Our Yonge and Eglinton condo has a strict renovation declaration. We learned this the hard way when we tried to replace the builder-grade carpet in the living and dining room with LVP.
Background: We bought the condo in 2022 with original broadloom carpet (beige, 2009 vintage, embarrassing). We wanted wide-plank LVP in a light oak colour — standard renovation.
The board application: We submitted our renovation request with: scope of work, the LVP product spec sheet (COREtec Plus 5" plank), and our contractor’s credentials. The property manager responded 10 days later with: “Your application is incomplete. Please provide the IIC rating of the complete floor assembly including the LVP and underpad, certified by the manufacturer.”
The problem we discovered: Our COREtec product had an FIIC (Field Impact Insulation Class) rating of 50 — right at our building’s minimum of 50. But the board’s response referenced a policy requiring FIIC 52 based on an update to the building’s acoustic policy from 2021. We had no idea this existed.
The path forward: COREtec Plus with their premium underlayment (QuietWarmth) achieves FIIC 54. We had to change our underlayment selection (add $280 to the project for the upgraded underpad). Resubmitted with the certified test report from COREtec: approved in 8 days.
Total approval process: 38 days from first submission to approval. Construction took 3 days.
Lessons for other condo owners:
- Get a copy of your building’s renovation rules before you go shopping — the rules may have been updated since your purchase
- Always provide the full assembly IIC/FIIC test report, not just the product spec
- Property managers are not hostile — they are applying rules they did not write
Happy to share the template we used for the application package if anyone wants it.