Hard Flooring Types

Choosing new flooring for a room in your home can be pretty daunting. You’ve decided that you fancy a change from carpet and have been eyeing up hard flooring options but you’re in a bit of a muddle. We get it - you’ve had zero experience of buying hard flooring before, and there’s a lot of choice out there! From laminate to engineered wood, and vinyl to luxury vinyl, they all have different pros and cons. Style, suitability and durability are all things you should think about before making your decision. Our guide will explain in more detail about the different types of hard flooring and their features so you can decide which one is the best hard flooring for your home.

What is hard flooring?

Hard flooring, sometimes called smooth flooring, is a group of flooring products made from solid, durable and resilient materials. It doesn’t bend or compress when stepped on, unlike soft flooring. Hard floor types can be made of natural or manmade materials, or a mix of both. It’s also easy to maintain and keep clean. The last few years have seen hard flooring becoming more and more popular as design quality and product technology improves. So long draughty old wooden floorboards and hello brand spanking new smooth floor!

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Types of hard flooring

There are four types of hard flooring at Tapi: laminate, luxury vinyl, vinyl, and engineered wood. At first glance, they all look the same but dig deeper and they each have their benefits and their place around the home. Take our whistle-stop tour to find out the different types of hard flooring and don’t forget to read our detailed guides on each hard flooring type to get really clued up.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is one of the most popular hard flooring types around. Created as a cheaper alternative to real wood, this hard-wearing smooth floor is also super easy to install. Being wood-based, it’s a very eco-friendly flooring choice, but this also means that most laminates can’t be fitted in rooms where it’s likely to get wet (although there are some water resistant laminates available).

Pros

Affordable
Sustainable
Durable
Hygienic
Versatile
Easy to fit
Low maintenance
UV resistant
Stain resistant
Realistic, natural wood designs

Cons

Not water resistant
Unable to be sanded back like real wood
Sometimes a bit slippery
Repetition of design layer can give an artificial appearance

Quick Step Muse Botanic Concrete

Luxury vinyl

Luxury vinyl or LVT is a durable, high-quality and waterproof floor, available in realistic wood, stone or slate designs. While laminate is wood-based, luxury vinyl is made from PVC with a deep wear layer on top that can take the scratches, scuffs and general wear and tear without affecting the photographic design layer underneath. It’s also fully water resistant so a great option for bathrooms and utility rooms.

Pros

Durable
Versatile
Water resistant
High UV resistance
Heat resistant
Scuff resistant
Stain resistant
Easy to fit
Low maintenance
Realistic wood and stone look
Plank and tile designs
Comfortable
Textured
Suitable for underfloor heating

Cons

Not eco-friendly
Can be dented or pierced by heavy or sharp objects
Repetition of design layer can give an artificial appearance

Endura - Prins Dryback

Kiri - Greco Oak Dryback

Consilio - Whisp Dryback

Kiri - Sesame Stone Dryback

£34.99 m²

Endura - Hato Dryback

£37.99 m²

£34.19 m²

Shop Luxury Vinyl

Vinyl

Available in a huge range of colours, patterns and finishes, there truly is a vinyl for every room and budget! Also called sheet vinyl, it comes on rolls so it’s much more flexible than luxury vinyl – in fact, all you need is scissors to cut it to size making it easier to lay in smaller rooms. Vinyl mimics the appearance of tiles and wood so it’s a great way to achieve the same high-end look for a fraction of the cost.

Pros

Affordable
Variety of designs
Durable
Low maintenance
Easy installation
Water resistant
Slip resistant
Stain resistant
Comfortable

Cons

Not eco-friendly
Fades in sunlight
Harder to repair
Uneven subfloor can cause damage
Indentations from heavy furniture
Can be pierced by sharp objects

Wood flooring

Engineered wood is halfway between real wood flooring and laminate flooring. Made from a plywood core with a natural solid wood top layer, it develops character over time for a unique look. Engineered wood flooring behaves just like real wood so it doesn’t like moisture and will fade in sunlight, but it’s much cheaper than a real wooden floor. Because it’s made from natural materials, it includes all the knots, splits and grains of the wood. Some people love this but others prefer a more pristine, uniform look - in which case, they’ll be much happier with a laminate floor.

Pros

Natural
Sustainable
Durable
Can be restored by sanding
Long-term investment
Different finishes like lacquered, brushed or oiled

Cons

More expensive than other hard wood floors
Vulnerable to temperature and humidity changes
Designs and colours are limited to natural wood species
Liable to fade in sunlight
Requires maintenance
More susceptible to scratches and dents

Javor - Lacquered

£74.99 m²

Landscape Prospect Sapodilla Invisible Oiled

£49.99 m²

Sierra - Risso Brushed & UV Oiled

£89.99 m²

Zion - Smoked Brushed and Matt Lacquered

£79.99 m²

Negara - Umber Brushed & UV Oiled

£79.99 m²

Negara - Nutmeg Brushed & UV Oiled

£79.99 m²

Sierra - Alabaster Brushed & UV Oiled

£89.99 m²

Melia - Matt Lacquered

£69.99 m²

Melia - Oiled

£69.99 m²

Landscape Aspect - Almanzo Brushed & Lacquered

£54.99 m²

Shop Engineered Wood

Do I need underlay for hard flooring?

The short answer is: it depends on the type of hard flooring. Underlay for hard flooring - like laminate, wood flooring or luxury vinyl - helps to protect the joints in the planks or tiles, reducing any risk of flexing to extend the life of your flooring. It can also help to reduce sound – quite important when you’re walking on a hard floor! Some have built-in underlay or you can get pre-glued underlay to make installation even easier. Each floor is different so it's best to speak to a Tapi floorologist in-store.

Carpet vs hard floor

When it comes to a carpet vs hard floor, they’re difficult to compare! They’re both so different and both flooring types have their place in the home. Carpet is the obvious choice if you’re looking to add comfort and warmth, but it is prone to staining and is more likely to show its age. Laminate, on the other hand, is a more affordable flooring option that’s so easy to take care off, but it can make a room feel quite cold and unwelcoming. We have a whole carpet vs laminate article with these two heavyweights battling out to see who is the best! Spoiler alert: we love them equally.

Find your floor with Tapi

So you now understand the difference between all the hard flooring types and you know which one you want, but you need some interiors inspiration. We’ve got so many hard flooring ideas to share with you from real homes – simply search by room and colour then select your flooring type. Or you could play around and have some fun with our Flooring Finder, where you get right into the nitty-gritty to narrow down our huge selection of flooring to one or two that tick all the boxes.

To kick-start your hard flooring journey, why not order some free hard flooring samples online to compare them? You could also book a home visit and we’ll bring the whole store to your door, or book a one on one consultation of our nationwide stores for a chat and a cuppa with our expert floorologists. And once you’ve ordered your new hard flooring, we’ve got a range of care guides to help keep them looking picture-perfect!

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Published: 27-09-2024