I think they put Gypcrete because we live in a townhome/condominium (it looks like a townhome but we have a neighbor downstairs), and probably they wanted as much soundproofing as possible. But that doesn't mean the floor is straight...

I had a few contractors coming in, and they didn't mention anything about prepping the subfloor, just install some underlayment (foam or cork) and then the floating floor. And after reading about the floating floor and the click and lock I thought I can do that, don't need to pay someone to install it.

Any opinion on hoskinghardwood.com reviews? They recommend a few click and lock brands, but not sure how much I can trust their recommendations. Like Northern Lights floors have a 4mm wear layer, but I can't find anyone else selling them except them. Kahrs ,Boen , Harris wood and Vintage Hardwood Flooring are recommended also.

If you want a floating hardwood, stick with the tongue and groove floors that are glued together (still floating...but the tongue/groove part gets some glue on it). And ALWAYS get information on prep. The warranty hangs on prep.

As someone who "understands" the process - but isn't hands on - I wouldn't touch prep with a 10 foot pole. And gypcrete is the worst of the worst. No matter the underpad, you still have to have smooth and flat....that is the very basis for warranty. Without it you are dead in the water.

Most installation companies don't want to touch gypcrete. And if you want to do the install yourself, it may be difficult to find someone who will only deal with the prep....they normally want the FULL job.

If the people you spoke to did NOT walk into your home, then they can't give you a full estimate. And that estimate will only be a 'guess' until the carpet is removed and the gypcrete is revealed.

For resale, I would look at another carpet and move on.

That's the thing, they came in, they looked at the subfloor( in a corner) and they gave me the estimate :(.

"That's the thing, they came in, they looked at the subfloor( in a corner) and they gave me the estimate :(."

You have asked multiple times about different types of flooring and the one constant has been prep. I am shocked that by now you do not know to ask about it before they walk out the door..............................

milworkman you don't need to be aggressive, in all my posts nobody mentioned any prep on the subfloor. I am not in the business to know what steps need to be done, and everybody talked about types of installation, underlayments and sanding/finishing, nobody mentioned you need to level the floor.

I am not trying to be aggressive. I have seen Cancork among others mention it on every post you have asked about flooring and I was just a bit surpised you had not picked up to ask about it yet thats all...........

Cancork can you tell me what exactly should I ask the contractor? And also some recommendations for the pad? I need a pad that provides at least 59dB soundproofing. Some contractors said I should use 1/4 cork, others said that is too expensive and you can use other stuff(didn't mention what). I also understood that for a floating floor you want a thicker pad so you don't have the hollow feeling when you step on it.

Oana...it would take me a year of writing to explain the "sound" requirements they are asking about. So I won't get into it "too much". The SUBFLOOR PREP is what stops the 'hollow sounds' from happening. A 'dip' in a subfloor will mean a 'dip' in the underpad and that will mean a "hollow" sound every time you step on that area. Do the prep and you won't need to worry about "hollow". Skip the prep and the hollow sounds will haunt you.

The STC/IIC ratings on materials are bung. Sigh. Sad but true. The testing parameters are SO FAR OUTSIDE OF NORMAL that NO ONE achieves the numbers they "achieve" in the lab.

Your building's construction (the concrete or the plywood) will give you as much as 90% of the acoustic value. Yep. "59 dB" means absolutely NOTHING unless you know how your building was built. So that's why they are bung.

The 1/4" cork underlay is a great way to continue a floating floor install. But prep is required. And fixing gypcrete is a MASSIVE battle. Huge. Frightening. Expensive and has been known to be made worse than if they didn't touch it in the first place.

You ask your installer if they know how to (and have successfully performed) gypcrete repairs. If they look at you like you have two heads, simply thank them for their time and offer the "Don't call us; we'll call you" statement. And then find someone else. Gypcrete is a pain in the butt.

That's the whole reason I suggested sticking with carpet. If you want a REAL opinion, remove the carpet to expose what is there and THEN bring someone in to give you an honest opinion of how much this is going to cost you. And it won't be pretty.

Or get new carpet, list the home and sell it quickly.

10 ft level moved across the ENTIRE floor with ALL humps and bumps and hollows MARKED and assessed (measured) for repair.

Now that the carpet is gone, you can have a flooring professional come in and offer a decent quote for subfloor prep and installation.

And then you can decide whether or not the price is worth it.