What is ‘Hybrid’ Flooring.
The term ‘Hybrid’ flooring describes a range of different products officially designated by the Australian Standard AS1884 as MMF - Modular Multilayer Flooring.
Products typically consist of a wear-resistant textured top layer, a decorative surface layer, and a rigid or semi-rigid composite substrate. They are generally produced in plank-format to imitate timber or laminate flooring and are designed for floating installation.
What are they made from?
While all Hybrid floors have similar surface layers, Flooring Online Australia produces hybrid products with two different core structures, SPC and WPC.
Stone Polymer Composites (SPC) as the name suggests are engineered using a combination of Stone powders and polymers, while Wood Polymer Composites (WPC) also incorporate wood flour or bamboo dust into the composite.
What is the difference between SPC and WPC?
SPC has a higher density which means it is extremely dimensionally stable, providing a solid base for coatings. As a result SPC flooring is highly resistant to indentation and scratching and can be laid as a larger raft size, up to 30 x 15m before expansion trims are required.
WPC is lighter, giving a softer feeling under-foot and performs better acoustically. WPC flooring remain highly resistant to indentation and scratching and can be laid as larger raft size, up to 12 x 12m before expansion trims are required.
What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Flooring?
There are a number of benefits in selecting Hybrid Flooring;
- Moisture resistant
Hybrid flooring is not affected by moisture, which means it is ideal for areas exposed to water such as kitchens, laundries and entries. Maintenance is easy as unlike laminate or timber floors, they can be wet-mopped.
- Easy Installation
Our Hybrids are suitable for floating installation with integral foam backing layers meaning a separate underlayment is not required. With drop-lock or 5G Click joints, they are very DIY friendly.
- Hard Wearing
Our Hybrids have extremely scratch resistant, and because they are much harder than traditional LVT or Wood based products are more resistant to indentation, for example from furniture.
The combination of durability and easy maintenance makes Hybrid flooring the perfect choice for households with Kids and Pets.
8mm Hybrid - Embelton Aqua-Tuf
Aqua-Tuf is the jewel in the Embelton Hybrid crown. With its aerated core and vinyl top layer, the boards are thicker and sturdier than all other Hybrids, making them easy to handle and lay. Installers love it, and it is great for DIY.
Truly built for comfort, the lower density core and vinyl top layer are softer and quieter underfoot, making Aqua-Tuf the perfect floor for domestic applications
6mm Hybrid - Embelton Resilience
Resilience is one of Australia’s highest spec SPC floors. Long, wide planks suit larger spaces, and the colour range is second to none, with each board a completely unique picture.
Built for performance, its extra stability and commercial wear layer allow for longer uninterrupted runs with no internal expansion breaks.
5.5mm Hybrid - Embelton Atlantis
Atlantis offers a stable and reliable flooring option to suit any budget. 100% waterproof, it’s a great alternative to laminate flooring, and the shorter boards are easy to lay, meaning you can get more boards down quicker.
Shop our hybrid flooring range now.
By Ebony Fraser