Flooring Questions, Answered Properly

Start with the room rather than the look. If it can get wet, you need hybrid or vinyl planks. If it needs to be warm and quiet, carpet. If you want real timber underfoot and the slab tests dry, engineered timber. If you want a timber look across a big area for the least money, laminate. We will walk through this at the quote with samples in your own light.

Ours cover the product, underlay, subfloor prep, trims and scotia, stairs where they apply, removal of the old floor covering, and installation. Each one is a separate line. Got a quote that is just a single number? Ask what prep and removal are included. That is usually where the difference sits. For guide prices per square metre, see our flooring cost guide.

It depends far more on the product and the subfloor condition than on the number of square metres. A straightforward recarpet over a sound floor is at the low end. Engineered timber over a slab that needs grinding, levelling and moisture treatment is at the high end. We give you a fixed itemised price after measuring so you are not comparing guesses.

Yes. Our quotes include taking away old carpet, underlay, smoothedge, floating floors and in most cases tile. Just ask if you would rather handle it yourself.

We can move standard furniture as part of the job. We ask that you clear breakables, electronics, wardrobes and anything with sentimental value beforehand. Very heavy items such as pianos, pool tables and large safes need a specialist and we will flag that at the quote.

A single room is a few hours. A typical three or four bedroom home is one to three days depending on the product and subfloor preparation. Concrete moisture testing adds one to three days before installation because the probes need time to equilibrate.

The product carries the manufacturer warranty, which is why accredited installation to specification matters so much. Our installation workmanship is also warranted. We will give you the specific terms in writing with the quote.

A real hardwood top layer, usually 2mm to 6mm thick, bonded to a cross layered plywood or high density core. The real timber gives you the look and feel of solid hardwood. The core makes it stable enough to go over concrete slabs and underfloor heating.

Solid hardwood is one piece of timber and moves noticeably with humidity. Engineered timber is far more stable. It comes in wider and longer boards. And it can go where solid timber cannot, including straight over a concrete slab.

Boards with a 4mm or thicker wear layer can generally be sanded and recoated once or twice. A 2mm wear layer can usually only be buffed and recoated rather than fully sanded.

Yes, in most cases, provided the surface temperature stays within the manufacturer limit, usually around 27 degrees. It handles thermal cycling far better than solid timber. We confirm the specific product requirement before recommending it.

Sweep or vacuum with a hard floor head, then damp mop with a pH neutral timber cleaner. Never wet mop and never steam mop. Felt pads under furniture and mats at external doors do most of the work.

Yes, and it is very common. Wipe up spills rather than leaving them and it will be fine. Bathrooms and laundries are a different story, and there we recommend hybrid or vinyl planks.

Hybrid puts the rigid, stable core of laminate together with the waterproof make up of vinyl. Most have an SPC stone plastic composite core, a printed decorative layer and a tough clear wear layer. Many come with acoustic underlay already attached.

The board itself resists water well. Spills, pet accidents and mopping will not damage it. It is still a floating floor, so standing water can eventually reach the subfloor through the joins. Because of that we position standard hybrid for living areas, kitchens, hallways and bedrooms rather than bathrooms or laundries. For those wet areas, vinyl planks are the better choice.

Usually yes. The tiles need to be well stuck down and level, with the grout lines filled so the boards do not flex into them. It is one of the main reasons hybrid is popular in renos.

It is one of the better options. The wear layer resists claw scratching, the surface handles water well, and the rigid core will not swell. Choose a thicker wear layer and a textured rather than gloss finish.

Hybrid is rigid, harder and more scratch resistant. Vinyl planks are flexible, softer, quieter and warmer underfoot. The core in both resists water well, but vinyl planks are the fully waterproof choice. Hybrid suits family living areas, vinyl suits wet areas, clinics and spaces where comfort matters most.

No. It is an interior product. Direct sun and large temperature swings on an uncovered balcony cause expansion problems and fading, and most warranties exclude external use.

A high density fibreboard core with a printed decorative layer and a hard clear wear layer. Floating means the boards click together and rest on an underlay rather than being glued or nailed down.

Standard laminate is water resistant, not waterproof, and standing water can swell the core at the joins. Our premium waterproof-surface ranges take that much further and cope well with everyday kitchen and living area spills. For genuinely wet areas like bathrooms, choose vinyl planks.

AC3 for bedrooms and light traffic, AC4 for most family homes and hallways, AC5 for commercial and very heavy traffic. The rating predicts how the floor will look in five years better than the price does.

Over most hard, flat, dry and structurally sound surfaces including tile, vinyl and timber. Not over carpet. Hollows and high spots must be dealt with first or the joins will eventually fail.

A quality AC4 laminate in a normal home will typically last 15 to 25 years. A cheap low rated board in a busy hallway can look tired within five.

Yes. It is a clicked system, so it means working back from the nearest wall, or cutting the board out and gluing a new one in. Keep a spare box from the original batch. The job is easier and the colour will match.

Solution dyed nylon in a loop or tight twist pile. The colour is locked into the fibre, so it resists fading and bleaching. Nylon also bounces back from crushing better than polyester in traffic lanes.

Wool feels better, recovers well from furniture indents, is naturally flame resistant and ages gracefully. It costs more and is less forgiving of some stains. Great in bedrooms and formal lounges, less ideal in a hallway with kids and dogs.

More than most people expect. Underlay carries the load and determines how the carpet feels and how long it holds its appearance. Good carpet over cheap underlay wears out early, and underlay is the most common corner cut in a low quote.

Yes. Stairs are the hardest part of any carpet job, with every tread and riser cut and fitted by hand. We can do full carpet, a runner with exposed timber either side, or carpet upstairs with timber below.

Home offices, playrooms, rentals, offices and commercial spaces. The advantage is that a damaged tile is replaced individually rather than re carpeting the room. In bedrooms and lounges, broadloom carpet usually feels better.

Every 12 to 18 months for most homes, more often with pets or in high traffic areas. Most manufacturer warranties actually require periodic professional cleaning, so keep the receipts.

Concrete gives off moisture for months after it is poured. Lay a floor over a wet slab and that moisture gets trapped. It cups timber, lets go of vinyl glue, grows mould under underlay and lifts the joins in floating floors.

Roughly one month per 25mm of thickness under good conditions, so a typical 100mm slab needs about four months. Melbourne winters, enclosed buildings and slabs over wet ground extend that considerably. Six months and still too wet is not unusual.

You have three options. Wait and retest. Apply a surface moisture barrier rated to the reading. Or change to a floor that copes better. We will tell you which one applies and what it costs.

If you are replacing an existing floor, yes. Removing a floor covering that has been sealing the slab often reveals moisture that was trapped underneath. We test after removal and before the new floor goes down.

Yes. We are happy to test and provide a written report whether or not we are supplying the floor.