If you've been following along with my latest renovation project, you'll know that I recently went shopping for hardwood floors for my mom's new condo. We settled on a beautiful red oak from Lumber Liquidators. You can read the full post here. Here's another look at the space - in all its messy glory! Once the wood was selected, the real work began. (We were already working with a contractor, but Lumber Liquidators does offer installation for $2/square foot.) Because we were working in a condo, we had to adhere to the board's strict rules regarding the flooring underlay. (If you live in a condo, you'll have to find out what the accepted standards are regarding the thickness of the underlay you use to minimize noise transfer.) Since you can't nail flooring down in a condo, make sure you find a floating floor that clicks and locks into place and doesn't require being nailed down. There are lots of beautiful hardwood options! Red oak hardwood from Lumber Liquidators, $3.99/square foot. Finding the underlay that met the condo board's requirements, which in this case was an IIC rating of 62, meant we had to do research and a little legwork. In the end, we opted to use Elastilon, which turned out to be one of the easiest ways to install the floors. Elastilon underlay is fast, clean and simple to use. Elastilon is an easy-to-use non-toxic peel-and-stick underlay that eliminates the need for nails and glue. Using Elastilon made the installation process much quicker and the job was far less messy than when using nails and glue. The adhesive mat bonds to the wood and seals it, preventing warping and distortion that can sometimes be caused by changes in humidity. It offers great cushioning underfoot, too! Click, stick and lock! What a difference hardwood flooring makes in a space. Suddenly, it's feeling bigger and brighter. Here's one last progress shot: Do you have hardwood floors in your home? What's your favourite kind of wood?