd be tempted to consider ripping it out. Hasnt this type of floor got a a really tough factory finish? If so, you would never be able to replicate that by way of DIY I think....


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## Shrubby (2 Feb 2014)

If the original finish was lacquer and has scratched off then an oil finish which penetrates into the wood might be more suited - and easier to touch up in high wear areas
Matt


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## RogerS (2 Feb 2014)

rafezetter":284uf197 said:


> .....
> As far as the floor is concerned, if it's solid wood you could contact the manufacturer and find out how thick the top layer is (the core is usually cheaper wood) .....[/url]



Isn't that a contradiction in terms? Solid wood is exactly that...solid wood. Talking about top layers applies to engineered floor boards. Yes, they are made from wood but not as I know it ! Some engineered boards are absolute cr*p and which is why I always will use a solid floorboard...often cheaper than engineered boards.


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## bernienufc (2 Feb 2014)

We had a bamboo floor based on the same advice, but we soon realised what a big mistake as the dogs ruined it in a matter of weeks. 
We were lucky in that the dishwasher flooded and ruined the floor so we had tiles put down and the bamboo became firewood (before i got into woodworking unfortunately)


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## KAIsaacs (10 Feb 2014)

Thanks everyone for your wisdom


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## rafezetter (12 Feb 2014)

RogerS":gupg6cv6 said:


> rafezetter":gupg6cv6 said:
> 
> 
> > .....
> ...



ok yes - it was the wrong term to use, engineered instead of solid, but the only people to make that distinction is someone with knowledge.


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## andersonec (22 Feb 2014)

RogerS":34sbn3mo said:


> rafezetter":34sbn3mo said:
> 
> 
> > .....
> ...



Not necessarily true roger, it all depends on what you pay, a *good* engineered floor is mostly better than solid wood because of the shrinkage, better engineered floors usually have around five or six millimeters of wood glued (PU) onto 15 mm birch ply which as you know has no voids and is very very stable, unlike solid wood it does not shrink or cup, as does solid wood if laid the wrong way up, I know you are going to say solid needs acclimatizing before it is laid but that is a luxury which is not always available and is a rule which sometimes is not adhered to and that's when the problems start, engineered can be laid as soon as it arrives and will not move.
The engineered flooring supplied by the sheds is usable but is a budget item as not everyone can afford the best but it will suffice in a room with minimal wear (attic) and is usually has to be stuck down, the best engineered flooring will cost as much as solid wood, it just saves on the amount of wood used and let's face it, most of the wood in a solid wood flooring is wasted as the wearing surface and the thickness of it is the important bit.

I don't think that whatever a wood floor is finished with will make a difference to dogs claws which will be digging in and gouging the timber especially when it starts to run and cannot get a purchase on the timber or trying to turn a corner, no finish will prevent gouging from claws.

Andy


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## n0legs (22 Feb 2014)

andersonec":pp5cd7jb said:


> RogerS":pp5cd7jb said:
> 
> 
> > rafezetter":pp5cd7jb said:
> ...



Andy has made some very good points. 
I've sold and laid the lot, Kahrs, Larodan, Boen Parkett, Bruce, Karelia, etc and not one of them will handle the wear and tear a dog creates.
When estimating jobs I would cringe when meeting customers dogs and probably lost thousands due to being honest with them and then selling them laminate.
In all honestly loose the dogs or get prepared for a lifetime of refinishing the floors. If you think about it you can mark a piece of furniture with your thumb nail, a floor isn't going to fair any better.
On refinishing we used a hell of a lot of Trip Trap oils ( bare wood or well sanded is the best bet for this treatment ). We got suckered and bought in a lot of manufactures refinish products to keep warranty issues happy (Kahrs was the best) and good old Ronseal floor varnish.
Real wood, either engineered or solid = shoes off at the door, protection pads on all the furniture, no pets (and preferably no kids, you should see what a trodden on lego brick will do), regular sweeping, avoid liquids, avoid dropping anything ever and with some products even moving the furniture about to even out the UV staining/bleaching. 
My advice -- 180 grit >> 320 grit , 2 coats of varnish, remember your method and do the same in 2 years.
Good luck.


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## RogerP (22 Feb 2014)

n0legs":26mf2gnd said:


> Real wood, either engineered or solid = shoes off at the door, protection pads on all the furniture, no pets (and preferably no kids, you should see what a trodden on lego brick will do), regular sweeping, avoid liquids, avoid dropping anything ever and with some products even moving the furniture about to even out the UV staining/bleaching.
> My advice -- 180 grit >> 320 grit , 2 coats of varnish, remember your method and do the same in 2 years.
> Good luck.


 .... that's why I have Wilton fitted carpets throughout. They take whatever punishment you throw at them, last almost forever and are warmer and quieter than wood. 

Dunno which magazine or TV programme started all this wooden floor malarkey - but they've a lot to answer for!


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## n0legs (22 Feb 2014)

RogerP":1rpr6bei said:


> .... that's why I have Wilton fitted carpets throughout. They take whatever punishment you throw at them, last almost forever and are warmer and quieter than wood.
> 
> Dunno which magazine or TV programme started all this wooden floor malarkey - but they've a lot to answer for!



When the kids are gone, 
1st, Biggest party ever.
2nd, Carpets everywhere.
Much more comfortable than these blooming hard floors. Going to have to sweet talk the missus but I'll get her bags from the attic when I get the kids.


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## Harbo (22 Feb 2014)

I love carpets too especially Wilton that we buy direct from the factory!

Rod


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