There’s no getting away from the fact that pets can be a bit tough on your home. Chewing on siding, paws up on sills, and all the usual, loveable things that pets do mean that when it’s time to choose materials for your home, you have to keep your furry friends in mind.
Making your windows pet-friendly
You will definitely want a vinyl window if you have pets. It’s easy to clean, you can wipe off dog hair easily, and it prevents scratches. This is especially important if you have pets that like getting up in windows to take in the view.
If you like the look of a wood-framed window and nothing else will do, make sure it’s pre-finished with a coat of polyurethane. Depending on the window you select, this is either done in manufacturing, or we can do it once it is installed.
Protip: Use ArmorAll on your window jamb, or any other surface where pets may be, to prevent pet hair from sticking to it.
Dog and cat-friendly doors
To get the best protection for pets, you want a steel door with a vinyl-clad frame. The steel will prevent marks from scratching, and the vinyl on the frame will be easy to clean. if you are going to get a storm door, get one with glass on the bottom and no screen – these are called top vent storm doors.
Pet-resistant screen
Pet-resistant screen, typically made from aluminum or fibreglass, is ideal for patio doors, window screen where a pet may be by an open window, gazebos, and anywhere else your pets may have access to a screen. It can be purchased at any major hardware store.
Insulplank siding – takes a beating and keeps on standing
Insulplank is heavy, overbuilt vinyl siding with foam backing built to take any kind of abuse – and pets are at the bottom end of what it can withstand. We had a customer who had a 30-foot tall tree land on their house which had insulplank installed, and it should have destroyed it; instead, it just left a gouge.
Insulplank increases the R-value of your home, providing extra all-season insulation. The same properties also offer noise reduction in your home. One of its side benefits is that it is a natural woodpecker deterrent – they don’t like pecking on it. So if you have a woodpecker problem, consider Insulplank siding to ward them off.
Our pets are important to all of us, and most of us would rather let the house go to the dogs than reprimand our pets for performing certain actions which can damage our homes. But with a bit of care, we can ensure that our homes won’t take any damage from the four-legged members of our families.