I'm ripping out existing laminate and carpet in the living area/bedroom and I want to install an engineered hardwood (either Mirage Engineered or Mirage Lock). My place is small, so we're talking 300 sq ft of space to be done.

I've been given different info from Mirage and the local distributor regarding how to install the product. I was told by my condo board that I am not permitted to glue anything to the concrete. I told the local distributor this and they said that I could float the sound barrier and glue the engineered product to the barrier. I spoke with Mirage and they said that this is not acceptable, that the sound barrier must be glued to the concrete, and the hardwood glued to the sound barrier.

I'm not opposed to the lock system, I just thought that the glued down engineered would feel more sturdy than the lock floor. Additionally the colour/type I wanted (Rich Oak in Yellow Birch) is not available in the lock system. I also do not want to go against what Mirage says is acceptable in terms of installation and then have something go wrong and my warranty is void.

Can anyone comment on Mirage's lock flooring versus their engineered product, and what would be best in this particular situation?

Mirage is correct. Mirage Lock works pretty good with floor muffler. And I didn't notice any squeakness like other locking hardwood floors. You can always float one of their other T&G engineered as long as they say it is approved for that by gluing the T&G with a floating floor adhesive.

I'm considering putting hardwood flooring in a Florida condo ( I haven't purchased condo yet) Do I need to consider proximity to ocean i.e. humid conditions? Would one type of hardwood be preferable over another? Is hardwood even a good choice, given that tile,marble is used so extensively? And yes, I was wondering about condo rules in general - floating would be my choice but now I'm hearing the "no glue" rule, but maybe it differs from condo to condo. Any comments would be appreciated.

Engineered is pretty stable and since you cannot float solid wood it's your best bet. Make sure it is acclimated first using a pin meter to check your MC for your zone.