Hard Floors: Timber, Hybrid, Vinyl & Laminate

By Tony Chalhoub, founder of CarpetAce

Short answer: Choose engineered timber for a real timber floor you can refinish later, hybrid for a tough, water-resistant floor in busy kitchens and open-plan living, 5mm vinyl plank for a slim, water-resistant floor over a very flat subfloor, and laminate for dry living areas and bedrooms at the lowest supply price. At CarpetAce, laminate is about $40/m², hybrid and vinyl plank start at $45/m² and engineered oak starts from $89/m², supply only, including GST. We don’t lay ceramic tiles or true linoleum.

All four floors look excellent on handover day. The differences show up over the years, with spilt water, claws and slabs that aren’t quite flat. After more than 20 years on the tools, here’s how each floor is built, where it suits and what it costs to install.

Hard floors at a glance

	Engineered timber	Hybrid	Vinyl plank (5mm)	Laminate
Construction	Real hardwood top layer on a layered core	Rigid core, printed look, wear layer, underlay attached	PVC plank, printed look, wear layer	Fibreboard core, printed look, hard wear layer
Water	Wipe spills promptly; standing water can swell it	Planks resist water; water can get under edges and joins	As for hybrid	Keep out of wet areas
Scratches	Marks more easily; can usually be sanded and recoated	Resists scuffs; can’t be sanded	Resists scuffs; can dent	Very hard-wearing; can’t be sanded
Underfloor heating	Depends on the range	Resiplank listed for hydronic systems up to 27°C	Ardore listed for in-slab hydronic up to 27°C	NuCore listed for in-slab hydronic up to 27°C
Installation	Floating or direct stick	Floating	Glued or floated, by product	Floating over underlay
Supply per m² (inc GST)	Oak from $89; Australian species about $130	$45–$65	About $45	About $40

Engineered timber

Construction: a real hardwood top layer bonded to a stable multi-ply or layered core. In the European oak ranges we supply from Greenwoods and Terra Mater WildOak, the top layer is 2–4mm thick; Terra Mater Barrington has a 3–4mm layer of Spotted Gum or Blackbutt. The layered core moves less with the seasons than solid boards, which is why engineered timber is the usual choice over a Melbourne slab.

Look: natural grain, with every board a little different, in long, wide boards (WildOak Soleil is 2200 × 220mm), herringbone, parquetry and Australian species.

Water and scratches: wipe up spills promptly and put a mat at the sink. Timber marks more easily than hybrid, and many owners accept that as character. Depending on the top layer and its wear, it can usually be sanded and recoated later in its life.

Underfloor heating: check the range. Terra Mater WildOak is listed for in-slab hydronic systems up to 27°C; Greenwoods doesn’t list its ranges for heating, and its warranty excludes heated subfloors.

Installation: floated over an underlay, or glued direct to the subfloor, which costs more but feels more solid and sounds quieter underfoot. We decide the method at the measure, once we’ve seen the subfloor and the board. Herringbone is priced on request, and WildOak herringbone is direct stick only.

Where it suits: living areas, entries and whole-home floors in a house you plan to stay in. Browse our engineered timber flooring.

Hybrid

Construction: a rigid core with a printed timber look under a clear wear layer, and an underlay bonded to the back. Terra Mater Resiplank comes in 7mm, 8.5mm and 9.7mm, with a 0.5mm wear layer on the two thinner planks and 0.7mm on the 9.7mm. We also supply UB Trading’s Aqua Stone, a stone polymer composite (SPC) plank with a 0.55mm wear layer.

Look: an even timber look from plank to plank, from pale oak to Spotted Gum and Blackbutt. Close up, it’s a print, not timber.

Water and scratches: Terra Mater lists the Resiplank planks as 100% waterproof, so kitchen spills won’t swell them. The floor isn’t a waterproof barrier, though: water that runs under the edges or through the joins can reach the subfloor, so it isn’t for shower recesses. The wear layer handles kids, pets and sand, but it can’t be sanded back once worn through.

Underfloor heating: Terra Mater lists Resiplank as suitable for hydronic underfloor heating up to 27°C.

Installation: the planks click together and float, with no separate underlay. Hybrid needs a flat floor, though its rigid core bridges minor imperfections better than vinyl plank. Terra Mater publishes acoustic ratings of 6 Star for the 9.7mm and 5 Star for the 7mm and 8.5mm, which helps in apartments.

