Choosing a new floor can feel overwhelming. Walk into any flooring showroom in Adelaide and you will hear the same names thrown around, laminate, hybrid, luxury vinyl, engineered timber, carpet, and they start to blur together. This plain-English guide from the team at Goodwood Floors in Gepps Cross explains what each type of flooring actually is, where it works best, roughly what it costs, and how to choose the right floor for your home and budget.
In a hurry? Here is the one-line version: choose laminate for budget-friendly good looks in dry rooms, hybrid for a tough, waterproof all-rounder, luxury vinyl plank for soft, quiet, waterproof comfort, and engineered timber for the warmth and resale value of real wood.
Laminate vs hybrid vs vinyl vs engineered timber: a quick comparison
| Flooring type | Waterproof? | Feel underfoot | Best rooms | Rough price (supply only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | Water-resistant, not for wet areas | Firm, solid | Living, bedrooms, hallways | $25 to $40/m² |
| Hybrid | 100% waterproof | Rigid, timber-like | Whole house, kitchens, bathrooms | $35 to $70/m² |
| Luxury vinyl (LVP) | 100% waterproof | Soft, quiet, warm | Kitchens, laundries, living | $30 to $55/m² |
| Engineered timber | No, keep away from wet areas | Warm, natural, solid | Living, dining, bedrooms | $60 to $130/m² |
Prices are an indicative guide for materials only and vary by range. Installation, underlay and trims are quoted separately. Book a free measure and quote for an exact figure.
Laminate flooring
Laminate is how a lot of Adelaide families get the timber look without the timber price. A modern laminate board has a tough, scratch-resistant wear layer over a high-density core, with a printed timber-look image and an embossed texture that is genuinely convincing today. It clicks together as a floating floor over an underlay.
Why people choose laminate
- Excellent value for the look
- Very scratch- and dent-resistant, great with kids and pets
- Easy to clean and live with
- Available in 8mm and 12mm thicknesses; thicker boards feel more solid and quieter
Watch-outs
- Not suited to genuinely wet areas like bathrooms or laundries
- Cannot be re-sanded like real timber
Best for: living rooms, bedrooms and hallways. Browse our laminate range, including 12mm and 8mm boards.
Hybrid flooring
Hybrid is the floor we get asked for more than any other, and it is easy to see why. It borrows the best of both worlds, the stability of vinyl with the rigid, timber-like feel of laminate, and it is 100% waterproof. Warm underfoot, low maintenance and tough enough for the whole house, it is the safe all-rounder when you are not sure which way to go.
Why people choose hybrid
- 100% waterproof, suits kitchens, bathrooms and living areas alike
- Rigid and stable, so it copes with Adelaide's temperature swings
- Quiet and warm underfoot
- Available in classic planks and herringbone
Watch-outs
- The one place to think twice is a laundry with a floor drain set into the slab, a floating floor cannot be sealed around a drain the way tiles can.
Best for: the whole house, especially wet areas. Browse our hybrid range, or read our in-depth Hard Flooring Buying Guide.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP)
If you have kids, pets and a floor that needs to take it all, luxury vinyl plank is the easy answer. It is soft and quiet underfoot, completely waterproof, and forgiving in a way that harder floors are not. The timber looks have come a long way, too. Most people cannot pick it until they are standing on it.
Why people choose vinyl
- 100% waterproof and very easy to clean
- Softer, warmer and quieter than tile or hybrid
- Forgiving on dropped glasses and tired feet
- Great value through the whole house
Best for: kitchens, laundries and living areas. Browse our vinyl range.
Engineered timber flooring
Real timber has a warmth and a depth of grain that nothing else quite matches. Engineered timber gives you a genuine hardwood top layer bonded to a stable multi-layer core, so you get the look and feel of solid timber with far less cupping and gapping, important in Adelaide's climate. Many engineered floors can also be re-coated years down the track.
Why people choose engineered timber
- A real hardwood surface, the genuine article
- Adds warmth, character and resale value to a home
- More stable than solid timber, and often re-coatable
- Available in oak, herringbone and chevron
Watch-outs
- It is real wood, so keep it out of bathrooms and laundries and wipe spills promptly
- Higher up-front cost than laminate or vinyl
Best for: living, dining and bedrooms. Browse our engineered timber range.
