Engineered Timber.

Premium through and through. Engineered timber brings a 3mm layer of real timber veneer,vauthentic wood looks that lift the value of your home. The ideal choice for renovations and forever homes.

Engineered timber FAQs.

The questions we get asked most about engineered timber flooring.

Yes. The surface is a genuine hardwood veneer — 3mm in our range — bonded to a stable multi-ply core. So you get a real timber floor underfoot, with far less of the gapping and cupping you get from a solid board.

It depends what you value. Engineered is the real-timber, premium-looks option and it can be sanded back once down the track. Hybrid and laminate are tougher, cheaper and cope better with water. If genuine timber is the goal, engineered wins; if it's durability and value, hybrid or laminate.

Yes — and it's one of the big advantages over hybrid and laminate. Because the surface is real timber, it can be sanded back once and refinished to bring it up like new, so a quality engineered floor can be refreshed rather than replaced as the years go by.

It depends on the range. Click-lock floating boards are within reach of a confident DIYer, with a good acoustic underlay underneath. Glue-down ranges are usually best left to a professional. Either way, prep the subfloor well and let the timber acclimatise first.

It's real timber, so it's more sensitive to moisture than hybrid or laminate. It's fine in everyday living spaces — just wipe up spills promptly — but it isn't a wet-area floor. For a spill-prone room like a kitchen or laundry, a hybrid floor is the better choice; for a bathroom or other genuine wet area, use a fully sealed, tanked surface like tiles.

Many years — ours carries a 25-year residential warranty. And because the real-timber surface can be sanded back once and refinished, a well-cared-for engineered floor can be refreshed rather than replaced, which adds even more life.

Only if you're floating a click-lock range — in that case a good acoustic underlay goes underneath. If the floor is glued down, there's no separate underlay; it bonds straight to the prepared subfloor.

Gently. A dry or barely-damp microfibre mop and a cleaner made for timber floors is all it needs — avoid excess water and steam mops, since moisture is real timber's weak point. Pop felt pads under furniture and wipe up spills as they happen.

Engineered timber vs the alternatives.

Engineered timber sits at the premium end of our range, and for good reason — it's the only floor here with a genuine hardwood surface. That does come with a couple of honest trade-offs: it costs more than hybrid or laminate, and as real timber it's more sensitive to moisture. Here's where each option pulls ahead.

What matters most to you	Best pick
Real timber underfoot and the best looks	Engineered timber
Maximum toughness and scratch resistance	Laminate
The best everyday water resistance	Hybrid flooring
Being able to re-sand and refresh it later	Engineered timber

If toughness and scratch resistance top your list, laminate has the edge. If you need a floor that shrugs off water in kitchens and laundries, hybrid is the safer pick — and both hybrid and laminate come in cheaper. But if it's the genuine look and feel of real timber you're after, and a floor you can sand back and refresh years down the track, nothing else in the range compares.

Engineered timber can be sanded and refinished multiple times over its lifetime, making it a long-term investment for homes where authenticity matters. All products carry a 30-year structural warranty. Request free samples to see and feel the real timber difference.

Perspective view of Pacific Spotted Gum SPC Hybrid Floorboards Herringbone 7.5+2mm in Pacific Spotted colour warm tone herringbone flooring sample

How to install engineered timber.

How you install engineered timber depends on the range. Some of our boards are click-lock and float over the subfloor like a hybrid or laminate floor, which puts them within reach of a confident DIYer. Others are designed to be glued down to the subfloor for the most solid feel underfoot — and that's generally a job best left to a professional. It's worth deciding which you're going with before you order.

Whichever way you go, preparation does the heavy lifting. The subfloor needs to be clean, dry and level, and because this is real timber, it's important to check subfloor moisture and let the boards acclimatise in the room before laying — timber needs time to settle to its surroundings. If you're floating a click-lock range, lay a good acoustic underlay underneath; if you're gluing down, the boards bond straight to the prepared subfloor with no underlay.

From there it's a case of working across the room, keeping an expansion gap around the edges, and finishing with your trims. Take your time on the prep and the rest follows.

Key benefits of engineered timber flooring:

Real hardwood top layer — identical look and feel to solid timber
Dimensionally stable — won’t cup, gap, or warp like solid timber
Can be sanded and refinished — extend the floor’s life by decades
Suitable for underfloor heating — stable construction handles temperature changes
Wide plank profiles — up to 190mm wide for a contemporary, spacious look
Versatile installation — glue-down, nail-down, or floating

How much does engineered timber cost?

As a premium, real-timber floor, engineered sits above hybrid and laminate on price — and the better the timber and the finish, the more it costs. As a guide, the product itself runs from around $80 to $150 per square metre, with wider boards, nicer grades and herringbone lays sitting toward the top of that range.

If you're having it professionally installed, expect the total to land somewhere around $150 to $200 per square metre including the product, depending on the complexity of the job — a straightforward floating floor sits at the lower end, while a glue-down or herringbone install takes more time and skill. As always, factor in floor levelling if your subfloor needs it.

