Flooring & Skirting FAQ (Perth)

For floating-floor installations, please keep these in mind to protect your manufacturer’s warranty:

• Areas greater than 10 m in any one direction must be broken by expansion gaps between planks, typically at doorways or hallway entrances. These are usually covered by matching-colour metal transition trims.
• Windows and sliding glass doors should have proper cover to prevent direct sunlight on the floor. Excessive heat can cause the planks to expand and warp.
• Use a floor protector under furniture to avoid hard scratches, and protective mats under heavy items.
• Some shrinking or expansion is natural and can happen with changes in temperature or moisture.

SPC hybrid flooring is often marketed as waterproof, but it is best to check the specific product: several major brands have recently changed their wording to water-resistant only, or state that only the surface is waterproof rather than the whole board. Treat it as water-resistant unless the manufacturer clearly says otherwise, and never use electric or steam mops on it.

I do not recommend hybrid flooring in genuinely wet areas. I do not install it in bathrooms at all, and in laundries only at the customer’s own risk and without warranty – there is too much chance of water getting under the floor (Perth slabs are usually uneven and fall towards the floor waste), which can lead to mould even if the planks themselves survive.

If there is ever site flooding, prolonged water exposure or submersion, or an appliance leak, the flooring will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and flooding or building moisture from above or below the subfloor is excluded as well. After a flood or a significant leak, the planks should be lifted so the subfloor can dry out thoroughly before anything is reinstalled. Re-use may be possible after a careful inspection and drying period, with the planks’ dimensional accuracy and click system checked first.

These simple habits keep any of our floors (hybrid, engineered timber or laminate) looking great:

• Keep the floor free of dirt, sand and grit.
• Wipe up wet or dry spills straight away with a dry or slightly damp cloth.
• Sweep or vacuum regularly (use a soft brush head) to stop grit dulling the surface.
• Clean with a well-wrung damp mop or soft broom. Use a low-pH, mild detergent. Never use a steam mop or steam cleaner.
• Apply felt pads under furniture, and use protective mats under heavy pieces. Use protective panels when rolling heavy appliances into place, and never drag heavy items across the floor.
• Clean up pet accidents immediately, and keep pet nails trimmed.
• Avoid stiletto heels and similar point loads, which can dent the surface.
• Use window treatments or UV tinting to limit long spells of direct sunlight, which can fade the floor or open up the joints.
• Keep indoor temperature and humidity reasonably stable.

A couple of floor-specific notes: engineered timber and laminate prefer only a damp (never wet) mop and dislike standing water; SPC hybrid is waterproof, so spills and splashes are no problem, but a well-wrung damp mop is still all you need.

Hybrid flooring is a newer, improved take on vinyl. It is more comfortable underfoot and more durable, needs very little subfloor preparation, and uses a click system so the boards lock together with no gaps. It is cost-effective, and tends to come in more colours and styles. The core is the key difference: traditional vinyl plank has a thin, flexible PVC core, while WPC and SPC hybrids have a thick, rigid core (a wood-plastic composite for WPC, a stone-plastic composite for SPC).

Both share many traits, but the rigid core affects installation, temperature resistance and durability:

• Price: WPC is typically more expensive than SPC.
• Heat retention: WPC holds heat better, so SPC can feel a little colder underfoot.
• Sound: WPC’s thicker core absorbs sound better.
• Stability: SPC is more stable under temperature changes and heat.
• Feel: WPC’s thicker padding feels more cushioned underfoot.
• Durability: SPC’s denser core is less likely to dent.

In short, SPC is a better choice. It’s a great, cost-effective option where the floor sees big temperature swings or heavy impacts. Not sure which suits your home? Just get in touch and I’ll help you choose.

Often yes, but it depends on the surface and the product. Floating floors (laminate and hybrid SPC) can usually go over sound, flat tiles or a suitable concrete slab with the right underlay, while a direct-stick timber install needs a clean, level, dry substrate. The subfloor has to be flat within tolerance (no more than 2 mm over a 2–3 m span) and free of moisture issues first, so I always assess it before choosing a method. Perth’s slab-on-ground homes make an ideal base once the slab has been checked and prepared.

I supply and install all the flooring and skirting I offer, so it’s one point of contact from choosing the product to the finished floor. It’s best to confirm upfront what’s included so there are no surprises. I provide a free, no-obligation quote, ideally after an on-site measure, which also means the material ordered matches the room with the right allowance for cutting and expansion gaps.

Usually the old floor is best removed so the new one sits at the correct height and bonds to a sound substrate, though some floating installs can go over existing hard floors if they’re flat and stable. Leaving old material down can raise the finished height enough to stop doors closing. It’s worth confirming in the quote whether removal and disposal of the old floor is included, as it can be a fair chunk of the job.

Clear the rooms of furniture and breakables, take down curtains and anything low on the walls, and empty any relevant cupboards or wardrobes. Arrange for large appliances to be disconnected in advance if they need moving, and keep children and pets out of the work area for safety, and to keep them away from the dust. If the product needs to acclimatise, it’s delivered a few days beforehand so it can adjust to your home’s conditions.

Most residential floors go down in one to three days, depending on the area, the product and how much subfloor preparation is needed. Floating floors (laminate and hybrid SPC) can usually take foot traffic almost straight away, while glued (direct-stick) timber needs the adhesive to cure first. As a guide, keep heavy furniture off a freshly glued floor for a few days, and use felt protectors when you move it back.

Floating floors click together over an underlay and are quicker and lower cost to install; direct-stick bonds each board to the slab for a solid, quieter feel underfoot. Direct-stick is generally preferred for engineered timber, for herringbone or chevron patterns, and where there’s underfloor heating, while floating suits many laminate and hybrid installs. On a Perth concrete slab, direct-stick is a common choice for engineered timber once the slab passes a moisture check.

Yes. Installing over a slab that’s too damp can cause adhesives to fail and boards to cup, lift or distort, so slab moisture is tested to the relevant Australian Standards before anything goes down. Many manufacturers also require the readings to be within limits for the warranty to apply. In Perth, seasonal rain, reticulation and newer slabs that are still curing all make this check worthwhile.

Hybrid SPC is a popular choice for busy homes because it’s waterproof or water-resistant and scratch-resistant, which suits kitchens, entries and homes with pets. Recent good-quality laminate gives a hard, scratch-resistant surface (and most grades are water-resistant these days) at a lower price point, but spills should still be wiped up promptly, even on water-resistant grades like Aquastop or other brands. Bamboo and engineered timber are durable options where a natural timber look is preferred; felt pads and doormats help any floor last longer.

Skirting height is mostly a style choice balanced against ceiling height: taller boards suit higher rooms and give a more substantial look, while the profile (square/modern, bullnose or a moulded style like Colonial) sets the character. A practical tip is to install the flooring first, then hold sample boards against the wall to judge the proportion. Skirting also covers the expansion gap left around the edge of a floating floor, so it does a functional job as well as a decorative one. As a guide, the 92 mm skirting board is the most popular size: under a 31-course ceiling height I usually recommend 67 mm or 92 mm boards, and from a 33-course ceiling height you can consider 92 mm or higher, such as 140 mm.