Waterproof or water resistant? Check before you buy
Hybrids are not all rated the same for water, and the difference decides whether a board belongs in a laundry.
Spills and mopping are fine on all of them. Standing water and wet rooms are where the ratings part ways.
Quieter floors for apartments and upstairs rooms
Most of our hybrids arrive with an acoustic underlay already attached. Several have been tested to an AAAC star rating, which helps in apartments where the by-laws set a sound standard. Iconic tested at AAAC 6 Star (39 dB), and Terra Mater Summit 977 is also rated 6 Star. Guardian, Aspire, Easi-Plank, Eternity 705 and Corsica 855 are 5 Star. A result depends on the slab and ceiling it was tested over, so treat it as a guide and check your building's by-laws before you choose.
Wear layer, board size and slip rating
The wear layer is the clear top coat that takes the scratches. Zenith 1800, Duro Plus, Easi-Plank, Eternity 705 and Corsica 855 carry 0.5mm, and Eco Flooring's Grande and XXL ranges 0.55mm. Summit 977, Aspire, Easi-Plank Herringbone and the 12mm Lifestyle Collection carry 0.7mm.
Longer boards mean fewer end joins across a room. Hydroplank runs 1830mm, Summit 977 and Eternity 705 run 1820mm, Bass Timber's 10mm Hybrid Plus runs 1815mm, and Godfrey Hirst's Zenith 1800, HTT Duro Plus and Aspire run 1800mm.
For kitchens and entries, look at slip resistance under AS 4586. Zenith 1800 is rated P5, the top wet rating. Guardian and Easi-Plank are P4. Iconic, Aspire and Duro Plus are P3.
Blackbutt and spotted gum looks
Almost every range offers a blackbutt and a spotted gum. They are printed, so they vary more than the real timbers do. Several boards named Blackbutt come out warmer and pinker than the species, and we say so on those product pages. Spotted gum is often the closer match. If you want the real timber, see our engineered timber flooring.
Herringbone hybrid
Four hybrid ranges come in herringbone: HTT Obsidian at 9mm, Easi-Plank Herringbone at 8mm with a 0.7mm wear layer and its underlay attached, Eco Flooring's Herringbone 7.0 in 150mm by 600mm blocks, and three herringbone colours in the Stonefloor range. Herringbone takes longer to lay than a straight plank, which we allow for when we quote.
Our hybrid ranges
- HTT: Guardian 6.5mm, Duro Plus 9.5mm and Obsidian herringbone.
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Bass Timber: 7mm, 8mm and 9mm Luxury Hybrid, and 10mm Hybrid Plus.
- Godfrey Hirst: Zenith 1800, 10mm.
- Eco Flooring Systems: Grande 7.5, Grande 9.0, XXL 8.0 and Herringbone 7.0.
- Preference Floors: Iconic, Aspire, Easi-Plank, Hydroplank and Lifestyle.
- Terra Mater: the ResiPlank ranges above.
- Stonefloor: 8mm, with stone and concrete looks as well as timber.
Supply and installation across Sydney
You can have us supply and install, buy supply only and lay it yourself, or bring your own installer and we stay on hand to help through the job. For an install we measure, check the subfloor and give you a written quote before anything is booked. Hybrid floats on its click joint, so there is no glue or nailing, but the subfloor has to be flat. We supply and install flooring within Sydney only. See flooring installation in Sydney or visit the Auburn showroom.
Hybrid flooring questions
What is hybrid flooring made of?
A rigid core (SPC stone polymer, WPC wood polymer or a similar composite), a printed decor layer, a clear wear layer, and on most of ours an attached acoustic underlay. Our guide what is hybrid flooring covers each layer.
Can hybrid go over tiles?
Often, if the tiles are sound and flat. HTT, for example, asks for the floor to be within 3mm over 3m. We check this at the measure.
Can I have underfloor heating?
Hydronic heating in the slab is accepted by HTT, Preference Floors and Terra Mater. HTT does not cover electric heating mats. Tell us about your heating before we quote.
Hybrid, laminate or engineered timber?
Read hybrid vs laminate and engineered timber vs hybrid, or compare the laminate range.
How do I clean it?
Vacuum, then a damp mop with a pH neutral cleaner. HTT and Preference Floors both exclude steam mops. More in our flooring cleaning guide.
Shop by brand: HTT Flooring, Godfrey Hirst, Preference Floors, Eco Flooring Systems, Terra Mater, or the full flooring range.