Flooring Guides and Advice

Straight answers to common questions about choosing, pricing and installing flooring, written from three decades of laying floors in Gold Coast homes, apartments and businesses.

Every guide is written by Clive Streatfield, who has been measuring, quoting and installing floors across the Gold Coast since 1994. We focus on the things that actually change the result in our climate: humidity, sand and sun, subfloor preparation, and the body corporate rules that apply in apartment buildings.

Not sure where to start? If you are pricing a job, begin with the cost guide. If you are deciding between floors, read the hybrid versus vinyl plank comparison and our room-by-room recommendations. If you own an apartment, read the acoustic rules guide before buying any hard flooring.

These guides are general advice. Every home is different, so the most reliable way to choose is a free in-home measure, where we can check your subfloor, look at the light in each room and show you real samples side by side. There is no obligation, and you will receive a fixed written quote for every option you are considering.

We add new guides as customers ask new questions. If there is something you would like answered, call 0405 151 101 and we will be happy to help, whether or not you are ready to book a measure.

Guides

• Flooring Cost on the Gold Coast: 2026 Price Guide

  Typical supply-and-install prices per square metre and what changes them.

• Hybrid vs Vinyl Plank Flooring: Which Should You Choose?

  Both hybrid and vinyl plank are waterproof, timber-look floors that suit Gold Coast homes. Hybrid has a rigid stone-plastic core that is firmer underfoot and more forgiving over small subfloor imperfections. Vinyl plank is thinner, softer and quieter underfoot and usually costs less. If your slab is flat and budget matters, choose vinyl plank. If you want a firmer, more timber-like feel across a large open area, or your subfloor is slightly uneven, choose hybrid.

• The Best Flooring for Gold Coast Homes

  For most Gold Coast homes, waterproof hybrid or vinyl plank is the best choice for living areas, kitchens and laundries because it handles humidity, pool water and sand. Carpet remains the most comfortable option for bedrooms, with solution-dyed nylon resisting fading in strong sun. Engineered timber suits owners who want real wood, as it is more stable in humid conditions than solid boards.

• Apartment Flooring and Body Corporate Acoustic Rules on the Gold Coast

  Most Gold Coast apartment buildings control hard flooring through their by-laws, usually by requiring approval and a minimum impact sound performance. The floor and the acoustic underlay must be chosen together to meet that requirement, and many buildings want the product details before work starts. Check your by-laws, get the specification approved, then install exactly what was approved.

• Engineered vs Solid Timber Flooring: Which Should You Choose?

  Both are real timber floors. Solid timber is milled from a single piece of hardwood and can be sanded and recoated many times over its life. Engineered timber has a real hardwood top layer bonded to a stable multi-layer core, so it moves less with humidity and suits concrete slabs and floating installation. For most Gold Coast homes on a slab, engineered timber is the lower-risk choice. Solid timber suits homes on timber joists or battens and owners who want a floor that can be refinished many times over decades.

• The Best Flooring for Homes with Pets and Kids

  For busy homes with dogs, cats and young children, waterproof hybrid or vinyl plank is usually the best all-round choice for living areas: they resist scratches and spills, clean easily and are comfortable underfoot. Choose a product with a strong wear layer and a textured, lower-sheen surface to hide marks. In bedrooms, a solution-dyed nylon carpet in a cut pile resists stains and won't snag claws the way loop piles can. Timber suits pets best in a hard species with a matte finish.

• How to Prepare for New Flooring Installation

  Good preparation makes installation day faster and smoother. Confirm what is included in your quote, clear small items and valuables, arrange for appliances to be disconnected, make a plan for pets and kids, and allow for doors to be trimmed. On the day, keep access clear and expect some noise and dust during removal of old flooring and subfloor preparation. Afterwards, follow the care instructions for your new floor.

• Can You Lay New Flooring Over Existing Tiles?

  Often, yes. Hybrid and floating engineered timber can usually go straight over existing tiles if the tiles are firmly bonded, the surface is flat within the product's tolerance and there is no moisture problem. Thin click vinyl plank and glue-down vinyl usually need the grout lines filled or the surface skimmed first, or the tile pattern can show through. Carpet can be laid over tiles with smooth edge fixed to the tile. Tiles that are loose, cracked or drummy, rooms where the extra height causes problems at doors and appliances, and bathrooms with floor wastes are the main reasons to remove the tiles instead.

• Carpet vs Hybrid Flooring for Bedrooms

  Carpet is the better choice for most bedrooms when comfort, warmth underfoot and quiet are the priorities, especially in upstairs rooms, apartments and children's rooms. Hybrid suits bedrooms when you want one continuous floor through the house, easy wipe-clean surfaces, or a low-maintenance option for rentals and for people who prefer hard floors. On the Gold Coast, carpet is usually the more affordable of the two to supply and install, at roughly $40 to $70 per m² compared with $70 to $120 per m² for hybrid.

• Waterproof Flooring for Laundries, Kitchens and Wet Areas

  For laundries, kitchens, powder rooms and back entries on the Gold Coast, waterproof vinyl plank or hybrid flooring is usually the most practical choice: the planks are not damaged by water, they are easy to clean and they can run continuously from the living areas. Glue-down vinyl plank or sheet vinyl suits small rooms with a floor waste and commercial wet areas. A waterproof plank is not the same as a waterproofed room, so shower areas and other zones that need a waterproofing membrane are a job for a licensed waterproofer and tiler, not a floating floor.