Remodeling? Make room for your pets
Remember your pets when remodeling or renovating your home.
It’s their home, too.
Here are some ideas on ways to make your home more pet-friendly – and make life easier on you when it comes to keeping everything as clean as you want. The suggestions include details on best surfaces, mud rooms, walk-in showers, storage hideaways for food and water bowls, and more.
Mud room
In an ideal world you will have a mud room where pets – and people – can shake off rain, snow and dirt before entering the main house.
No mud room? Look for a side entrance where an experienced contractor can add an extension, preferably with a sink and cubbies for storage. You can even have a pet-washing station.
A utility room can be a great catch-all for coats, leashes, bowls and other pet paraphernalia. It will add to your comfort now and to the value of the house if you decide to sell it.
Carpet
Carpeting is a double-edged sword pet-wise.
It’s soft on the paws, but it can be tough to clean, especially with pets that shed hair. If you choose carpeting, authorities recommend long-lasting, low-pile models. They’re less likely to snag on paws, resistant to dirt and built to serve high-traffic areas.
Hard surface
Hardwood floors are scratch-resistant, making them a good fit with pets – and the click-click-click of paws will tell you where your cat or dog is headed.
“Hardwood floors with a protective finish can sufficiently withstand the wear and tear caused by pets,” says the National Association of Home Builders. “Alternatively, laminate or vinyl flooring that replicates the appearance of hardwood offers a cost-effective option that is still resistant to scratches and other damage.”
Today’s market gives you many choices of durable hard flooring that offer great style and the qualities needed to handle pets, too.
Walk-in shower
Do you need another good reason to install a walk-in shower?
A walk-in shower simplifies the task of washing and drying pets. That’s a win-win; both you and the pets benefit.
Food, water bowls
Depending on space and budget, you can install feeding stations and built-in pet beds and even set aside a room specifically for the pets.
Cabinetry can be modified to keep the bowls out of sight except when it’s feeding time. Carpenters can create cabinets or trays to keep the bowls out of sight when you wish.
They also can make pet doors, and not just any pet door, either. You can have an automated pet door with a monitoring system to inform you of your pet’s comings and goings!
Reliable Renovations serves New York City and Long Island. 917-994-9430. Give us a chance to win your business.