By Tony Chalhoub, founder of CarpetAce
Short answer: Choose carpet for bedrooms and living areas where warmth, softness and a quieter home matter most. Choose hybrid for kitchens, hallways, open-plan living and busy homes with pets, where a hard, easy-to-clean, water-resistant surface is the priority. At CarpetAce, carpet starts from $20.50/m² and Terra Mater Resiplank hybrid costs $45–$65/m², supply only, including GST.
Many homes end up with both: hybrid through the kitchen and living areas, carpet in the bedrooms. If you’re deciding room by room, this guide sets out the honest trade-offs and what each option really costs once it’s installed.
Carpet vs hybrid at a glance
| Carpet | Hybrid (Terra Mater Resiplank) | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel underfoot | Soft and warm | Firm; cooler in winter |
| Noise | Absorbs sound, so footsteps are quieter | A hard surface carries more footfall noise; the planks have an underlay attached and published acoustic ratings |
| Spills and water | Absorbs spills; not for kitchens or wet areas | Spills wipe up. Terra Mater lists the planks as 100% waterproof, but the floor isn’t a waterproof barrier for the subfloor |
| Cleaning | Regular vacuuming; spills need prompt attention | Sweep or vacuum, then damp mop |
| Supply price (inc GST) | From $20.50/m²; mid-range solution-dyed nylon $43.50/m²; mid-range wool $68.30/m² | $45/m² (7mm), $55/m² (8.5mm), $65/m² (9.7mm) |
| Installation | $11–$13.60/m², plus underlay at $6–$10/m² | $28/m² (underlay already attached), plus edges at $10–$20/m² |
| How it’s ordered | Off a 3.66 m roll; rooms wider than the roll need a join and a fill piece | Floor area plus 8% for offcuts |
| Best rooms | Bedrooms, lounges, media rooms | Kitchens, meals and living areas, hallways |
Carpet: pros and cons
Pros
- Comfort. Carpet is soft and warm underfoot, and a forgiving surface for children playing on the floor.
- Quiet. Carpet and underlay absorb sound, which helps upstairs, in bedrooms and in apartments.
- Choice. Wool, nylon, triexta and blends, in loop and cut piles and a wide range of colours. Browse our carpet range.
- Price range. Carpet starts from $20.50/m² and runs to about $123/m² for designer wool, so there’s an option for most projects.
Cons
- Upkeep. Carpet holds dust and needs regular vacuuming, and spills or pet accidents can stain.
- Not for wet areas. Carpet doesn’t belong in kitchens, laundries or bathrooms.
- Wear paths. In the busiest walkways, the pile will show wear over time.
- Roll width. Carpet comes off a 3.66 m roll. Rooms wider than that need a join and a fill piece, which adds carpet to the order. We do our best to keep joins out of high-traffic areas.
Hybrid: pros and cons
Pros
- Hard-wearing. Resiplank has a rigid core under a clear wear layer: 0.5mm on the 7mm and 8.5mm planks, and 0.7mm on the 9.7mm.
- Handles spills. Terra Mater lists the planks as 100% waterproof, so everyday kitchen spills won’t swell the boards.
- Easy to clean. A quick sweep and damp mop is enough for most homes.
- Works with underfloor heating. Terra Mater lists Resiplank as suitable for hydronic underfloor heating up to 27°C.
- Published acoustic results. Each plank has an EVA underlay attached, and Terra Mater publishes acoustic results: 6 Star for the 9.7mm and 5 Star for the 7mm and 8.5mm.
- Flow. One continuous floor through open-plan living looks clean and modern. Browse our hybrid flooring.
Cons
- Harder and cooler. Hybrid is firm underfoot and can feel cold in winter. Rugs help in living areas.
- More noise than carpet. Even with an attached underlay, footsteps and dropped items are louder than on carpet.
- Water can still get underneath. The planks resist water, but water that runs under the edges or through the joins can reach the subfloor. Wipe up spills and don’t treat hybrid as wet-area waterproofing.
- Floor preparation. Hybrid needs a flat subfloor. Every hard floor is subject to floor preparation, quoted at the measure.
- It’s a timber look, not timber. If you want real timber, look at our engineered timber instead.
Which suits you?
Choose carpet if comfort and quiet come first: bedrooms, a formal lounge, a media room, or an upstairs level where footsteps carry.
Choose hybrid if the room sees spills, sand, pets or heavy traffic: kitchens, meals areas, hallways and open-plan family living.
Choosing both? That’s common. Carpet and hybrid sit at different heights, so the doorway between them needs a trim. Trims are quoted at the free measure. In an apartment, check your owners corporation’s rules on hard floors before choosing hybrid.
What it costs: a 20 m² living room
Here’s a 5 × 4 m living room priced both ways. The room is wider than the 3.66 m carpet roll in both directions, so the carpet needs a join and a fill piece: two 4.1 m lengths (4 m plus 0.1 m for trimming), or 2 × 4.1 × 3.66 = about 30.0 m² of carpet. Hybrid is the floor area plus 8%: 20 × 1.08 = 21.6 m².
| Item | Carpet, mid-range nylon | Hybrid 7mm | Hybrid 8.5mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flooring | 30.0 m² × $43.50 = $1,305 | 21.6 m² × $45 = $972 | 21.6 m² × $55 = $1,188 |
| Underlay | 20 m² × $6–$10 = $120–$200 | Attached to the planks | Attached to the planks |
| Installation | 20 m² × $11–$13.60 = $220–$272 | 20 m² × $28 = $560 | 20 m² × $28 = $560 |
| Edges | Not needed | Scotia $200, or skirting removed and refitted $400 | Scotia $200, or skirting removed and refitted $400 |
| Total (inc GST) | $1,645–$1,777 | $1,732–$1,932 | $1,948–$2,148 |
Edges are $10/m² for scotia or quad beading, or $20/m² to remove and refit the skirting so no scotia is needed. We don’t paint, so your painter touches up the skirting afterwards. Floor preparation is quoted at the measure. Taking up old carpet (about $8/m²) and furniture moving ($8/m²) are extra for either floor.
In this room the carpet carries extra because of the roll width. In a room narrower than 3.66 m, much less carpet is left over, so mid-range carpet comes in further below hybrid. Full breakdowns are on our carpet prices and hybrid flooring prices pages, and our flooring price calculator works it out for your own rooms.
Frequently asked questions
Is hybrid flooring waterproof?
Terra Mater lists the Resiplank planks as 100% waterproof, which means the planks themselves won’t swell from spills. The floor as a whole isn’t a waterproof barrier, though: water that gets under the edges or through the joins can still damage the subfloor. Wipe up spills promptly.
Which is quieter, carpet or hybrid?
Carpet, clearly. Carpet and underlay absorb footfall noise. Resiplank has an attached underlay and published acoustic ratings, which helps, but it’s still a hard floor. In apartments, check your owners corporation’s acoustic rules before choosing a hard floor.
Is hybrid good with pets?
It’s a practical choice: accidents wipe up and the wear layer handles everyday traffic. Claws can still mark any floor, so keep them trimmed. Carpet suits pets too if you choose a cut pile in solution-dyed nylon.
Can I see how each floor would look in my home?
Yes. Our mobile showroom brings carpet and hybrid samples to your home. You can also preview a floor in a photo of your own room with See it in your room.
Book a free measure and quote
We’ll bring carpet and hybrid samples to your home, measure every room and email a written quote within 24 hours of the measure. Book your free measure and quote or call 0425 552 816.