When choosing hardwood flooring for your condo you may have some questions about the length of boards you can use and other specifics. There are some limitations when installing hardwood floors in a condo especially if an elevator has to be utilized to deliver the materials.
Board lengths are one of the factors that can be affected when installing in a condo. When ordering your flooring the contractor will need to consider access. If you are utilizing an elevators to transport the materials you will be limited to boards no longer than eight or nine feet. Some engineered boards come in 12 ft planks so you will need to ensure these are not ordered. The long lengths do make a beautiful floor but are not necessary.
The type of installation done in a condo may be unique to the specifics of your space and subfloor.
Full glue down is one option. The boards are glued directly to the concrete subfloor. Full glue down is a great option if you have the right subfloor. The contractor will need to consider the specifics of the product being installed to see if gluing directly to the concrete will work.
Double glue down is when an underlayment is glued to the subfloor and then the flooring is glued to the underlayment. This is one of the most common installation methods for installing over concrete subfloors in condos. It helps to damped the noise and creates a moisture barrier between the flooring and the concrete.
Floating or edge glued is the final installation option. This method requires a special underlayment. This method is quick but can be noise and not ideal in condos.
A contractor will help you determine what the best installation method is for your space and which will meet HOA guidelines. THere are pros and cons to all the different methods and the specifics of your project will determine which is the best choice. The outcome, cost and timeline may also affect which method you choose for installation.