Where it suits: kitchens, open-plan living, hallways, rentals and busy homes with pets. Browse our hybrid flooring, or read what hybrid flooring is and how floating floors work.

Vinyl plank and sheet vinyl

Construction: a PVC plank with a printed design under a clear wear layer. The vinyl plank we supply is 5mm thick; Terra Mater’s Resiplank Ardore 507, for example, has a 0.7mm wear layer and a PU-coated surface.

Look: realistic timber looks in a slim floor.

Water and scratches: the planks resist water, but as with hybrid, water can get through the joins and edges. The wear layer resists scuffs; heavy point loads can dent it, so use furniture protectors.

Underfloor heating: Terra Mater lists Ardore for in-slab hydronic systems up to 27°C.

Installation: glued down or floated, depending on the product; we confirm the method at the measure. A thin plank shows every bump and dip, so preparation matters most here.

Where it suits: kitchens, living areas, rentals and rooms with tight door clearances. Browse our vinyl plank flooring.

Sheet vinyl: for commercial kitchens, healthcare and other commercial wet areas, we supply safety and commercial sheet vinyl such as Supersafe and AquaSafe. It comes in wide sheets whose seams can be heat-welded, and it’s the floor most Australians call “lino”. It’s a commercial floor: for a home laundry, we’d suggest hybrid or vinyl plank.

Laminate

Construction: a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core under a photographic timber layer and a hard, clear wear layer. Terra Mater’s NuCore boards are 12mm thick and rated AC4 (Excellence) or AC5, for heavy commercial use (Extreme).

Look: timber looks, often with embossing that follows the printed grain.

Water and scratches: the surface is very hard-wearing, but the core doesn’t like water. Terra Mater lists NuCore Extreme with 24-hour water resistance, not as waterproof, so keep laminate out of laundries, bathrooms and spill-prone kitchens.

Underfloor heating: NuCore is listed for in-slab hydronic systems up to 27°C.

Installation: laminate floats over an underlay, with a moisture barrier over a slab. A floating laminate floor can sound a little hollow underfoot, so the underlay matters, especially upstairs.

Where it suits: bedrooms, studies and living areas away from water, plus offices and shops in an AC5 board. Browse our laminate flooring. Torn between laminate and hybrid? Read hybrid vs laminate.

Tiles and linoleum: what we don’t lay

We don’t supply or lay ceramic or porcelain tiles, or true linoleum, and we’d rather say so up front.

Tiles are the usual floor for showers and fully wet bathrooms, and that’s a tiler’s job. For a kitchen or living area, timber-look hybrid and vinyl plank give you a water-resistant hard floor with no grout lines. Our guide to floor tiles that don’t show dirt covers colour, finish and grout.
Linoleum is made mostly from linseed oil, rosin, wood and cork flour and limestone on jute. It’s water-resistant rather than waterproof, and a specialist trade to lay. See our guide to linoleum flooring.

We don’t do epoxy or polished concrete either; those are specialist slab finishes.

Installation and floor preparation

Hard floors go down in one of three ways:

Floating: boards or planks click together over an underlay and move slightly as one piece, with an expansion gap at the walls that the skirting or scotia covers. Hybrid, laminate and most engineered timber can be floated.
Direct stick: engineered timber glued to the subfloor. Solid and quiet; the adhesive needs time to cure before heavy furniture goes back.
Glue-down: some vinyl planks and sheet vinyl are glued to a smooth, prepared subfloor.

Whatever the method, the floor is only as good as what’s under it. Every hard floor maker sets a flatness tolerance, and a floor laid outside it can flex at the joins or sound hollow. On a slab, moisture is the bigger risk, so the slab should be tested before any timber or resilient floor goes down. The fixes are routine: grind high spots, fill cracks and dips, scrape off old adhesive and level where the floor is out. Our guide to the best floor covering over concrete covers slabs in detail.

Every hard floor is subject to floor preparation, quoted at the free measure once we’ve seen the subfloor. Old carpet comes up for about $8/m²; removing ceramic tiles, timber or vinyl is quoted at the measure, because tiles on a mortar bed and layered vinyl are slower to lift than they look. A new floor can sit higher than the old one, so some doors may need trimming, which is quoted then too. Our flooring installation and care guide covers what to expect before, during and after.

