Hard Flooring Insights for your home from an Industry Expert

Hybrid, Laminate, Vinyl, what's even the difference?

At Floorworld, the difference is quite a lot, but it's understandable how you can get lost in all the noise of conflicting information and broken promises.

Flooring, like most things, changes with the ages. Gone are your old grandma's ugly vinyls, and in are advanced technologies, such as embossed-in-register textures that create artificial hard flooring almost identical to the real thing.

Let's get you up to speed. We met with Ben Pinniger from Smith’s Floorworld Ringwood in Victoria, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in flooring, to speak more on what you need to know about the differences in hard flooring types today.

Laminate Flooring

What is Laminate Flooring:

Laminate flooring is a manufactured floor that consists of a dense wood-fibre core with several layers of paper on top. These paper layers are then reinforced with melamine (a tough thermoplastic) to act as a protective wear surface and lock in a printed design. This is what allows the results to look like timber or stone, but with the extra durability and ease of maintenance.

Laminate Flooring Advantages

• Top-tier scratch resistance and warranties: The reinforced wear layers help to provide highly resistant flooring that is backed by suppliers for a longer period.
• Easier to install: Many modern laminates come in click-together boards, making installation quick and easy for a professional.
• DIY friendly: With the click-together boards, installation is more straightforward, faster, and can be done on your own.

Who is Laminate Flooring for?

Laminate flooring is an excellent general product that is nearly perfect for any household prone to mess or damage. This makes it a great choice for families with kids or pets, as it is easy to clean, looks good, and requires minimal fuss to maintain.

Installation details for Laminate Flooring

• Floating install: Floorboards can click together over an underlay, meaning no need for glue on a subfloor.
• Allow for expansion: Either remove and refit skirting boards, or add scotia beading to cover expansion gaps.
• Underlay: Typically 2–4 mm, chosen for acoustics and comfort
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Vinyl Flooring

What is Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is a manufactured floor that consists of a 100% PVC (Plastic) core with a tough wear layer on top. This softer core means that vinyl flooring feels softer compared to other hard flooring, like laminate, and is also naturally water-resistant.

Vinyl Flooring Advantages:

• Softer underfoot: A softer core means that the feel underfoot is both softer and quieter than many other hard flooring options without sacrificing much in terms of durability.
• Relatively low cost: A high-quality vinyl floor is generally cheaper than other hard-flooring options.
• Fully Water-Resistant: Makes flooring perfect for kitchens and high-traffic areas prone to spills.

Who is Vinyl Flooring for?

Vinyl is perfect for budget-conscious families and new builds, where you can start with a flat, smooth base of land. For renovations, it is essential to note that floor prep is a major part of a vinyl installation, where flattening the surface can be a significant cost.

Installation Details for Vinyl Flooring

• Floor preparation is often required: It is essential to know that you need a nearly-perfectly smooth base to install vinyl flooring, and that patching, grinding, or levelling may be necessary to achieve a flat and smooth subfloor.
• Glued-down install: Planks need to be glued and fully adhered for a stable, clean finish.
• Professional installer required: Due to the difficulty and nature of proper floor prep and glued adhesion, vinyl floors are recommended to be installed only by a professional.

Hybrid Flooring

What is Hybrid Flooring

Hybrid flooring is the newest member of the hard-flooring family, combining the best of both vinyl and laminate into a stone-plastic core (SPC) with pre-attached underlay in most cases.

Hybrid Flooring Advantages:

• Gets all the advantages of vinyl with the ease of installation from laminate: Combines the softness underfoot and full water resistance of vinyl, and is easier to install, similar to laminate.
• Super popular, new technology: The newest member of the hard flooring family.
• Water-resistant: Similar to vinyl, this makes the flooring perfect for kitchens and high-traffic areas prone to spills.
• Built-in underlay: No need for additional underlay installation
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Who is Hybrid Flooring for?

Great for renovations and for going over existing hard floors (tiles or timber) without ripping them up, as long as the surface is secure and within flatness tolerances. Ease of cleaning makes this a good choice for households prone to mess and foot traffic.

Installation Details for Hybrid Flooring

• Floating floor: Planks that can click together over an existing surface/subfloor
• Potentially DIY: Due to the similar design to laminate, the floor can be DIYed, but a professional is recommended to avoid edge cases and ensure a clean, long-lasting finish.

Timber

What is Timber Flooring

Timber flooring consists of real timber boards, either solid or engineered, with a natural wood surface that provides a timeless design and historically tested value.

Timber Flooring Advantages:

• The flooring that all others imitate: Timber flooring is the look that all other hard-flooring attempts to copy.
• Able to be refreshed and resanded: While timber flooring is prone to damage, the surface can be resanded and refinished to restore it to nearly new condition.
• Increase product value: Timber flooring in a home is greatly sought after and, as such, tends to increase the home's value
• Product longevity: With careful maintenance and preparation, timber floors can last for many years.

Who is Timber Flooring for?

Perfect for people who want the best in their home, people who love design and authenticity, or are building a dream home that will hold for years to come.

Installation Details for Timber Flooring

• Methods: Can be glued down for a solid, quiet feel, or floated (commonly for engineered timber).
• Subfloor matters: Needs a flat, dry, stable base; moisture control is critical.
• DIY? Not recommended. Professional installation protects your investment and ensures the right adhesives, acclimation, and expansion gaps are used.