Hybrid vs Engineered Timber Flooring Compared
Blackbutt hybrid against engineered Blackbutt timber: printed look or real timber, fitting, height, acoustic results and price per m².
Comparing Natural Blackbutt SPC Hybrid Floorboards 7.5+2mm with Blackbutt Australian Hardwood 14mm.
The main difference
What’s actually different?
Natural Blackbutt has a printed timber look and clicks together. Blackbutt has a real timber surface and clicks together. The main choice is the material. Natural Blackbutt is 9.5mm thick and Blackbutt 14mm.
AChoose Natural Blackbutt if…
- You want a timber look without a real wood top layer.
- You want to spend less: $49.99 against $108.99 per m², about $1,429 less for a 20 m² room.
- Your building asks for 5 stars: Natural Blackbutt lists 5 Star (L'nT,w 41), Blackbutt 4 Star (L'nT,w 46).
BChoose Blackbutt if…
- You want a real wood surface and natural timber grain.
- You like longer boards with fewer joins: 1820–2100 × 136mm against 1820 × 228mm.
Natural Blackbutt is 54% cheaper: $1,162 vs $2,591 for a 20 m² room (14 vs 12 boxes, with 10% extra for cuts). That is $49.99 vs $108.99 per m².
Side by side
| Feature | ANatural Blackbutt | BBlackbutt |
|---|---|---|
| Surfacediffers | Printed timber look | Real timber surface |
| Price per m²differs | $49.99 | $108.99 |
| Thicknessdiffers | 9.5mm (7.5mm + 2mm underlay) | 14mm |
| Fittingdiffers | Clicks together | Clicks together (5G) |
| Plank sizediffers | 1820 × 228mm | 1820–2100 × 136mm |
| Acoustic ratingdiffers | 5-star test result | 4-star test result |
| Coverage per boxdiffers | 1.66 m² | 1.981 m² |
What to check before you decide
- A real timber top layer and a protective wear layer do different jobs. Their thicknesses are not a durability ranking.
- Acoustic results depend on the tested floor, underlay and building setup. Get the report approved by your body corporate before buying.
- Check each installation guide for the required subfloor preparation, adhesive or underlay.
All specifications
| Feature | ANatural Blackbutt | BBlackbutt |
|---|---|---|
| Price per boxdiffers | $82.99 | $215.91 |
| Flooring typediffers | SPC Hybrid Flooring | Australian Hardwood Engineered Flooring |
| Wear layerdiffers | 0.5mm protective layer | 3mm timber layer |
| Acoustic ratingdiffers | AAAC: 5 Star | L'nT,w: 41 | FIIC: 69 | AAAC: 4 Star | L'nT,w: 46 | FIIC: 64 (with 5mm Regupol Sonus Core 5 underlay) |
| Slip rating | P2 | P2 |
| Style | Planks | Plank |
| Colour tone | Mid Tone | Mid Tone |
| Surface treatmentdiffers | UV Coating | UV Lacquered |
| Edge profile | 4-Sided Micro Bevel | 4-Sided Micro Bevel |
| Package detailsdiffers | Box size: 1.66m2 / 4 Boards Weight: 26kg | Box size: 1.981-2.285m2 / 8 Boards Weight: 24-26kg |
| Fire test resultdiffers | CHF Value >11.0kW/m2 | CHF Value 3.4kW/m2 |
Ready to order?
Enter your room size and we’ll work out the boxes for each floor. Flooring only: delivery, fitting and trims are extra.
ANatural Blackbutt
$82.991 box · 1.66 m²
BBlackbutt
$215.911 box · 1.98 m²
Prices and specifications use the current HFA catalogue. Missing details are marked “Not supplied”. Confirm installation requirements in the product guide.