What about carpet and bamboo?
Two more worth knowing. Carpet is still the cosiest, quietest option for bedrooms and lounges, and the fibre (wool, solution-dyed nylon, polyester) matters more than the colour for how it wears. Our Carpet Buying Guide explains it. Strand-woven bamboo is a tough, sustainable natural floor that is often harder than traditional hardwoods.
Which flooring is best for each room?
Kitchen
Go waterproof: hybrid or luxury vinyl. Both shrug off spills, are easy to wipe down and are warmer underfoot than tile.
Bathroom and ensuite
Hybrid or vinyl are the waterproof choices. Keep timber and laminate out of bathrooms.
Laundry
Hybrid or vinyl again, with one note: if your laundry has a floor drain set into the slab, a floating floor cannot seal around it, so tiles may be the better call there.
Living and dining
Anything goes. Engineered timber for warmth and value, laminate for value, or hybrid/vinyl for a waterproof, low-fuss option.
Bedrooms
Carpet for cosy and quiet, or any of the hard floors if you prefer a consistent look through the home (add a rug for softness).
Hallways and high-traffic areas
Durability first: laminate, hybrid or a hard-wearing twist carpet all handle heavy foot traffic well.
How much does new flooring cost in Adelaide?
Every job is different, but as a rough guide for materials only: laminate starts around $25 to $40/m², luxury vinyl around $30 to $55/m², hybrid around $35 to $70/m² and engineered timber around $60 to $130/m². Carpet varies widely depending on the fibre.
On top of materials you will have installation, underlay and trims, which we quote based on your rooms, the subfloor and any old floor that needs removing. The honest answer is that a quick free measure and quote is the only way to get an accurate price, and it costs you nothing.
Supply and installation across Adelaide
Goodwood Floors supplies and installs flooring across metro Adelaide and South Australia, with a showroom at T15/750 Main North Road, Gepps Cross. We lay what we sell and finish it off properly, so the job is handled start to finish. Pop in to walk on a few samples, or book a free in-home measure and quote and we will bring the showroom to you.
Still not sure? Talk to a local
The right floor is about how you live, not just colour and texture. Come and see (and feel) the ranges at our Gepps Cross showroom, or book your free measure and quote and we will match the right floor to your home and budget. You might also like our guide to caring for your new floors and the latest 2026 flooring trends.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between laminate and hybrid flooring?
Laminate has a printed timber-look layer over a dense fibreboard core and is not designed for wet areas. Hybrid flooring has a rigid, waterproof core that combines the stability of vinyl with the firm feel of laminate, so it can go in kitchens, laundries and bathrooms. Both are floating floors that click together.
Is hybrid flooring really 100% waterproof?
Yes, the plank itself is waterproof, so spills and mopping are no problem and it suits wet areas. The one exception is a laundry with a floor drain (a waste outlet set into the slab), because a floating floor cannot be sealed around a drain the way tiles can.
What is the best flooring for a kitchen?
Hybrid and luxury vinyl plank are the most popular choices for kitchens because they are 100% waterproof, warm and quiet underfoot, and easy to clean. Engineered timber also works in a kitchen if spills are wiped up promptly.
Is engineered timber better than laminate?
Engineered timber has a real hardwood top layer, so it has the genuine warmth, grain and resale value of natural wood, and many floors can be re-sanded and recoated. Laminate is more affordable and very scratch-resistant, but the surface is a printed image rather than real wood. The best choice depends on your budget and how the room is used.
How much does new flooring cost in Adelaide?
As a rough guide for materials only, laminate starts around $25 to $40 per square metre, luxury vinyl around $30 to $55, hybrid around $35 to $70 and engineered timber around $60 to $130. Carpet varies widely. Installation, underlay and trims are quoted separately. Book a free measure and quote for an exact price.
Do you supply and install flooring across Adelaide?
Yes. Goodwood Floors supplies and installs carpet, timber, laminate, hybrid and vinyl across metro Adelaide and South Australia, with a showroom at Gepps Cross. We offer a free, no-obligation measure and quote.
