Hybrid flooring is the latest style making waves in the market. You might think to yourself, there are plenty of flooring options, such as Vinyl, Laminate, engineered and solid timber, why do you keep hearing all about hybrid flooring? What is hybrid and what makes it so special?
If hybrid flooring has piqued your interest, then you have stumbled to the right place, in this article, we are going to discuss bellow seven questions, such as what is hybrid flooring, the pros and cons, how to do maintenance etc, keep reading and hopefully, you will be able to get a better understand of this flooring types.
What is hybrid flooring?
Hybrid Flooring, also known as hybrid vinyl flooring, incorporates the mixed characteristics of waterproof vinyl planks and durable laminate timber floors, to allow for a beautifully authentic design, engineered to withstand the test of time.
Hybrid flooring is comprised of four layers that come together to create this innovative product:
- The top hard-wearing surface layer is UV coated for durability and impact resistance to prevent wear and tear from everyday use. This wear layer contains aluminium oxide finish, and combines the dent, stain, UV and scratch resistance that makes hybrid such a popular choice among consumers.
- Decorative layer, is to mimic the look of timber flooring, make it get real wood look with hand scrape texture or a slate finish stone look.
- Waterproof core layer, limestone composite core board for making the flooring waterproof and temperature-resistant.
- Pre-adhered backing layer. The underlay is pre-adhered with acoustic backing for comfort underfoot and absorbing sound. As the floor already comes with an underlay, you won’t need to add one at installation saving time and money.
- Aus Jk’s hybrid flooring include a pre-attached bottom acoustic layer, which reduces noise-transmission and eliminates the need to install extra underlayment
Benefits of hybrid Flooring
Affordable
Compared to Engineered and solid timber, its price is affordable. It is easy to be installed, repaired and maintained, which is an attractive option for those on a budget. Without spending too much money and time stripping your existing flooring, you can change the look and feel of your home.
Waterproof
Hybrid flooring is completely 100% waterproof and can be used in any part of the house without the risk of swelling, splitting, or water damage.
Aesthetic Appeal
Using special technology to mimic the edges, variations, and textures found in solid timber, hybrid flooring delivers a stunning appearance similar to traditional hardwood.
Stylish
This flooring option is eye-catching and elegant with a wide variety of options and designs. You can choose from a range of timber-like designs without the expensive price tag and the high-maintenance. At Aus JK flooring, we have a range of options and designs available to suit any decor.
Easy Installation and Repair
Hybrid floors are designed to be installed easily as a floating floor (like laminate flooring) but can also withstand wetness (like vinyl floors). The planks can be laid over existing flooring as long as the surface is flat and smooth. Like laminate flooring, it is a floating floor with a click and lock mechanism. So, it does not require glue or nails to be installed onto the subfloor.
This makes hybrid flooring great for the D.I.Y type, allowing you to install the floors yourself, even without any prior experience.
The planks might expand a little due to weather conditions but not as much as other flooring options. Usually only a few millimetres of expansion joints are enough to allow for expansion in hybrid floors.
In the case of any damage, the damaged plank can be removed and replaced individually as they are not permanently stuck down, which makes hybrid flooring really easy to fix.
Sound
While some floors generate a hollow sound when walked on, hybrid flooring’s rigid core technology helps produce a solid step with less sound. Adding an acoustic underlayment makes steps even lighter.
Eco-Friendly Composition
With a core consisting of limestone, virgin PVC, bamboo dust, and recycled wood, hybrid flooring is considered to be one of the best flooring choices in terms of how eco-friendly it is.
Durable
Hybrid flooring is highly durable and hard-wearing, and hold their own against high foot traffic, pets and children. As mentioned on the definition of hybrid, the top coat of all hybrid floors is made of highly durable substances like UV-protected aluminium oxide. Thus, it can withstand the harsh Australian climate-hot summers and heavy rains-and still be in perfect condition.
Heat resistance
The limestone used in all hybrid floors are very stable, and do not expand and contract as much as other types of flooring, In Newcastle and NSW, we typically experience greater temperature fluctuations between day and night, and our hybrid floors are well designed to remain stable under intense heat and cold.
Fade Resistance
Hybrid floors are worthwhile to invest, since it makes use of a UV-resistant topcoat and fade-resistant dyes, so they’re capable of holding their colour and quality overtime. Which also make them can hold their value for years to come.
Comfort
Hybrid flooring is very comfortable underfoot because of its slightly softer plastic, limestone composition, it provides a nice sensation when walked upon, this is particularly useful when use in the kitchen as an alternative to cold tile.
Cons of hybrid Flooring
Cost
It is cheaper than Engineered and solid timber, but the price of it is slightly higher than laminate flooring
Requires a flat sub-floor
A flat subfloor is required for all hybrid flooring. To be properly installed and to prevent an creaking, hybrid floors require your subfloor to be relatively flat less than about 3mm deviation over 2 metres.
Authenticity
For some people, hybrid floors just might not feel like the real thing, although you’d be hard-pressed to see a difference without careful examination. Because hybrid floors essentially print a “picture” of the surfaces that they are looking to emulate, some cheaper and lower quality floors can have pattern repetition Although you can mitigate this by staggering the layout of the floorboards.
Although very durable, hybrid flooring cannot be re-sanded. If a hybrid floorboard is damaged you need to replace the entire board.
What rooms are best for hybrid flooring
Because they look like real timber flooring, hybrid floors can be used in virtually all indoor spaces, as they will always look stylish.
Any room at risk of unexpected spills, high levels of sun exposure, high traffic, or high levels of moisture will benefit from the resistant aspects of hybrid flooring.
Because of its durability and waterproof nature, hybrid flooring is especially great in these rooms:
- Bathrooms
- Dining rooms
- Laundries
- Kitchens
- Entryways
- Commercial applications
- Rooms with excessive sunlight exposure (i.e. a living room with huge windows)
- Areas with heavy foot traffic
How to maintain?
Regular cleaning with a broom, vacuum or mop is all you need to maintain and clean the floor.
Make sure not to scratch it (e.g., with nylon scouring pads) and don’t use any strong chemicals, oils, soaps, or waxes.
Avoid using strong chemicals, steam mop, oil, polish, wax or soap to clean the floor. Do not use nylon scouring pads or steel wool as it may damage the floor.
Different between hybrid and laminate
Customer may compare hybrid and the laminate, here is the different between them
The key difference between hybrid flooring and laminate planks is in the construction. The core of laminate flooring is composed of a compressed fibre (such as MDF or HDF), which swells when it gets wet. Most hybrid floors, in turn, are constructed from a stone polymer or other inert polymer core. The full construction includes many layers – the acoustic backing, specialised core, stability layers, high definition image layer, wear layer and finally, various protective surface coats. Just like laminate flooring, hybrid flooring has different interconnecting locking systems to allow easy installation.
Is hybrid flooring worth it?
Yes, definitely!
Hybrid flooring offers a long-lasting, durable and affordable option. Plus it can be installed anywhere in residential or commercial settings making it an attractive choice for a huge range of applications. It is suitable for all indoor areas of the house.
Before you buy hybrid flooring, check the warranty! Top quality hybrid flooring comes with a warranty of 20 plus years. So make sure you are purchasing from a reliable and trusted supplier, such as Aus JK, to ensure you are getting a long lasting, quality product.
How to contact Aus Jk Flooring to get more information
Discover the great attributes of hybrid flooring today by heading to Aus JK Flooring showroom. A member of the team can show how this unique product can slot seamlessly into your living spaces and ensure you choose the right style for your needs. You can just contact Aus Jk flooring today on 0497 165 961 or fill out our online enquiry form.