Cat owners - read this before installing engineered wood

17 years ago

Well, I learned this one the hard way. I'm about halfway through a room-by-room makeover of a house, where I'm using Bruce engineered hardwood flooring -- the 3/8" stuff from Lowe's.

It's beautiful and easy to install. But little did I know that it is EXTREMELY susceptible to moisture damage. I've had the floors down for only a few months now, and I already have two places where the cats barfed on a joint and the wood swelled, cracking the finish. If you have cats, you know barfing just sort of comes with the territory.

If I'd had any idea, I never would have gone with these floors. I suppose it's patina. But I also know I've never had this issue on solid wood floors before (and I've dealt with a lot of cat barf in my day).

I haven't gotten to the kitchen yet, where I'd planned to use the same floors. Now I'm seriously rethinking that strategy.

Oh, and Bruce's Web site doesn't let you contact them about things like this until you contact your retailer first. Very lame.

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Comments (3)

rivkadr
17 years ago
You have to be careful about making sweeping generalizations -- it sounds like your problem is with your specific brand of engineered floor. I have engineered wood floors (BR-111 Triangulo), and cats...that barf quite a bit. I have had no trouble with swelling wood or cracking finish. I've had cat barf sit overnight on the wood, and it cleaned up just fine, with absolutely no noticeable swelling. My cat went through a bout of liver failure lasting over a month which involved her literally barfing every couple of hours -- we kept her in the guest room, where she barfed all over the floor (and walls, and everything). You would have no idea that she had ever even been in there now, it cleaned up so easily (the only hard part is getting the barf out of the joints).

Heck, I've had my cat pee on one section of the floor (and I didn't find it till several hours after it had happened, and it had dried there), and it cleaned up so well with enzymatic cleaners that a) you can't even tell it happened as there is no swelling or change in the finish, b) the finish was so good at keeping out the moisture, and the enzymatic cleaner worked so well that you can't even smell the urine that was there even if you get your nose right up next to where it happened, and c) my cat has never peed again there since -- which tells me that we really got the stain/smell out.

I've been very happy with BR-111 as far as moisture and the finish goes -- we've spilled things, had cat barf and cat pee issues as I've mentioned...all of it cleans up easily, and the finish isn't marred a bit.
susanlynn2012
17 years ago
rivkadr, thanks for letting me know that BR-111 held up to the moisture since I am still considering it.

I finally found someone to do my tiles right now and I am upset that he forgot that he could use quarter rounds on the walls to cover the tiles that did not quite reach the wall and told me that he had to make a boarder before putting the diagonal tiles in or there would be tiny 1/4" and 1/2" small pieces going around. The small area is only 4" X 4.33" so I did not want a border to make it smaller. I love the color of the tile and that was a good choice.

I could not put the engineered wood in until the tiled two foyers were done since I did not want the grout to scratch my hardwood floors. I wish I had him do the middle foyer first that if he did not do the way I wanted, it would not be as big of a deal to me.
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glennsfc
17 years ago
dmdkc did specify the brand and where it was purchased, so I would not call that a "sweeping generalization"...

The title of the post does tend to lump all engineered wood into the 'caution' category, however...

But, the intention is honest and cautions consumers to be aware that some engineered prefinished flooring can be affected by a particular surface 'water event'...