Floor innovation has been developed over time to make it more durable, cost sufficient, and easier to fix. In the market nowadays, there are plenty of flooring types lying around waiting for you to choose. From concrete, granite, pure wood, or artificial wood. It is, indeed, difficult when it comes to the time to choose which one is the best. If you are keen on retro-perspective, real and pure wood is the answer. If you have an unlimited budget and would like something to be with you forever, marble and granite floor is the one to consider. But what if, you are limited by budget yet looking for durable and aesthetic flooring? I think you are looking for engineered and/or hybrid flooring. Here comes the main question, what is the difference between those two, and which one suits you the most?
Engineered Flooring
Engineered wood flooring is a variant of hardwood flooring, but not 100%, only the top layer. It may sound unappealing but it does the job of the aesthetic appeal of traditional hardwood flooring. Ordinarily, no one would ask deep inside behind the 100%-real-wood top layer, but if they are curious enough to ask, it’s typically timber and board mixed up and glued together to make an “engineered” hardwood material.
The Advantages of Engineered Flooring
- The price: This type of flooring is in between budget and aesthetic, your luxury vibe can come with an attractive low price. Try Boral engineered flooring out as the perfect example.
- Incredibly high-temperature resistance: When combined with 2 types of material, the engineered one is much more temperature resistant than a traditional hardwood one. This is an excellent advantage that you might like to consider when it comes to making your final destination.
- Longevity: Whilst having 100% natural wood would give you all the beauty and value, engineered flooring can prolong it. If you would like to reduce your carbon footprint to combat climate change in Australia as best you can, then this is a great advantage to consider.
The Disadvantages
- Maintenance: There is no difference in terms of maintenance, like all other floorings, to keep it looking nice and shiny requires regular checking-up. It would be worse if you have pets, especially a running-all-the-time one.
- Variety of quality: Everyone needs a variety of options, but is quality counted? Again, just like any others, not all engineered flooring is made of the same quality. Instead of looking around and researching which manufacturer is trustworthy and can cover all of your problems.
- Fading: If you plan to install the engineered flooring in a sunlight-exposed area, you might have to reconsider it. Same as natural wood, when in contact with sunshine regularly, the colour would fade gradually.
Hybrid Flooring
Hybrid flooring is an innovative new type of flooring bringing the best attributes of laminate and vinyl. This type is made of multiple layers of materials pressed together and comes in a wide range of design and style. Hybrid flooring is a great choice if you are looking for a durable standard, but there are a few points to consider. Mainly, it’s more expensive than an engineered one. So, is hybrid flooring worth investing in? Absolutely. But for the sake of your final decision, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages first.
The Advantages of Hybrid Flooring
- All-around resistance: Water, stain, scratch, you name it. Even the sunray? Of course. That’s why hybrid flooring is worth every dollar invested. It’s suitable for all areas of the house, including the kitchen and all the possible-wet areas.
- Noise reduction: Many types of flooring may sound hollow and loud which would be irritating over time, but not with the hybrid. There is an acoustic underlay that reduces sound resonance, and solid and less noisy steps. Moreover, the rigid layer would increase your feet’ comfort as well. Make sure you double-check whether your brand and style already have the underlay attached!
- Built-to-last engineering: With many components that come together to increase longevity, you’ll get the timeless and luxurious look that outlasts most of the competitors in flooring types!
The Disadvantages
- Cost: Yes, it is cheaper than hardwood or timber flooring, but the price is still dearer than standard vinyl or laminate constructed floor.
- All-around resistance, but not so intense: Even diamonds can be scratched! Hybrid flooring can get scratches or dents, take care when you’re moving your furniture. Waterproof? Yes, but it’s better not to be in the bathroom. UV resistance? Yes, but putting in the conservatory is not ideal. Even with those observations, its duration is still incredibly unbelievable.
Which One Suits You The Most?
It is sure if you are considering these two types of flooring, you get rid of the choice of having 100% natural wood throughout. Therefore, it comes to the question; of which options are more important – budget or duration. Both of them can provide you with the aesthetic of hardwood if you like to reduce your budget, then an engineered one might just be the budget-friendly solution you’ve been looking for. On the opposite, if budget is not the problem, and you just like a long-lasting floor, the hybrid one is a perfect fit. Easy to lay, maintain and fix, and with the promise of fewer costs further down the line both maintenance and renovating.
Nevertheless, before you buy any type of flooring, check the warranty. The top-quality provider can offer a warranty of up to 20 years! So make sure you are purchasing from a reliable and trusted supplier to ensure you are getting a long-lasting & quality product.
