Choosing a floor
SPC vs vinyl vs laminate: which floor should you pick?
SPC and hybrid, vinyl and laminate all look similar in a photo. Each is a timber-look plank. Each clicks together and floats over your floor. But they are built differently. That difference shows up the first time water sits on the floor. It also shows up when a hot room gets a lot of afternoon sun. Here is the honest comparison, room by room and problem by problem.
The short version
If you only read one section, read this one.
- SPC and hybrid: a hard, waterproof core. The best all-rounder for a Queensland home, including wet areas.
- Vinyl: thinner and more flexible, with no rigid core. Fully waterproof. Often the cheapest way to cover a wet area.
- Laminate: a timber-look layer on a wood-fibre core. Looks close to real timber. Often costs less, but it is not waterproof.
What each floor is made of
SPC and hybrid flooring has a rigid core. It is made mostly from limestone powder mixed with PVC. On top sits a printed design layer and a clear wear layer. The stone-based core is dense and firm. It barely reacts to heat or damp.
Vinyl comes as glue-down planks, loose lay planks, click planks, or one wide sheet. It has no rigid core. That makes it thinner and more flexible than SPC. It also shows more of what is underneath it. So the subfloor has to be closer to perfect.
Laminate has a core made from HDF, a wood-fibre board. It is pressed under heat and pressure. A printed image layer on top gives it a timber or stone look. Because the core is wood fibre, it behaves more like timber. That is different to SPC or vinyl.
Water: the biggest difference
This is the one that matters most. SPC and hybrid, and vinyl, both have a core that does not absorb water. It does not swell either. A spill, a burst pipe, or an overflowing washing machine will not warp them. Timber can warp from the same things.
Laminate is different. Its HDF core is wood fibre, and wood fibre absorbs water. A spill wiped up quickly is usually fine. But water that sits can be a problem. This matters most at the joins between planks, where it makes the core swell. Once a laminate plank swells, it does not shrink back. It keeps its new size and shape.
Because of this, laminate is not recommended for bathrooms or laundries. It is also not suited to any room where water regularly sits on the floor. It suits living areas, bedrooms, hallways and dry-area kitchens instead.
How each one feels underfoot
SPC's rigid core bridges small dips and bumps in the subfloor. It feels firm underfoot. Vinyl is thinner and more flexible. Bumps underneath it can show through over time if the subfloor is not well prepared. Laminate is also a firm, stable floor. A thicker plank generally feels firmer again.
Expansion gaps: the fine print on a floating floor
All three are usually click-lock floating floors. The planks click together and sit over the subfloor. There is no glue or nails involved. That makes them faster to install. It is also easier to lift and replace a single damaged plank later.
It also means every one of them needs an expansion gap. This is a small space left around the room's edge. It also goes at doorways and around fixed cabinetry. Skirting or a trim strip then hides it. The core still moves a little with heat, even SPC's stone-based core. Skipping this gap is the most common reason a floor peaks or lifts at the joins later.
Laminate's wood-fibre core moves more with heat and humidity than SPC's stone-based core. So the expansion gap matters even more on a laminate job.
Where the price sits
Price is one more way to tell the three apart.
As a rough Brisbane guide, laminate typically runs $65 to $85 a square metre supplied and laid. Vinyl typically runs $65 to $90. SPC and hybrid typically runs $75 to $95.
See the full ranges on our flooring cost guide. It includes entry and premium pricing for all four floors.
Which one fits your room
A laundry or a kitchen with a real chance of water on the floor points to SPC or vinyl. Not laminate. For a full bathroom we will usually say tile is the better call, though SPC and vinyl can both go in there if you want one floor through the house. A dry bedroom or hallway suits laminate, especially where budget matters. A busy hallway or a home with dogs does better with a thicker wear layer. That is true whichever product you pick.
We talk through the trade-off room by room at the measure. We do this rather than picking one product for the whole house by default.
Questions about this
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