Reviews and Expert Opinions from Floorplan Studio
In this article, we review Oakleaf HD Plus Laminate Flooring, one of the laminate floors most often recommended by Floorplan Studio. Oakleaf HD Plus stands out because it offers features that many laminate floors in the Sydney market simply do not have. Oakleaf HD Plus is a laminate flooring product under Preference Floors, one of the most influential flooring suppliers in Sydney. Their main product ranges include hybrid flooring, laminate flooring, and engineered timber.
Why We Looked Closely at Oakleaf HD Plus
As the business owner of Floorplan Studio, I once asked the sales team at Preference Floors a simple question:
“Sydney customers have many laminate options, including well-known brands like Quick-Step. Do you have a laminate product that can truly compete with them?”
Their answer was immediate: Oakleaf HD Plus Laminate Flooring.
So, as usual, we started by looking at the product closely and installing it on real projects.
Board Size and Proportions
Oakleaf HD Plus comes in a 2200mm length, 196mm width, and 12mm thickness. This is a classic long-plank laminate size. The long board length works very well in open spaces. It helps rooms feel longer and more spacious. The 196mm width is, in our view, a very balanced proportion. We are not big fans of super-wide laminate boards, which can sometimes look awkward. This width avoids that problem and feels natural.
Core Structure and What Makes Laminate Special
Like all laminate flooring, Oakleaf HD Plus is built on a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core, with a decorative layer and a strong wear layer on top. Textured surfaces are pressed into the board to add depth and realism. This structure gives laminate flooring several key advantages:
- The HDF core is very strong and forgiving of minor subfloor imperfections
- The printed decorative layer allows for many design and colour options
- The wear layer provides excellent scratch and wear resistance
These are standard laminate benefits. What makes Oakleaf HD Plus different is the quality of its decorative layer design.
Design Focus: A Different Approach to Laminate
The designers behind Oakleaf HD Plus have shared that a large part of the budget was invested in aesthetics. This may sound unusual, as laminate flooring is often seen as a budget option, and design is not always treated as a key selling point.
Their view was simple:
Good design matters, and it is worth investing in.
They focused on:
- Realistic timber grain design
- Careful colour matching
- 30 non-repeating plank patterns
The result is a laminate floor with high-definition digital print timber visuals, natural colours, and detailed textures. The goal was to give users the best possible visual experience.
By choosing Oakleaf HD Plus, customers are choosing one of the most natural-looking laminate floors available.
A Real-Life Reaction
There is a small story that stays with me.
On one project, I brought my wife to see an Oakleaf HD Plus installation and asked for her honest opinion. She thought it was engineered timber with a real timber veneer, not laminate.
This was exactly what the Preference Floors sales team had promised me
earlier:
A laminate floor that looks genuinely good.
In the Sydney market, this level of visual quality in laminate flooring is still quite rare.
Limitations to Be Aware Of
Oakleaf HD Plus is not perfect, and it does have its drawbacks.
We have installed many Oakleaf laminate floors, and installers have noted that the locking system design requires a fairly flat subfloor. In many cases, floor levelling is necessary.
Also, the matching stair nosing includes an embedded metal anti-slip strip. Some customers do not like the look of this detail, and there are limited alternatives.
Oakleaf HD Plus Laminate Flooring RatingsBased on our experience:
- Durability: 5 / 5 – AC4 wear rating and up to 48-hour water resistance make it more than sufficient for normal family use.
- Appearance: 5 / 5 – With 30 non-repeating patterns copied from real timber, it delivers excellent visual realism.
- Sound Insulation: 3 / 5 – Like all laminate floors, it requires a proper acoustic underlay, especially for apartments. Always check strata requirements first.
- Ease of Cleaning: 4 / 5 – The smooth surface is easy to clean. A well-wrung mop is ideal, supported by the 48-hour water resistance.
- Price: 4 / 5 – Slightly more expensive than some similar laminate brands, but still a very
affordable option overall.
Overall Score: 4.2 / 5 – Worth Recommending
Final Thoughts
Oakleaf HD Plus Laminate Flooring is a well-designed, well-built laminate floor that goes beyond the usual expectations of this category. It combines strong durability with a level of visual quality that is uncommon in laminate flooring.
With many years of experience installing Oakleaf HD Plus across Sydney, Floorplan Studio is confident in recommending it.
If you would like to know more or see samples in person, feel free to contact us or visit our showroom.
