We are having a Brazilian cherry hardwood floor installed in our kitchen, bathroom, and washer/dryer room in the next week or so, and I'm a bit worried about our dog scratching it with his nails. For those of you with hardwood floors or knowledge of the product, I'm wondering if you can tell me how a protectant is applied, who applies the protectant, and how much extra it costs to have it put on. I'd hate to get this brand new floor and have my dog scratch it up immediately. Any info will be helpful and I thank you in advance.

I'm not a flooring expert, but a friend of mine applied a couple coats of polyurethane to his hardwood floors and they looked great.

BTW, get ready for the Doggy Ice Follies if you have the kind of dog that likes to make a running entrance into the room. Back when we had our ceramic tile put in our kitchen, we got used to seeing our Sheltie-Corgi mix, Buddy, run into the kitchen and then slide, Kramer-like, into the cabinets. It was hilarious, although probably not to him.

The protective coat on the flooring is very good.

A couple of things to consider:

1. Putting hardwood flooring in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room might not be the best idea. Water is wood's worst enemy. Ceramic tile in those locations would be safer and smarter. Hardwood flooring is great for living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms, hallways, foyers, and I even like it in the bedrooms.

2. Get the 3/4 inch wood rather than the 1/2 inch. It's harder to install because you have to nail it rather than glue it, but you can later sand the 3/4 inch and be certain that won't splinter the wood.

I realize my recommendations probably won't sit well w/your wife, but it's something to think about.

Wood flooring in wet areas is a bad idea.

Wood grained tile is popular in some areas, although it does not work well in cooler areas because it is tile.

I suggest a flooring material that can handle water. Dog nails won't matter when it splits.

Tile should be textured non-porous and slip resistant.