7mm, 9mm or 12mm — What the Extra Millimetres Buy

Three things, and one thing it does not.

5.5mm SPC core plus 1.5mm attached IXPE acoustic underlay.

This is the thickness most hybrid sold in Australia lands at, and there is a reason it is the trade favourite: over a sound, flat subfloor it does everything a domestic floor needs to do, and the height works comfortably under existing doors without trimming.

It is the right choice for a slab in good condition, for a renovation where door heights are tight, and wherever budget is doing real work in the decision.

7mm SPC core plus 2mm acoustic IXPE underlay.

The core is 1.5mm thicker than SILVA and the underlay is 0.5mm thicker, and both differences point the same way: a more rigid floor that is quieter to walk on and more forgiving of a subfloor that is not perfectly flat.

It is the one to choose over an older timber subfloor, in an apartment where impact sound to the neighbour below matters, and in a kitchen or living area where you spend hours standing.

It is genuinely noticeable underfoot next to a 7mm. If you can handle both before deciding, do.

12mm laminate on a high-density fibreboard core, rated AC4.

This is not a thicker hybrid — it is a different construction. The HDF core gives excellent impact and dent resistance and a substantial, warm feel that hybrid does not match.

The trade-off is water. HDF swells permanently once water reaches it, which is why TITAN belongs in living areas and bedrooms rather than kitchens and laundries. It also needs a separate underlay, which on concrete must include a moisture barrier.

12mm composite, 1830 × 229 × 12mm per plank, 3 planks per carton covering 1.257m².

EVSPC puts a 2mm luxury vinyl top layer over a waterproof SPC core with attached acoustic underlay, and locks with a patented 5G click system rather than a conventional joint.

That thick vinyl top layer is what makes it different. It is warmer and quieter underfoot than any standard hybrid — closer to the feel people associate with a wood-plastic core — while keeping the dimensional stability of a stone core.

The 5G system also matters practically: the short edge clicks itself as the board drops rather than needing a tapping block, which means a tighter joint and fewer chances to damage an edge during installation.

A thicker, more rigid board bridges small undulations rather than conforming to them. Over a slab with gentle waves, 9mm will feel more solid than 7mm.

What no thickness fixes is a subfloor outside tolerance. Every one of these floors needs the substrate flat to the tolerance in its installation documentation. A thicker plank laid over a dip still flexes, and flexing is what eventually works a click joint loose and creates hollow spots.

Buying a thicker floor to avoid preparing the subfloor is the most expensive mistake available in this category, because you pay for the thicker floor and then pay again to lift it.

Two different things get confused here. Impact sound is what the neighbour below hears when you walk. Ambient sound is the hollow click you hear in the room itself.

Attached IXPE underlay addresses both, and more of it addresses them better — which is the case for AXEN's 2mm over SILVA's 1.5mm in an apartment.

If a body corporate has a specific acoustic requirement, ask us for the test reports for the range you are considering so they can be checked against the building's actual specification rather than assumed.

Total floor height is the plank plus anything under it, and it has to work with what is already in the room.

Internal doors are the usual constraint. Going from carpet to 7mm hybrid usually gains clearance; going to 12mm may mean trimming doors, which is a service quoted separately.

Thresholds to existing tile or timber need a transition strip, and the bigger the height difference the more obvious it is. If you are flooring only part of a house, matching heights across the join is worth planning before ordering.

Kitchen kicks, sliding door tracks and bath panels are the ones people forget until the floor is down.

Compatibility and maximum floor surface temperature are product-specific, and they matter more than usual with a floating floor because heat drives dimensional movement.

Both hybrids run to the same limit, so thickness is not the deciding factor here — SILVA 7mm and AXEN 9mm are both rated to 36°C at the floor surface. The difference that matters is core material rather than thickness: TITAN's HDF core is held to 28°C, which is the lowest limit in our range.

The limit is a surface temperature, not a thermostat setting. Set the system to hold the floor below it rather than assuming a comfortable room temperature keeps the floor in range.

Sound flat slab, tight door heights, budget matters — SILVA 7mm.

Older or slightly uneven subfloor, apartment, or a room you stand in for hours — AXEN 9mm.

Dry rooms where impact resistance and a substantial feel matter most, and water is not a risk — TITAN 12mm laminate.

Warmth and quiet underfoot without giving up a waterproof core, or a project where installation speed and joint strength matter — EVSPC 12mm.

If you are still undecided, order free samples of two and put them on the actual floor in the actual room. Thickness is the specification least well judged from a photograph.