There is a lot of HYPE and mis-information in Australia about Hybrid Flooring........here are the FACTS.......Hybrid flooring launched in Australia in 2017 and was the result of efforts from a select group of professionals from three companies, being two importers and a retail group. Two of the main people involved in creating this category are the Co-Founders and Directors of our parent company so we are lucky to be able to provide this FAQ to our valued customers straight from the fathers of this category in Australia rather than the pages and pages of mis-information and mis-truths that are plastered all over the internet and rolling from the tongues of slick salespeople Australia wide. Hybrid flooring is the category name used in Australia to describe an innovative range of flooring products that can trace it's history back to the 1st Generation of Hybrid flooring launched by Piet Dossche of USFloors in 2013. In 2013, it was discovered in a factory in Zhejiang province in China that a foamed Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) core could be extruded and then bonded to a Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVT) surface to create a new floating waterproof flooring system superior to regular vinyl planks (as it could be installed by almost anyone rather than relying on vinyl installers) and much better with moisture than traditional laminate floors. The term Hybrid was used in Australia to market the category as it most accurately portrays its new and inventive nature. It is a category, not a particular product. For example, a phone is a phone and it could be a Samsung or an iPhone or anyone of dozens of others, but they are all phones. Hybrid is a floor category that describes floors that are not pure laminates, pure timbers or pure vinyls, but are combinations or iterations of developing technological advances. In 2016 a new format of Hybrid flooring, what we refer to as 2nd Generation Hybrid was invented that refined the process by making it a one-step process to make the Hybrid flooring (rather than the 1st Generation where two separate products being a core and a surface were made then combined). The way this was done was to remove the wood flour content and the aeration of the core and rather extrude a Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) core made from limestone in the form of calcium carbonate and PVC and at the same time apply the decor and surface wear layer all on the one machine, making it more cost effective and faster to produce, meaning it was also less at the retail level for customers than the more labour intensive WPC 1st Generation option. The solid nature of the SPC meant it was originally marketed towards commercial settings in markets like North America whereas the WPC alternative was focused on the residential market. Australia largely skipped the 1st Generation Hybrid floors as the Australian market had experienced terrible outcomes with unstable click vinyl planks in previous years and so Australia only embraced Hybrid flooring in the back half of 2017 once the 2nd Generation products were developed and the brand new category created and launched. In or around 2018, a governing body emerged that the larger manufacturers signed up to and the naming conventions streamlined so that two main streams of Hybrid flooring were recognised, first being Expanded Polymer Core (EPC) which replaced WPC (as wood flour was no longer being used any longer) and the "expanded" term accurately referred to the aeration of the core. The second was Solid Polymer Core (SPC) which clarified the often confusing terminology of Stone Plastic Composite, Stone Polymer Core and all the other iterations the market was seeing. Both EPC and SPC are 2nd Generation Hybrid floors. So, in general, 2nd Generation Hybrid floors are based around the concept of delivering a veneer of PVC protecting the picture of timber or stone bonded to a waterproof core that can be floated rather than stuck down. Are most of them good?....yes they are, but the category also has its limitations and is "oversold" as a miracle floor by those who don't know better (sometimes deliberately misleading, but more often just through ignorance). As the factories knew the products had it's limitations and naturally are always looking for ways to be more competitive, since 2017 factories have searched for ways to improve their Hybrid floors and experimented with various formats that included Mineral Fibre Board (MFB) and also attempted adding a veneer of real timber to an SPC core, known widely as VSPC. Another good example of these types of developments are the magnesium core boards referred to as an MGO product. Whilst factories in China were racing to develop new versions of Hybrid, KronoSwiss, one of the worlds largest producers of wood based building materials including laminate flooring, launched Corepel in the US market and was the first to properly launch what we refer to as a 3rd Generation (GEN 3) Hybrid floor. In our opinion, Corepel was the first commercially successful PVC FREE Hybrid floor made using majority wood based materials and still being waterproof, yet added extreme scratch resistance and at the same time fixed the issues around hot and cold (as it isn't made from plastic). It's core is referred to by KronoSwiss as a Durable Eco Composite (DEC) and it combines the waterproof factors of GEN 2 hybrid floors with the proven surface technology of higher end laminate floors that KronoSwiss are renowned for. Corepel is not currently available in Australia. In 2023, a new 3rd Generation Durable Waterproof Core (DWC) was launched in The Flooring Centre to compliment the vast range of 2nd Generation Hybrid flooring options for our customers. This new GEN 3 DWC is a true 3rd generation PVC FREE Hybrid floor that ensures the wood fibres are wrapped in a wax encapsulation to protect them from moisture (yes, it is also waterproof) whilst allowing the use of highly scratch resistant laminate flooring technology to be used on the surface. GEN 3 Hybrid flooring is a significant leap forward for manufacturers and customers alike and is better for the environment as it uses no PVC in the core, surface or attached underlay (it's also VOC E-ZERO rated for total peace of mind). The HYPE around 2nd Generation Hybrid is a little out of control and the claims made by many retailers, both in stores and online, about the durability (the surface is only plastic and yes it DOES scratch) and suitability for many situations (westerly and northerly aspects watch out!) are completely inaccurate. Make the right decision the first time. We invite you to contact us to experience the difference of dealing with product experts rather than salespeople and to view our hand picked collection of Hybrid floors online or in person 7 days a week.
