Crest Luxury SWC Reviews & Expert Opinion

Welcome to our honest buyer’s guide featuring a very unique and innovative product – the Crest hybrid range! Our expert opinion and customer reviews will help you decide whether Crest Luxury SWC hybrid flooring is the right product for you.

Think super scratch-resistance, waterproof, UV-protected, thermal-resistant, stain-resistant, slip-resistant and stunning beauty in one package. Decades of innovation, experimenting, and testing, birthed the first extreme-performance hybrid flooring that exceeds the durability of even the strongest laminate floors. You can have the full package with the next-generation Crest hybrid flooring.

What’s the secret sauce? It’s in the stone and wood composite core and aluminium oxide reinforced surface.

What is Commercial Grade Stone and Wood Composite Flooring?

Stone wood composite flooring was first coined as a “reinforced tile” due to its density and durability. This falls under the category of “Solid Core” hybrid flooring, which always outperforms the “Aerated Core” hybrid floors like WPC. We can learn more about the different types of hybrid floors in our complete guide to hybrid flooring.

Crest hybrid flooring in particular comes in four layers with their own functions:

1. EverGuard Wear Layer – The commercial-grade aluminium oxide wear layer provides immense scratch and dent resistance that will outperform every other hybrid floor in the market. Don’t believe us? Try to scratch it, you can’t!
2. HD Print Layer – Beneath the robust protection, a high-definition print replicates the look of real wood flooring.
3. Stone & Wood Composite Core – The extreme density core gives Crest hybrid its superpowers in dent resistance and stability against temperature fluctuations which polyvinyl chloride based hybrid floors cannot withstand.
4. Acoustic Underlay – Make life easy by picking a product with pre-attached underlayment. Crest hybrid comes with a 5 star acoustic underlay (only 1 decibel away from 6 star) and is suitable for almost all multi-residential use.

SWC vs SPC vs WPC Hybrid Floors

The real question is… how does the new Stone Wood Composite (SWC) compare with existing hybrid flooring? Why is it better?

The first hybrid floors to ever enter the Australian market were wood plastic composites (WPC) which fall under the category of “aerated core”. This is because the composite is made with a foaming agent that caused microscopic bubbles to form, hence you will notice that WPC hybrid flooring is much lighter than both SPC and SWC hybrid flooring.

Unfortunately, they weren’t nearly as durable as vinyl or laminate flooring and warped under high temperatures. These didn’t perform very well and were soon replaced with the newer and currently trending stone plastic composite (SPC) hybrid floors.

SPC hybrid flooring is a “solid core” hybrid that is more durable and much harder to chip than WPC. However, SPC still couldn’t achieve an AC3 residential grade rating under the taber test, which even the cheapest laminates could reach at half the price. Furthermore, they would still warp and swells under high temperatures and direct sunlight due to the polyvinyl chloride composition.

SWC hybrid flooring exceeds an AC4 commercial grade rating, is completely immune to temperature changes and also offers full waterproofing in one package. Essentially it combines the best properties into one super commercial grade durability plank.

Lets take a deep dive into the advantages and disadvantages of Crest SWC hybrid flooring.

Advantages of Crest Hybrid Flooring

1. Extreme Durability – Crest SWC hybrid flooring is by far the most scratch and dent-resistant option in the entire industry worldwide. The aluminium oxide surface passes the Taber Test by achieving an AC4 Commercial Grade performance.
2. 100% Waterproof – The stone and wood composite material gives Crest a non-absorbent core. This is fully immune to moisture-related warping and swelling so you won’t have to worry about spills any more!
3. Thermal Protected – The weakness of most hybrid flooring is expansion under higher temperatures. They are prone to warping under direct sunlight and may even experience colour fading over time. Crest Luxury is 100% immune to high temperatures.
4. UV-Protected & Colour Fast – Another huge advantage of Crest hybrid flooring is the resistance to colour fading under direct sunlight, which normal hybrid floors cannot withstand.
5. Stain Resistant – The surface of Crest SWC hybrid flooring is naturally imbued with stain protection. This makes it easier to clean and maintain despite the havoc that life can bring. We can all do with fewer worries!
6. Noise Reduction – Crest hybrid comes with a pre-attached 5-star acoustic underlay. This saves you the cost of buying additional underlay, especially if you live in an apartment or unit that requires noise reduction.

