Aspire RCB Hybrid Flooring

Aspire is Preference Floors' rigid composite core board hybrid. The board is 8mm in total: 6.5mm of rigid core with 1.5mm of cross-linked IXPE acoustic underlay already attached, so it goes down without a separate underlay roll. The wear layer is 0.7mm, which is generous for a hybrid at this thickness and is what lets it take a hallway or a family kitchen.

There are two plank widths, and they do not mix neatly in one room, so it is worth knowing which half of the range you are in before you order. The Australian Timber decors are milled at 1800 x 178mm, closer to the width hardwood boards were traditionally cut, and come five planks to a carton for 1.602m2. The Contemporary decors run 1800 x 223mm for a broader, more modern board, four planks to a carton for 1.606m2. Both weigh around 20kg a carton.

Adore stocks thirteen colours. The Australian species are Coastal Blackbutt, New England Blackbutt, NSW Spotted Gum and QLD Spotted Gum. The contemporary decors are Barn Oak, Buckskin, Crystal Lake, Homestead, Pale Gorge, Silver Moon, Tempest, Twilight Mist and Warm Springs.

Both widths share the same build: micro bevel edges, a click profile that floats glueless over the attached underlay, and interior water resistance. Slip is rated P3 on both. Fire testing differs between them, returning a CHF value of 7.5kW/m2 on the Australian Timber decors and 10.1kW/m2 on the Contemporary ones. The range is FloorScore certified for interior air quality, and it has been Australian tested and does not contain respirable crystalline silica.

On acoustics it exceeds the National Construction Code sound level ratings for multi-residential apartments at a 5 Star rating, which is the reason it turns up so often in apartment specifications. It is suitable over in-slab hydronic heating only.

Hybrid is water resistant, not a moisture membrane. Prolonged exposure from above or below will damage it, so check your local building code before laying it in a bathroom, laundry or powder room. Care is simple and there is one rule: sweep regularly, use a damp and well wrung mop when needed, and never a steam or electric mop.

Sydney supply and install, supply only, or bring your own installer. Free measure and quote available.