Q: I am working on a condo remodel project for my second home. I would very much like to install an engineered wood floor in the great room and dining room since I am very allergic to carpet (and I really do not like cork).
Since I have neighbors above and below me the Homeowners association tells me I have to install carpet or other sound conditioned floor covering.
Is there any really effective sound barrier type of underlayment or wood flooring out there on the market I can use?
Your help would be greatly appreciated
Mrs. Hall
A: This is a fairly common problem for folks in condos, but there is a very easy solution. Now although you do not like cork as a flooring choice, it is an excellent choice for underlayment in condos. 6mm cork meets all of the standard Condo Association sound needs and the benefit of cork over all other underlayments is that it, unlike a foam, can be used with glue down applications as well as floating.
Depending on what engineered floor you are looking at will depend upon whether or not you can float the floor, which would be the easiest installation choice. Kahrs and Saso make some of the best click-together engineered hardwood floors on the market, and from an install perspective they are far easier to install than any other floating engineered hardwood. There are other engineered floors which are approved for floating installations, but require some glue in the tongue and groove rather than using a locking mechanism.
If the floor you choose can not be floated, which is rare in engineered wood floors, then you will need to glue it down. This can still be done with cork underlayment, but you will need to have the cork glued down, then glue down your engineered floor over the cork.
In the end here, try to choose a floor which is suitable to be installed as a floating floor, then choose a good underlayment, my suggestion being 6mm cork as it easily meets condo requirements. Don’t forget that if you are installing over a concrete subfloor you must use a moisture barrier and tape up the seams.