Edges: skirting or scotia

There are two ways to finish the edge of a new hard floor:

Edge finish	Price per m² of floor (inc GST)	The result
Skirting removed and refitted	$20	The floor runs under the skirting, so no scotia is needed. The cleanest finish.
Scotia or quad beading	$10	A small moulding fixed along the bottom of the existing skirting to cover the gap.

We don’t paint, so any touching up afterwards is a job for your own painter. Where a hard floor meets carpet or tiles at a doorway, a trim finishes the join; trims are quoted at the measure.

Supply and installation prices

Floor	Supply per m² (inc GST)	Installation per m²	Underlay or adhesive per m²
Hybrid, Terra Mater Resiplank 7mm / 8.5mm / 9.7mm	$45 / $55 / $65	$28	Attached to the planks
Vinyl plank, 5mm	About $45	$28	Included in installation
Laminate	About $40	$28	Included in installation
Engineered oak, plank	From $89	Floating $28; direct stick $35	Underlay $6; adhesive $15
Engineered Australian species, plank	About $130	Floating $28; direct stick $35	Underlay $6; adhesive $15
Engineered herringbone, oak / Australian species	From $89 / about $130	On request	On request
Safety and commercial sheet vinyl	From $45	$32	Confirmed at the measure

Flooring is ordered at the floor area plus 8% for offcuts; everything else is charged on the floor area.
Edges: skirting removed and refitted $20/m², or scotia $10/m². Taking up old carpet about $8/m²; furniture moving $8/m².
Floor preparation, removing old tiles, timber or vinyl, door trimming and stairs: quoted at the measure.
Installed jobs under 20 m² carry a $450 small-job charge; apartment or body corporate buildings add 10%.

As a guide, a 30 m² open-plan area in 8.5mm hybrid with the skirting removed and refitted comes to about $3,222, and floating engineered oak to about $4,503.60, before floor preparation; the workings are in our comparison of hybrid and engineered timber. See our hybrid flooring prices and timber flooring prices, or get a guide for your own rooms from the flooring price calculator.

Which floor for which room

Room	Our usual pick	Also works	Think twice about
Kitchen and meals	Hybrid	Vinyl plank; timber with a mat at the sink	Laminate in a busy kitchen
Open-plan living	Hybrid or engineered timber	Laminate away from the kitchen	Thin vinyl plank on an uneven slab
Entry and hallway	Hybrid, or herringbone as a feature	Timber with a good doormat	Timber at a sandy back door
Bedrooms	Carpet	Any hard floor with a rug	Hard floors upstairs without a good underlay
Laundry and powder room	Hybrid or vinyl plank	Tiles, by a tiler	Laminate and timber
Shower bathroom	Tiles, by a tiler	—	Any floating floor
Apartments	Hybrid with acoustic ratings	Floors meeting the building’s acoustic rules	Anything not checked with the owners corporation
Pets and rentals	Hybrid	Vinyl plank	Timber, if marks will bother you
Underfloor heating	Hybrid, vinyl plank or a listed timber range	NuCore laminate	Ranges not listed for heating

Bedrooms are still carpet’s territory for most families: see how to choose carpet, and our comparison of carpet and hybrid if you’re weighing up the two. For stairs, see carpet vs timber stairs; if a hard floor is going through your home, we can quote the stairs at the same measure.

Frequently asked questions

Which hard floor is best for a kitchen?

Hybrid, for most homes: the planks resist water and the wear layer handles traffic, at $45–$65/m² supply. Engineered timber works too if you wipe spills promptly and use a mat at the sink. Laminate is the riskiest choice in a busy kitchen.

Can hybrid or vinyl plank go in a bathroom?

In a powder room or laundry, yes. Not in a shower recess or a fully wet bathroom, because water can get through the joins and edges to the subfloor. Wet bathrooms are usually tiled, and we don’t lay tiles.

Which hard floor is the most scratch resistant?

Laminate, hybrid and vinyl plank all resist everyday scratches well, and an AC5 laminate is rated for heavy commercial use. Engineered timber marks more easily, but it’s the only one that can be sanded and recoated.

Do you install tiles or linoleum?

No. We supply and install engineered timber, hybrid, vinyl plank, sheet vinyl and laminate, as well as carpet and carpet tiles, but not ceramic or porcelain tiles or true linoleum.

Book a free measure and quote

We’ll bring 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.

Hard Flooring Guide: Timber, Hybrid, Vinyl and Laminate