Grey marble-look porcelain set around a floor drain in St. Lawrence, with white chevron mosaic pieces cut by hand to form an accent around the drain.
The mid-rise and co-op stock in this neighbourhood has been standing long enough for the concrete to have found its final position, and that position is rarely flat to flooring tolerance. A floating floor needs 3/16 of an inch over a 10-foot radius, and an older slab that has settled unevenly across a unit frequently sits outside that in at least one room. Levelling at $2 to $4 per square foot is a normal line on a quote here, not an upsell. Older buildings also tend to have thinner slabs than new construction, which is why several of the declarations in this area set an acoustic minimum above IIC 55 rather than at it.
Self-levelling compound over settled concrete before anything floats on it.
Underlay specified to a building minimum that is often above 55 here.
The certificate and paperwork prepared for whichever body approves it.
Settled concrete is the norm here, and it decides whether a floating floor is even sensible.
Thinner older slabs mean several buildings here require more than the common IIC 55 minimum.
A co-op approves differently to a condo corporation, and the lead time differs too.
Age does not guarantee a dry slab, particularly on lower floors.
It is counterintuitive, but the older co-ops and mid-rises here often demand more than the newer towers do. A thinner slab transmits impact noise more readily, so several declarations in this neighbourhood set sixty rather than the common fifty five. That single number decides which underlays are even eligible, and it is not something to assume from a neighbouring building. Get it from your own declaration before choosing a product, because a compliant underlay costs less than a floor removed.
Reviews collected directly from clients.
Ontario Flooring replaced old carpet in our bedrooms with new flooring. They worked efficiently, helped us understand the options, and completed the installation on schedule.
Ontario Flooring installed new hardwood flooring throughout our home, and the results look beautiful. The crew was careful, professional, and kept the work area clean from start to finish.
Concrete settles over decades, and a slab that is perfectly sound structurally can still be well outside flooring tolerance. It is extremely common in buildings of this age and it is exactly what levelling compound is for.
It depends on the building, and it matters because the process and timeline differ. Your board or management office will tell you which applies, and we prepare the same technical package either way.
Often, yes. Thinner slabs transmit impact noise more readily, so several older declarations set IIC 60 or above rather than the more common 55. Get the number from your building before choosing an underlay.