As a homeowner, you come across a plethora of options for everything. Be it roofing, windows, walls, or flooring, all the materials for a home are available in many exciting varieties. Talking about flooring, if a timber-looking floor appeals to you, there may be a few options that you came across. Vinyl flooring, laminate flooring, and hybrid flooring all come with a timber look. So what makes them different from one another?
What is Hybrid Flooring?
As the name suggests, hybrid flooring combines two types of flooring material. This type of flooring combines the advantages of both vinyl and laminate flooring while avoiding the disadvantages of both.
Vinyl flooring is waterproof since it is mainly composed of PVC. Being waterproof makes it durable. The floor remains unscathed by water spills, mopping, etc. The advantage, however, comes with a disadvantage. Vinyl flooring has to be glued to the bed of your floor. Glueing the flooring makes it extremely hard to replace.
Laminate flooring can be installed without gluing it to your floor. This fact makes it easy to replace. Easy replacement comes with a demerit. Laminate planks are not water-resistant. They actually swell up when they come into contact with water or moisture. Things like overwatering the pots, mopping, or spilling drinks can cause the flooring to swell.
Considering both the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl and laminate flooring, hybrid type of flooring comes to the rescue. It is water-resistant, just like vinyl planks. It can also be installed without gluing the planks to your floor, like laminate flooring.
The core of this type of flooring is made out of stone polymers instead of the typical compressed fibre used in laminate flooring, preventing it from swelling when in contact with moisture. The other layers of hybrid type of flooring include a sound-absorbing pad, decorative coat, and multi-layer protective coat.
Advantages of Hybrid Type of Flooring
Suitable for Warm Climates
This type of flooring is exceptionally heat-resistant, making it an excellent choice for places that experience warm days.
Installation is Easy
The planks are designed for hassle-free installation. All you have to do is, lay these planks row by row, and they will click together. Hybrid type of flooring can be installed by non-professionals as well.
Less Noise
The acoustic padding in this flooring provides a softer sound while walking, making it suitable for upper floors.
Hypoallergenic
The cork backing in these planks does not accumulate dust. The hypoallergenic nature of the flooring comes as a blessing for individuals suffering from allergies or asthma.
Durable
Hybrid type of flooring is built with strong material and can withstand a high footfall. Hence, it is excellent for rough use, especially for homes with kids and pets.
Beautiful Designs
Hybrid flooring primarily constitutes a mix of plastic and wood or limestone. A mix like this offers versatility in designs and gives an aesthetic appeal to the home.
Hybrid flooring does cost a little more than traditional vinyl or laminate flooring, but the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. It is an exceptional one-time investment that will last much longer than the other kinds of flooring. Being a combination of vinyl and laminate flooring, it combines the best of both worlds. Now you know why hybrid type of flooring is totally worth the hype.
