Old carpet and tiles get pulled up and you're left with a slab that's been hidden for a decade — paint splashes, glue residue, hairline cracks, and a layer of dust that won't quit. The temptation is to chuck a rug over it and move on. Here's what happens when you do the job properly.
Before — bare slab, full clean-out
You can't lay vinyl plank straight onto a slab like this and expect it to last. Any high spot telegraphs through the plank. Any dust under the underlay turns into a creak. Any moisture coming up through the slab lifts the click joints within a year.
Prep — the boring 60% of the job
- Mechanical sweep + heavy-duty vacuum across the whole slab (twice).
- Patch every divot and old anchor hole with self-levelling compound — sets in 90 minutes, sanded flush.
- Moisture test on the slab — vinyl plank fails fast over a damp slab, so this matters. Reading came in well under spec.
- Roll out 2mm acoustic underlay, taped at every seam to stop dust migration.
- Acclimate the planks 48 hours in the room — vinyl expands and contracts and needs to settle to the room temp before you click it together.
Install — laying the planks
We used a hybrid timber-look vinyl plank — warm honey-oak tones to lift the room and warm up the white walls. Hybrid planks have a rigid core (stiffer than standard vinyl) which means they don't telegraph small slab imperfections and they hold their shape under heavy furniture. They're also fully waterproof — handy for the kitchen, laundry and any spill the kids manage.
After — empty and finished
After — moved in
Why hybrid vinyl planks for this job
- Waterproof — survives kitchen spills, mop water, kids and dogs
- Rigid core — won't telegraph slab imperfections like soft vinyl does
- Click-lock — no glue, no nails, lifts cleanly if a plank gets damaged
- Quiet underfoot — acoustic underlay kills the slab-echo problem
- Looks like timber, costs a fraction of timber, no sanding/oiling ever
- Acclimatises and installs in 2 days for a room this size
Floor replacement is the single highest-return refresh you can do before a sale or new tenant. Buyers and tenants both walk in and the first thing they look at is the floor. Call 0487 193 085 for a fixed quote.
Rough cost breakdown
- Strip-out (old carpet, tiles or floorboards): $400 – $1,200 depending on what's coming up
- Slab prep (clean, level, patch, moisture test): $300 – $900
- Acoustic underlay (supply + lay): $8 – $14 per m²
- Hybrid vinyl plank (mid-grade, supply): $40 – $75 per m²
- Install labour: $25 – $40 per m²
- Skirting reinstate or replace: $15 – $30 per lineal metre
- Typical 40m² living room transformation: $4,500 – $7,500 all in
Variations depend on plank quality, slab condition, and how much furniture moving is in scope. Fixed quote after a site visit.
Want this for your place?
We do floor transformations across the Gold Coast — owner-occupier refreshes, rental turnovers, and pre-sale lifts. Pimpama, Ormeau, Coomera, Helensvale, Robina, Burleigh and out to the hinterland. Free site visit, fixed quote. Call John on 0487 193 085.