Timber & Hybrid Flooring FAQ

Solid timber gives you the deepest character and can be re-sanded multiple times over decades, but it scratches more easily and isn't suited to wet areas. Hybrid (or SPC) is a layered composite board with a printed timber-look surface, it's waterproof, scratch-resistant, and a fraction of the install time, but you can't re-sand it when it wears. For a busy family home or a rental, hybrid usually wins on practicality. For a heritage home or a forever home, solid timber is hard to beat.

As a guide: sand and polish on existing timber runs around $45/m² supplied and finished, premium hybrid supply-and-install sits around $85/m², and full SPC waterproof board installed is around $120/m². Final pricing depends on the board range, sub-floor prep needed, and site access. We give you a fixed written quote after the free measure, never a per-hour estimate.

A standard 3-bedroom hybrid install (around 100m²) takes 2–3 days including prep, acclimatisation, and trims. Sand and polish on existing timber is typically 3–4 days because each coat needs to dry. A single-room repair or small kitchen waterproof fit can usually be done in a day.

Hybrid and SPC installs are clean, there's some saw dust during cutting but we work room-by-room and vacuum as we go. Timber sanding generates more dust, but our machines have dust extraction so the house stays liveable. You'll usually need to clear furniture from the work zone; we can help with that or recommend a removalist.

Everything to get from bare sub-floor to a finished, walk-on floor: the boards themselves, underlay where required, scotia/skirting trims, transition strips between rooms, sub-floor moisture testing, labour, and rubbish removal. The only extras are if the sub-floor needs major levelling or asbestos clearance, both flagged at the free measure, never sprung on you mid-job.

Hybrid and SPC need almost nothing: sweep or vacuum, damp-mop with a pH-neutral cleaner, avoid steam mops. Polished timber wants the same gentle care, plus felt pads under furniture and a re-coat every 7–10 years to refresh the top coat (much cheaper than a full re-sand). We send a care sheet with every completed job.