Laminate/Vinyl and Hybrid Flooring Technology
Laminate Flooring: The prime example of a floating floor is laminate flooring, which is almost never glued down to the subfloor. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room’s relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling. Laminate flooring planks are generally joined together along the edges and end with a modified tongue-and-groove system, often known as “click-lock” or “fold-and-lock.” The shape of the interlocking grooves may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, since there are several proprietary methods of connection.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVF): Sometimes known as vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl flooring usually snaps together board-to-board, in much the same fashion as laminate planks, although some types can also be glued to the subfloor. Tiny tongues and grooves engineered into the boards allow them to lock together. Some forms of LVF are semi-flexible planks, while others are quite rigid.
Hybrid Flooring is a mix of two popular types of flooring – crushed stone and vinyl. Vinyl and stone are blended together to make a durable and hard-wearing flooring option. Hybrid flooring is water wet mopable and suitable for kitchen usage.