Vinyl Flooring Sydney: How to Choose the Right Vinyl for Your Home

The right vinyl flooring for a Sydney home comes down to three choices: the look (plank or tile), how it goes down (glue-down, loose lay or rigid hybrid) and how hard the room has to work. This guide explains each choice in plain terms, shows where our vinyl ranges fit, and lists what to check before you buy vinyl flooring in Sydney.

Our vinyl flooring ranges at a glance

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are the names you will see most often. Here is how our vinyl ranges compare.

Vinyl plank or vinyl tile?

Start with the look you want, because it narrows the choice quickly.

• Vinyl plank gives you a timber look. It suits living areas, bedrooms and hallways. Royal 3mm and 5mm Vinyl Plank, Opus, LooseLay Originals and LooseLay Longboard are all plank ranges.
• Vinyl tile gives you a stone, marble, concrete or terrazzo look. Opus Tiles covers stone, marble and terrazzo looks, and Looselay Originals Tiles covers stone and concrete looks.
• Herringbone is a pattern laid from short blocks. Art Select comes in plank and herringbone formats in sixteen oak and hickory looks.

Glue-down, loose lay or rigid hybrid: which suits your home?

Vinyl can be installed in three main ways. Each one suits a different kind of room and subfloor.

Glue-down vinyl

Glue-down vinyl is bonded to the subfloor with adhesive. It is thin and sits low, so Royal 3mm Vinyl Plank suits renovations where floor height matters, such as next to existing tiles or under doors you do not want to trim. Because the floor is thin, the subfloor needs to be smooth and flat, or bumps can show through. Good preparation is part of the job.

Loose lay vinyl

Loose lay planks and tiles are heavier and grip the floor. LooseLay Longboard planks stay in place without adhesive and can be lifted and replaced. That makes loose lay handy where you may want to swap a damaged plank later. LooseLay Originals and Looselay Originals Tiles are 4.5mm thick and carry a lifetime residential warranty.

Rigid hybrid (rigid-core vinyl)

Rigid hybrid boards click together and float over an underlay. Karndean Korlok is 6.5mm thick with a 0.55mm wear layer and 5G click locking. Our hybrid flooring also includes Royal Hybrid Pro 9mm on a waterproof core, and Royal 6.5mm Premium, which is rated 6 star acoustic and suits apartments. To weigh up the two, read vinyl vs hybrid flooring.

What wear layer do you need?

The wear layer is the clear top layer that protects the printed design. A thicker wear layer gives more protection in rooms with heavy foot traffic, pets and children.

• 0.55mm: Royal 3mm Vinyl Plank, Opus, LooseLay Originals and LooseLay Longboard.
• 0.7mm: Royal 5mm Vinyl Plank, which adds an anti-stain coating and an ultra-matte finish.

Bedrooms and studies usually take less wear than a kitchen, hallway or family room. If one floor runs right through your home, choose for the busiest room.

Where does each type of vinyl suit?

• Kitchens and laundries: vinyl handles everyday spills well when you wipe them up. See our guide to the best flooring for kitchens.
• Open-plan living: long planks such as LooseLay Longboard or the 1524mm Royal 5mm boards suit large spaces.
• Renovations with tight floor heights: the 3mm glue-down Royal plank or Art Select.
• Apartments: check your strata by-laws for acoustic rules first. Read the best flooring for apartments.
• Commercial wet areas: slip-rated safety vinyl sheet is a separate product. See our commercial safety flooring.

Not sure which suits your rooms? Book a free measure and quote and we will check your subfloor and talk through the options.

What to check in a vinyl flooring retailer in Sydney

Whoever you buy from, these four checks protect you.

• A range you can see in person. Colours look different on a screen. Look at full-size samples in daylight, and next to your cabinets or paint if you can.
• A proper measure and quote. Someone should measure every room, check the subfloor and put the preparation, trims and removal of old floors in writing.
• Professional installation. Ask who installs the floor and whether they follow the manufacturer’s installation guidelines, including subfloor preparation and acclimatisation.
• Warranty paperwork. Ask for the warranty for your exact range in writing, and read the care and installation conditions. Keep it with your invoice. Our warranty page explains how this works.

Royal Floors has over 20 years of experience. You can browse every range on our vinyl flooring page, then see the samples in a showroom. Our installation team handles professional installation from subfloor preparation to trims.

See vinyl flooring in our Sydney showrooms

Visit our vinyl displays in Penrith, Campbelltown and Hornsby. In Queensland, see our Logan showroom. A few colours to start with:

Frequently asked questions

Which vinyl flooring is right for a Sydney home?

It depends on the room. Choose plank for a timber look or tile for a stone or concrete look. Glue-down suits renovations where floor height matters, loose lay suits floors where you may want to lift and replace a plank, and rigid hybrid clicks together over an underlay.

What is the difference between glue-down and loose lay vinyl?

Glue-down vinyl is bonded to a smooth, flat subfloor with adhesive and sits low. Loose lay vinyl is heavier and grips the floor. Our LooseLay Longboard planks stay in place without adhesive and can be lifted and replaced.

Is hybrid flooring the same as vinyl plank?

They are related. Rigid hybrid boards have a rigid core and click together as a floating floor, while vinyl plank is usually glued down or loose laid. Our vinyl vs hybrid guide compares the two.

Which vinyl ranges have a lifetime residential warranty?

Karndean LooseLay Originals, Looselay Originals Tiles, Opus and Opus Tiles carry a lifetime residential warranty. Royal 3mm and 5mm Vinyl Plank carry a 25 year limited residential warranty.

Where can I see vinyl flooring in Sydney?

Visit our showrooms in Penrith, Campbelltown or Hornsby, or our Logan showroom in Queensland. You can also book a free measure and quote.

Find your vinyl floor

Come and see our vinyl ranges in Penrith, Campbelltown, Hornsby or Logan. Book your free measure and quote online, or call us on 1300 980 501.