People often talk about floating floors and timber floors as if they were two materials. They are not. “Floating” describes how a floor is installed; “timber” describes what it is made of. An engineered oak board can be a floating floor. A hybrid plank is always a floating floor. Once that is clear, the real comparison is between a floating installation and a fixed one, and between timber and the synthetic materials that usually float.
What a floating floor is
A floating floor is any floor whose planks lock to each other but are not glued or nailed to the subfloor. The whole surface sits on an underlay and expands and contracts as one sheet, which is why it needs an expansion gap at every wall. Hybrid, laminate and many engineered timber boards are installed this way. It is fast, needs no adhesive, can go over existing tiles or sheet vinyl if they are flat, and is the method most DIY guides describe, including our own hybrid installation guide.
What a fixed timber floor is
A traditional timber floor is solid hardwood boards nailed to joists or a plywood subfloor, or engineered boards glued directly to a concrete slab. Because every board is fixed, there is no movement as a sheet, no hollow sound, and the floor can be sanded and re-coated for decades. It takes longer to install, costs more in labour and adhesive, and a solid floor has to be sanded and coated on site after laying.
Side by side
- Feel underfoot. A fixed floor feels solid and dead-quiet. A floating floor has a slight give and can sound hollow if the underlay is thin or the subfloor is uneven.
- Water. Hybrid and vinyl floating floors are waterproof. Timber, floating or fixed, is not, and does not belong in bathrooms or laundries.
- Cost. Floating laminate and hybrid are the cheapest floors to buy and lay. Floating engineered timber sits in the middle. Fixed solid timber is the most expensive once sanding and coating are included.
- Lifespan. A solid timber floor can be refinished many times over 50 years or more. Engineered boards can be re-sanded once or twice depending on veneer thickness. Hybrid and laminate are replaced, not refinished.
- Apartments and slabs. Floating floors with an acoustic underlay are the usual answer for strata buildings. Fixed timber on a slab means direct-stick engineered boards and a moisture barrier.
Which should you choose?
Choose a floating floor if you want the job done quickly, need a waterproof surface, are laying over an existing floor, or are working to a tight budget. Choose fixed timber if you want the feel and longevity of real hardwood, have timber joists or a sound slab to fix to, and are prepared to pay for the installation. Engineered timber is the compromise: real wood on top, and it can be floated or glued depending on the subfloor.
Compare the options in our hybrid flooring range and engineered timber flooring range, or ask us for a supply-and-install quote on both so you can see the difference in dollars.
Frequently asked questions
No, it is different. Floating installation trades some solidity and refinishing potential for speed, lower cost and, with hybrid or vinyl, waterproofing.
Yes. Most engineered timber boards can be floated over underlay, and some solid boards use click systems. Solid tongue-and-groove hardwood is normally nailed or glued.
Real timber, fixed or engineered, generally impresses buyers more than laminate or hybrid, but a well-chosen hybrid in a modern colour rarely counts against a home.