Contrary to popular belief, properly maintained carpet is beneficial for allergy and asthma sufferers because the carpet fibres help trap dirt and dust circulating in the indoor environment and allows them to be vacuumed away. Both synthetic and wool fibres are regarded as appropriate for anyone with allergies and asthma and despite misleading advertising that promotes hard floors as the only solution, carpet is most certainly suitable for everyone. Some carpets are promoted as being specially formulated for allergy sufferers, yet it is widely accepted that all carpets are equal in this regard provided they are maintained correctly. Industry experts undestand that it is excessive dirt, dust and airborne contaminants that generate reactions, not the carpet itself.
Timber hardness is universally measured using a test invented by an Austrian named Gabriel Janka. The janka rating of each species of timber is a quick indicator as to the propensity of a timber to dent, based on its hardness. In Australia, the measurement is usually in newtons (N) or kilonewtons (kN). As an example, Baltic Pine which has a higher chance of denting than most timber floors has a rating of around 3, whilst Spotted Gum is much harder and has a rating around 11. It is important to remember that Janka ratings do not indicate a floors chance of scratching, as that’s to do with the surface coating. It is solely related to the likelihood of indentation.
Carpet and rugs are best maintained by vacuuming weekly using an approved vacuum that removes dirt and dust. Periodically, professional hot water extraction is recommended by most manufacturers and it is important to have this done by an accredited, professionally trained technician. DIY cleaning solutions using hire equipment are not recommended.
This is a great question, and one commonly asked. The answer is that the best way to buy a floor is to assess all the characteristics of a floor type and compare the results to what are your personal requirements. It is recommended you rank your desired features in order from most important to least important and then match them to the floor types available. For example, is scratch resistance the most import feature you require? Or perhaps the design elements and look and feel is the most important? Each category of flooring has characteristics that when compared to your priorities will help you narrow your selection and help you choose the right floor.
We accept cheque, cash and bank transfer of course. We also accept Visa and Mastercard and WeChat Pay. For those who wish to, we also accept a selection of cryptocurrencies, being BTC, ETH, BUSD, DOGE, BCH, SHIB, GUSD, LTC, XRP, USDC, WBTC, and DAI. If you would like to use your crypto to pay for your new flooring, carpet or rugs, please just mention it to our team and we can facilitate it through our partnership with BitPay. Card payments and WeChat pay attract surcharges.
The condition of a sub-floor, being the structural floor in your home that you wish to cover with your new flooring is very important. In order to achieve an optimal result, free of bounce and one whereby your new flooring feels solid and stable, the sub-floor should be dry and level. We regard a level sub-floor as having no more than +/- 3mm variance over 3 metres. Our teams of professional installers can level your floor for you if required as an additional service.
Our installers can move your furniture and put it carefully back in place after your new floor has been installed. Alternatively, our installers are happy to work with you so you can move your own furniture during the installation to save money.
Your new floors are normally installed in just one day. Of course, there are many variables and sizes of installations, but commonly most homes can be fully installed in one day and in most cases, the floors generally used straight away!
