Last updated: 17 August 2026
What is the difference between laminate and engineered wood?
The names sound close and the build is different. Laminate flooring is a dense core board carrying a printed decorative layer and a protective wear surface. There is no real timber on the top face.
In engineered wood the top layer is real timber, over core layers pressed in alternating directions. That build moves less than solid timber and behaves more predictably against moisture.
The practical outcome is this. Laminate is more economical and resists scratching well, but once damaged it cannot be repaired and the plank is replaced. Engineered wood can be sanded and refinished because the surface is real timber, though it asks for more care around water.
What goes in a wet room?
In bathrooms, kitchens and balconies, ceramic tile, porcelain and water resistant vinyl come first. What they share is that they do not change size on contact with water.
Timber based coverings are not recommended in these areas. When the core board of a laminate absorbs water it swells, and that damage cannot be reversed. Even in types sold as water resistant, the joints remain the weak point.
The kitchen sits somewhere between. It is not permanently wet, but there is always risk around the dishwasher and the sink. Tile is the safe choice there. Where a timber look is wanted, water resistant vinyl offers a reasonable middle path.
Why does the subfloor matter?
What decides the life of a floor is often the surface underneath rather than the product itself. A covering laid over an uneven floor creaks underfoot, opens at the joints and wears early.
With timber based coverings, flatness is critical. A deviation in the surface leaves the plank unsupported, it moves when stepped on and the locking system works loose over time. This looks like a product fault and comes from the subfloor.
With tile the problem shows differently. A tile laid over an uneven floor with a void beneath it cracks when load is applied. This is why full adhesive coverage matters and why voids are not left.
What is an expansion gap and why is it left?
Timber based coverings move with temperature and humidity, so their dimensions change slightly through the seasons. The expansion gap is the space left at the wall so that movement happens without the floor binding.
That gap is usually between 8 and 10 millimetres and is covered by the skirting. It is invisible and it does its job. In a floor laid without it, the planks push against each other in a damp season and lift in the middle of the room.
The same logic calls for transition profiles in large areas. Gaps left at doorways and along long corridors stop the floor moving as one mass. These details are decided during installation and cannot be added afterwards.
Can it be laid over the existing floor?
In some cases it can, and that removes the cost of breaking out and disposal. What decides it is whether the existing floor is sound, level and whether the change in height is acceptable.
Where existing tiles are sound, not hollow and reasonably flat, laying laminate or vinyl over them is common practice. If any tile underneath is loose, it keeps moving under the new covering and the problem works its way to the surface.
The point that needs most attention is the height. When the floor rises, doors start to catch at the bottom, the step between the bathroom and the hallway changes and the opening height for built in appliances is affected. This is calculated before work starts.
How long does laying take?
With click systems such as laminate, an area of around 100 square metres is usually finished in 1 to 2 days. The product is not bonded to the floor, so the work moves quickly.
Tiling takes longer. In a standard bathroom it runs 3 to 5 days, because the adhesive and the grout need time to set. That waiting cannot be shortened, and rushing it wears the grout early.
The second factor is preparation. If an existing covering has to come up and the surface needs levelling, that step takes its own time. We separate the two at the survey, because preparation days can be longer than the laying itself.
Need help with this? Surveys and quotations are free in Kemalpasa and the surrounding area. Tell us about your project and we will plan the right approach together.