Deciding on a floor covering takes research

With many new floor covering products to choose from, how do you, the consumer, decide among carpet and tile, hardwood and stone, linoleum and laminate? With so many categories, colors and styles available, selecting a floor covering can be a daunting task.

There are a few important factors to consider when choosing your floor covering:

“How will the room be used?

“Will there be much foot traffic?

“Does the material need to be waterproof?

“And, of course, among other considerations, what is your budget?

To ease the process of navigating the floor-covering maze, the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) offers consumers an educational Web site, http://www.wfca.org, featuring detailed information about the kinds of flooring that are available, as well as the pros and cons of each.

In addition, users can mix and match a wide variety of floor coverings in various room settings. Another interactive component allows you to install the floor covering of your choice in a variety of virtual rooms so you can see the effect different floors have on the same space.

When you visit the site, you can also create your own online floor-covering notebook with information on the floor coverings that best suit your lifestyle and taste. To make purchase easier, you can even send your personalized notebook to an authorized retailer in your area for further assistance.

“The process of selecting floor covering is challenging for anyone — including those of us in the industry. There are endless choices available,” Chris Davis, WFCA’s chief executive officer, said. “WFCA.org was designed to enable consumers to visualize a variety of flooring options in virtual spaces similar to their own and in so doing, make intelligent and informed decisions.”