Life comes at you fast, and when you’re looking at building or updating a home, you want to be sure to choose products that will hold up to the wear and tear of everyday living. The truth is, if you have pets, children, or both, you will have enough to worry about. Protecting your floors and doors will not be items you want to keep on your priority list. Think about the times you’ll hear a toy hit the floor, the glass of wine that may spill, or muddy soccer cleats charging in. You won’t need to stress when you have durable products. We want to share our list of the three products we recommend to families, because we have come to find they are products that will work for you – not the other way around.

Durable Doors

First, let’s talk about doors. When it comes to door material, you’ll likely hear about wood, fiberglass, and steel options. Fiberglass outperforms steel and wood in many ways. While fiberglass requires minimal maintenance, wood demands constant upkeep and steel can rust over time without a proper overhang. Fiberglass is strong enough to withstand everyday wear and does not scratch or dent, while wood scratches easily and steel dents with every kick. Energy efficiency is important, and we love that fiberglass doors have up to four times the insulating R-value of wood. Plus, you know a product is good when it is backed by the manufacturer with a limited lifetime warranty.

There are hundreds of style options in Therma-Tru fiberglass collections, and we have a few we recommend for growing families. When it comes to tiny hands (and handprints), you might opt for a door style with a larger bottom rail, or a smaller amount of glass. You still get all the beauty of natural light, but less fingerprints to clean off the glass. However, if you’d like to maximize the amount of natural light, you’re going to want a full lite option. Of course you can always go with clear or Low-E glass, but if you want some privacy, you have many decorative or textured glass styles with a higher privacy rating to choose from.

A common door option for the side or back of the home is Smooth-Star Style S2600. It’s a full lite door, with flush-glazed construction with blinds between the glass. We love this style for its ability to let in light when you want it, give you maximum privacy when you need it, and for its easy cleaning surface. For a beautiful entryway that will stand up to weather, kids, and wet noses, we suggest Therma-Tru fiberglass doors for longevity and beauty. View all your options here.

Functional Flooring

You want a flooring that is beautiful, but with a growing family and larger pets, you need a style that is easy to clean, repels stains, and is engineered to withstand the wear and tear from shoes, paws, and toys. Meet Pinnacle, the beautiful luxury vinyl plank that sets a new high standard in engineered flooring. It offers phenomenal comfort, superior stain and scratch resistance, and amazing natural details.

Dave Buck, Flooring Sales Manager at Palmer-Donavin, added, “This product is designed for heavy use. It’s overall 11.5mm thickness, ZeroMark® Stain Resistance, EIR Embossing and 28 mil wear layer makes Pinnacle one of the toughest LVT products on the market today. There has never been anything quite like this in the LVP category and it is a great option for families with an active lifestyle. There are 12 great color options geared to suit any design.”

Four-legged friends and kids can lead to extra spills and accidents, but this flooring has durable wear layers that keep your floors protected and you can remain worry-free. With carpet or traditional hardwood flooring, even with immediate cleanup, any kind of dampness could cause permanent damage to the floors. We love that Pinnacle floors don’t absorb moisture. This makes it a great option for flooring in areas like kitchens and half bathrooms, where spills happen.

This luxury vinyl plank product is treated with patented technology that prevents the growth of microorganisms that come in contact with its surface. With sticky fingers and dirty paws, we think a flooring that deters bacteria growth is a huge win. Lastly, Pinnacle is backed by Happy Feet International with a Lifetime Limited Residential Warranty, giving you peace of mind that they stand behind their product.

Lasting Cabinets

Painted cabinets are very popular right now, but unfortunately, they are not the most forgiving when it comes to everyday wear and tear. Stained cabinets can take a little more abuse, but Aly Williams, Kitchen Designer at Palmer-Donavin, shared her recommendation for families.

“PureStyle^™ Laminate from MasterBrand is the best for withstanding the chaos of life. Laminates have had a bad name in the past, but PureStyle^™ Laminate options are a new way of wrapping the door so that the laminate doesn’t peel. And as opposed to thermofoil, which is a routed slab product, PureStyle^™ Laminate has a true 5-piece construction that looks like painted wood cabinets and doesn’t yellow over time.”

Brands like Aristokraft and Schrock Entra have the most options for PureStyle^™ Laminate doors. The look is on trend and delivers crisp, clean details and a quality finish – great for minimalist styles. The wrapped door and front components are built to perform over time. This product has gone through rigorous performance testing and has met all certification requirements as prescribed by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. You want it to look great, and you want it to last. We recommend this style because the cabinets are engineered to have consistent color throughout and it’s coating makes it resistant to scratching, fading and surface water. PureStyle^™ Laminate brings fashion without the fuss.

PureStyle^™ Laminate doors offer the beauty of paint with the durability of laminate. Spilled drinks? No problem. It resists moisture, warping, expansion, and contraction making it ideal for homes that may have more spills. With more hands and paws in the home, you will want something that cleans beautifully, and a simple solution of dish soap and water is all it takes to tidy it up. We love products that are backed by the manufacturer and this one is no different. MasterBrand extends a 5-Year Warranty to the cabinets’ original owners.

When updating or building your home, you will want to be sure the products you install will stand up to the high foot traffic from friends and family, and the wear and tear from pets and little ones. If you use Therma-Tru fiberglass doors, you can have peace of mind knowing your entryways will protect your home from water infiltration and stand up to the wear for years to come. With Pinnacle flooring by Happy Feet, you won’t feel stressed when you hear the toy fall or see the wine spill. And lastly, we recommend PureStyle^™ Laminate by MasterBrand for its clean lines and its resistance to scratching and fading. If you have any questions about our products, please contact us and we’ll connect you with our door, flooring, and cabinet specialists.