5 Tips for making hybrid flooring work in your home

Hybrid flooring is particularly tough, making it a straightforward material for busy homes, family homes, holiday or rental properties and for those who don’t want the stress of potential damage. It’s durable and resilient to everyday living with the added protection of a wear layer that helps with the dents and knocks our flooring invariably is impacted by. With this said, choosing a style can feel overwhelming!

Start by creating a mood board of what you like and how you envisage your home to look. Once you have collected imagery, you will likely see common colours, timber styles and flooring installation designs. These common threads are what you can work with to choose your new hybrid flooring. Darker colours work beautifully in modern and classic homes but can make a home feel visually smaller if the natural light is low or the spaces tight. Light colours lend themselves to homes large or small, contemporary or classic as well as being easy to live with and working back with most palettes.

In terms of timber styles and markings, this is personal. The more character the floors feature, the more impact the material has on the overall look and feel. If the home already feels busy and you want to pull it back, subtle is the key! There are many authentic timber flooring hybrid styles so head into a Flooring Xtra store with your ideas and they will be able to point you in the right direction and importantly, within your budget.

You have found the perfect new hybrid for your home, now it’s time for flooring installation! It’s important to leave this to the professionals who have many years of experience and expertise. They are well-equiped to handle any unexpected issues that might arise, including any preparation that may be required before installation. Each Flooring Xtra store has a professional installation team and they have all of the specific equipment and knowledge to save you the hassle of doing it yourself!

Flooring that is easy to clean? Music to many ears. Life is busy and few people have the time or inclination to spend their days cleaning their floors which makes hybrid flooring even more appealing. Like all flooring, however, hybrid does require some maintenance to ensure it remains beautiful! Mopping and vacuuming consistently as well as prompt cleaning of spills is enough to keep your flooring looking like new for longer. You can read the Flooring Xtra hard flooring care guide to learn more.

Hybrid flooring feels wonderful underfoot but the additional layer of a floor rug will add even more comfort. A rug on the floor is a great tool for many reasons. They bring another layer of warmth and texture to a space, they protect the flooring underneath and they are great for acoustic and thermal control. In large living spaces they also have the ability to visually define spaces, such as a lounge area in an open-plan living and dining area. They encourage kids to play on the floor and family time!

Choosing a rug is a personal preference but there are some helpful hints if you are feeling lost!

• Decide if you want the rug to be a feature of the room or a subtle layer. Highly patterned rugs or colourful rugs will draw attention to themselves while a simple rug in a neutral colour will be less obvious. Try to choose something that will harmoniously sit back with your hybrid flooring while contrasting enough in tone to differentiate between the two surfaces.
• Always make sure the rug is large enough. Rugs that are too small feel like a last-minute decision. Read our rug guide for placement and size ideas.
• If you have a pet, stick to rugs with lower piles and non-loop styles so their claws don’t catch on them!
• Different rug styles lend themselves to different aesthetics. Stripes are classic and also work in coastal homes, shag pile rugs are fun and modern and transitional rugs are intricate, working in chic modern homes or more traditional interiors. Jute is a relaxed and casual fibre while wool is luxurious. Jump on Pinterest to see what interiors you’re drawn to then check out the rugs that feature in them for guidance.

While hybrid is an excellent choice for homes with pets or people that like to entertain guests, there are some things you can do to ensure that the flooring doesn’t get damaged. A rug at the front door is an excellent idea to trap any dirt or grit from entering the house. Encouraging a shoe-free home is a helpful way too to ensure the outside doesn’t venture in. Having a place for people to remove their shoes at the entry to the home is a good idea if possible. If there are spills and mess when guests are visiting (it happens!) try to clean them up as quickly as possible.

Keep pet’s paws and claws in check as they can cause damage to floors. There are some great tips for keeping your floors in check with pets in our handy hard flooring and pets guide.

What are the benefits of hybrid flooring?

There are many benefits of hybrid flooring that make it a great flooring choice. It looks fantastic, with many authentic timber-look styles available. It’s also durable, easy to clean and some products can be installed in wet areas.

How to clean wool carpet rugs

Rugs need care just like carpet. Vacuum frequently and clean up any spills and marks promptly. You can read our Rug Care guide for more information.

What are the benefits of professional flooring installers?

Deciding what new flooring you will install at home is a big deal! There is a lot to consider and it’s an investment which is why it’s important to get the installation done by the professionals- they know what they are doing and are incredibly knowledgable. They have all the right tools, they can problem solve, drawing on years of experience and get things done promptly. Each Flooring Xtra store has its own professional installers so you can relax while the experts get the job done!