European Oak Range (15.3mm)

Colours: 10 designer finishes (Pale Oak, Natural Limed, Midnight Grey, etc.)
Wear layer: can be sanded 2–3 times
Width: wide plank profiles up to 190mm

Australian Hardwood Range (14.3mm)

Species: Victoria Ash, Tallowood, Spotted Gum, Grey Iron Bark, Blue Gum, Blackbutt
Wear layer: can be sanded 1–2 times
Character: natural grain variation and colour depth of Australian native species

Installation costs

Three tips for buying and laying engineered timber

Keep your engineered timber floor looking its best for decades with these essentials.

1

Let the boards acclimatise

This is real timber, so it needs time to settle to your home's temperature and humidity before it goes down. Leave the boxes in the room they'll be laid in for a few days first — skipping this is a common cause of gapping or movement later.

2

Keep it out of wet rooms

Engineered timber is genuine wood, so it's happiest in living areas, bedrooms and hallways — not laundries or other damp rooms. Wipe up spills promptly. For a spill-prone room like a kitchen or laundry, a hybrid floor is the better choice; for a bathroom or other genuine wet area, use a fully sealed, tanked surface like tiles.

3

Decide floating vs glue-down early

It changes what you need to buy. A floating click-lock floor wants a good acoustic underlay; a glue-down floor wants the right adhesive and usually a professional installer. Sort out which you're doing before you order so nothing holds you up.

Engineered timber colours and styles.

Because the surface is real timber, engineered flooring has a natural depth and variation you can't fake — no two boards are exactly alike. Our range runs from pale, light-washed looks through to warm neutrals and richer, deeper tones, so you can land anywhere from bright and Scandi to warm and classic.

If you want the floor to be a genuine feature, a herringbone lay turns real timber into something special — a designer look that suits both period homes and modern builds. Wider, longer planks read calm and contemporary, while herringbone adds pattern and character. As always, order a couple of free samples and look at them in your own room; real timber especially can shift in tone depending on the light.

Engineered timber makes sense when:

You want the look and feel of real hardwood — not a printed replica
You plan to stay in the home long-term and want a floor that lasts 30–50+ years
You’re willing to invest in periodic maintenance (recoating, eventually refinishing)
Your project avoids wet areas (use hybrid flooring for bathrooms and laundries)

Consider hybrid instead when:

Waterproof performance is essential (kitchens, bathrooms, laundries)
Low maintenance is a priority (no sanding, no recoating)

Request free samples to compare engineered timber and hybrid side by side.

Learn more from our blogs.

How to Clean and Maintain Laminate Flooring

June 23, 2026|Hippo Floors

Laminate is easy to keep looking great, as long as you avoid a few things. Here's how to clean and care for it the right way.

How to Install Laminate Flooring: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide

June 23, 2026|Hippo Floors

Laminate is one of the most DIY-friendly floors there is. Here's how to lay it properly, from subfloor prep to the final trim.

Underlay for Laminate Flooring: Why You Need It and How to Choose

June 23, 2026|Hippo Floors

Laminate needs a separate underlay underneath it. Here's what it does, why it's not optional, and how to pick the right one.

What Our Customers Say.

5.0 out of 5

Absolutely love the flooring

“The quality exceeded my expectations. Installation was straightforward and the finished result looks incredible. Would highly recommend to anyone renovating.”

Best value for money

“Compared dozens of options and nothing came close to the value here. SPC flooring is durable, waterproof, and looks like real timber. Couldn't be happier.”

Great product, fast delivery

“Ordered on Monday, arrived Wednesday. The planks are solid and the click system makes installation a breeze. Took me a weekend for the whole living room.”

Really happy

“Really happy with the selection of flooring, made it hard to choose! Floor came undamaged and looks even better in person. Will definitely use them again.”

Great Flooring

“Great flooring & wonderful service. Definitely recommend!!”

Amazing experience

“Amazing experience with Hippo Floors! Couldn’t be happier with how our floors turned out!”

Ordering again soon

“Ordered the hybrid SPC in the ash grey colour and it arrived faster than expected. Packaging was solid, no damage. Laid it myself over a long weekend and it clicked together really easily. Looks amazing, my partner couldn't believe we did it ourselves. Will be ordering for the second bedroom soon.”

Highly Recommend

“Had a few questions before ordering and Jordan got back to me same day with actually useful answers. Ended up going with the herringbone SPC for our entryway and it's a showstopper. Highly recommend.”

Flooring quality is genuinely good

“Third time ordering from Hippo Floors now. Prices are the best I've found online and the flooring quality is genuinely good. Had one plank arrive with a slight chip on an edge, sent a photo and they sorted it out no drama.”

Would buy again

“Good range, decent prices, fast shipping to regional QLD which I didn't expect. Took off one star only because the colour looked slightly different on my screen vs in person, but honestly once it was down I was happy with it. Would buy again.”

Great product

“Renovating our entire ground floor and went with Hippo Floors after getting quotes from a few places. Saved a decent chunk going direct online and the product is exactly what they describe. Installation team they referred us to was great too.”