"For coziness in a living room, dining room, or den, nothing looks better than a shining hardwood floor graced with an area rug or two, says Consumer Reports. But for practicality in a highly trafficked hallway or kitchen, hardwood takes a beating. It doesn't stand up terribly well to everyday assaults like dropped pots, dragged furniture, cleats, claws, and clonking clogs."

"The same can be said for engineered wood — that is, layers of plywood and other materials topped with a thin slice of real hardwood veneer and a protective coating."

"When faced with the abrasion machine in Consumer Reports' surface-​wear tests — a stand-​in for the abuse flooring gets in high-​traffic areas — most of the prefinished solid-​wood and engineered-​wood products in Consumers Reports' recent evaluations receive Good or Fair results."

"Consumer Reports' top-​performing flooring products in laminate and porcelain tile, and most top-​performing vinyls, get Excellent ratings not just for resisting foot traffic but also stains and sunlight."

"Here's what to know about each of these if you're planning to install flooring in a high-​traffic area."

"Laminate

Laminate flooring can resemble almost anything: stone, tile, even wood. That's because it's composed of a photograph sandwiched between a dense fiberboard base and a clear plastic protective top layer. The repetitive patterns of laminate boards, however, can betray their fakeness."

"Laminate can be extremely tough stuff. But you’ll have to replace the flooring once its top layer has worn through, because it can’t be sanded like wood."

"Porcelain Tile

A classic flooring material, tile tends to resist wear, moisture, scratches, dents, and stains. But installing porcelain tiles can be challenging, so for most applications it might be best to hire a professional. Dropped cups and dishes break more easily on tile, and grout can stain. Replacing cracked tiles also can be a challenge."

"Vinyl

This type of flooring is especially good at fending off wear, dents, scratches, discoloration from sunlight, and stains. So it's an appropriate flooring for high-​traffic areas. It's relatively easy to install — particularly as tiles or planks — and has numerous color and design choices. Premium brands can resemble stone, tile, and even oak."

Carpet/​Flooring Buyers should know the facts about their next flooring decision and can be educated through both traditional and digital advertisements. According to AudienceSCAN, last year, these shoppers took action after receiving direct mail and email ads, seeing TV commercials and finding ads on daily deals sites such as Groupon.

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. In addition, AdMall contains industry profiles on floor covering stores and building supply stores, as well as lead lists at the local level. Media companies, sales reps and agencies can access this data with a subscription to AdMall from SalesFuel.