Disadvantages of Crest Hybrid Flooring

1. Uneven Subfloor – All hybrid flooring requires a very flat and even subfloor. Despite being 10mm thick, not even Crest hybrid is spared when you lay them over a bumpy or wavy surface. Floor levelling can push up the total cost if it is required.
2. Very Heavy – Should you lay these DIY-friendly floors yourself, you’ll have a tougher time as every plank weighs almost 50% more than a typical hybrid floor. We recommend having two people carry each box which weighs almost 25kg.
3. Higher Priced – The superior performance comes with a higher price than your average hybrid floor. Crest Luxury definitely sits on the premium end of hybrid flooring!

How Much Does Crest Hybrid Flooring Cost?

Most hybrid floors of decent quality will cost around $40 – $60 per square metre for supply only in Sydney & NSW as of 2023. Some of the higher-priced options may go up to $80 per square metre. Crest Luxury SWC hybrid flooring is on the higher priced side, usually in the $65 – $70 per square metre mark.

If you are also looking for installation services, most reputable flooring retailers will charge between $30 – $40 per square metre for a quality and warranted job. You can expect to pay around $100 per square metre for Crest hybrid to be supplied and installed.

However, if your subfloor is not flat and even you will need to do subfloor levelling. Most levelling companies will charge around $40 – $60 per square metre for full subfloor preparation, depending on the amount of self-levelling compound required.

Looking for a quick quote? FloorVenue can get you the best price with Crest hybrid flooring through our price match guarantee! We also have an in-depth cost guide to make sure you are getting value for money.

Tips on DIY Installing Crest SWC Hybrid Flooring

For the hands on fellows among us, Crest hybrid flooring is designed to be click-locked together with the locking system on all four sides of each plank. This means you require no glue or nails when laying Crest hybrid flooring. Here are some quick tips from our hybrid flooring installation guide.

1. Always check the subfloor with a spirit level. We recommend using a 2 metre long spirit level, which is a standard issue amongst our flooring inspectors. We recommend a maximum of 3mm unevenness over 2 metres when installing Crest.
2. Have two people carry the boxes around as they are very heavy. This will allow you to avoid straining your back and causing injuries.
3. The key is to start at one corner and lay lengthwise plank end to plank end, before moving onto the second row and so forth. To minimise wastage, the offcut at the end of each row can be used to start the next row.
4. Make sure to cut the planks outdoors or on a balcony, and wear a suitable mask. The stone and wood composite material releases a lot of dust which you wouldn’t want inside your home.

Conclusion – How Does Crest Hybrid Flooring Compare?

You’ve reached the end of our Crest hybrid flooring review! Ultimately, Crest hybrid is the innovative new solution to water and scratches in one well constructed plank. This range is commonly installed in commercial areas and high-traffic residential locations. Here are some quick specs:

• Durability: 5/5 – The most durable hybrid floor in the world.
• Design: 3/5 – Crest hybrid uses the same print technology and surface embossing as most hybrid floors.
• Thickness: 5/5 – 10mm thick including 2mm acoustic underlay. Crest hybrid is the thickest hybrid floor in the market.
• Longevity: 5/5 – 25 Year Residential Warranty, 5 Year Commercial Warranty.
• Installation: 4/5 – Great locking system, however planks are heavy and requires a flat subfloor.
• Cleaning & Maintenance: 4.5/5 – Very easy to clean and stain resistant surface. Grout lines may collect debris over time but can easily be vacuumed.
• Pricing: 3.5/5 – Higher priced than most hybrid floors, however more better priced than similar quality products (if you purchase from FloorVenue).

Overall: 4.3/5 Star – Crest is the best! Shop Crest Hybrid Flooring Here!