What is Hybrid Flooring?
Back at the start of time when people started decorating their homes, the only option home owners had for flooring was dirt, stone and timber. But these days with new technology advances and so many different man made materials we have an abundance of flooring solutions and options available to us………… sometimes almost too many to decide. Without a doubt though of late, the most questions received have been in relation to Hybrid Flooring. What is it? How is it made? When to use it? And why choose hybrid over any other flooring option available?
Like all flooring, it comes down to personal choice and budget but let’s see if I can help you navigate the issue.
Hybrid flooring is the newest flooring option on the market. It is very popular, mainly due to it’s affordability, finish, waterproof qualities, hard wearing properties and that it is hypo allergenic. The first layer of a hybrid floor board is generally an acoustic underlay which comes pre-attached to the board. This works to help muffle sound, illuminates the need to lay an additional underlay & makes the floor softer under the foot as it cushions it. The floor boards themselves are made up of 4 layers of heat infused recycled wood & PVC (WPC) generally or a second technique which is again infused Limestone, polyvinyl chloride & stabilizes (SPC). This core of the board is what makes it feel solid and gives it the ability to withstand rapid temperature changes. Sitting on top of the core is a print layer, this layer can very realistically imitate the look and feel of surfaces such as tile, marble, concrete & wood (most popular). Lastly the top layer is a commercial-grade protective coating that makes hybrid stain, water, scratch, and UV resistance.
Hybrid flooring is installed as a floating floor, generally a click system. This means it is easily installed over the top of existing flooring such as tiles or concrete. Because of this, it also eliminates in most cases the expense of adhesives, making it more affordable. And given that most hybrid floor boards come with a pre-attached underlay this will save both time and money at time of installation. The product is very hard wearing and will last decades even in high traffic areas. And as it clicks together no dirt and grim will settle between the boards which is very attractive to those with allergy’s and needing something hypoallergenic. As the floor boards are made up of an infused PVC core and a hard top coat, they are waterproof. This makes them very attractive to those with pets, children or in very high traffic locations.
Of course there are some small con’s with Hybrid flooring like any. These however are quite small and are not limited to but basically include the fact that Hybrid is not as affordable as a Laminate floor (although it is still one of the more affordable options). It can sometimes feel less authentic being that it is a man made product. And although it is UV resistant hybrid flooring can discolor over time if close to light and given that it is a pre-finished product it can not be re-sanded.
Lastly though, hybrid flooring has many more pro’s than con’s and as it works as a click system you can generally have a board or two replaced when needed. It is a great idea to order yourself a few extra box’s of the flooring for this very reason.
So, if you are thinking about a new floor with an affordable price tag, hard wearing, water resistant but looks good, hybrid is definitely something to consider.
