Anyone ever installed *Pergo* type laminate flooring?

[speeder]

Have any of you out there ever installed wood laminate flooring such as Pergo, (a brand name), where the sections just fit together? I am considering it for my apartment which has cement floors under the carpet. I would have to make a perfectly level sub-floor w/ something first, such as a floor leveling compound. I have no experience w/ this, so in the words of Ross Perot, I'm all ears.

The reason for the necessity of a sub-floor is that the lightweight cement present is not a perfect enough surface, plus it is too low. Also, would I need a moisture barrier? The guy at the flooring place said so, but he had that "I'm late on a boat payment" look to him, so I'm not sure.

TIA for any help. I am also considering a smooth cement floor, but leaning towards the Pergo-type stuff.

[VINMAN]

As long as the cement floor you have now is relatively smooth, you should have no proplem. You have to install a foam underlayment undet the flooring anyway, so that will make up for any inperfections in the cement.
I have pergo flooring home and I used it in my boats cabin too. Its great

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Alternatively you can do a plywood substrate as a detail also; this is obviously more expensive but similarly helps to "cushion" the flooring's feel when it is walked on. If you put the finish material directly on the slab with no substrate (foam, wood, whatever), it is going to be VERY uncomfortable to walk on / stand on for extended periods of time. It'll have a very low thermal protection value also (not that we in LA care too much about that ).

[BGCarrera32]

Howdy,

Just put it down in my dining room. I recommend Pergo Presto, as it has a snap lock type lip so there is no gluing. I did a 10'x9' area in about an hour once I got to the actual part of placing the boards. I went over a very beat up original wood floor that dropped a good 1/2" out of level near the kitchen entry and leveled it with the floor patch. That was the most time consuming part. If you are more than 3/16" of an inch out of level, you need to fill the area (so says the box instructions). The foam I used from Home Depot has a vapor barrier plastic already glued to it so I just slapped down the foam with the plastic side against the existing floor, and duct taped it in place at the edges. All in all pretty easy...its the prep work that takes the time (just like a car body, right?).

One thing I'd recommend is they sell a box kit with spacers, a hammering block, pry bar thingie for hammering in tight spots, etc. It's like $15 and well worth it.

If you have to butt up against any carpet areas, make sure you get those transition strips when you buy the floor so they match. I noticed Home Depot has a bad habit of stocking the flooring, but none of the transition strips or trim to match.

I think Pergo gets ripped on a lot. But bang for the buck, it looks really nice and is quite strong. I'm happy. Did the whole area for $450.

-BG

[turbo6bar]

Find another brand to install.

Do you really need to level the floor, or is it just not smooth? Some floors are glued down and others float. What you should use depends.

The last time I was at the local carpet store, there were dozens of really nice laminates made of many types of wood. If I were installing a floor, that's what I'd be using.

[motion]

I had Pergo Select installed throughout the first floor of my home a few years ago. The stuff is great. Its tough and easy to clean. Make sure the floor is level or else you'll end up with creaking sounds and snaps/pops in the areas where the floor doesn't lay down perfectly flat. BG's advice is all excellent.

[project935]

I just put the Sam's club brand down (don't remember the name). Already had the foam backing applied to each plank. Once you figure out the tricky cuts (around trim, in closets, etc) it goes down fast and easy. I tried to scratch the stuff w/an awl (I have 2 young boys who will be beating it up) and I couldn't do it easily.

What BG said - get the installation kit it will definetly help.

I found that Lowe's had a better selection of matching trim and threshholds to choose from.

Good luck ...

[RickM]

I think Wilson Art is another popular/well regarded brand. I did hear that one of them was in financial trouble though. Cant remember who.

I'd like to consider one of these for my kitchen but I hear you can't use were water may be spilled.

[juanbenae]

rick, i have it in my kitchen and unless the water stands on a joint area for an extended amount of time you're fine. i would not use it for a bathroom application, but a kitchen has been fine for two years.

the install is cake, follow the manufacture's instructions on spacing from the wall and other stationary objects. if you live in an area with a big fluctuation in air moisture it will swell and contract. this gap can be covered by base board, so keep it a max of 3/8".

get some knee pads for install. i have nearly every wood saw known to man and i prefered a jig saw for cutting it. let us know how it comes out. oh, and watch out for sales at home depot for good pricing. i got some stuff (tile patten) that was 3.99 a sq ft on sale for 1.99 a sq.

[project935]

FYI - The Sam's Club/Costco stuff is around $1.30-1.50/sq ft.
A table saw w/a fine blade works well too. Don't even bother to Rotozip it - will never work.

[pbs911]

Do they have Pergo type flooring that really looks like natural wood. We have been considering wood flooring but I like the idea of the durability and easy cleaning of the Pergo.

[project935]

Lots of good alternatives ... my $1.48/sq ft stuff looks exactly like real wood - of course the "texture" isn't there ... is is a photo of wood afterall. TBD on the durability (25 year "warranty"), but is is super easy to clean.

There is a brand that Lowe's sells (Wurtex I think) that is actually a thin layer of wood (3/32-3/16") on top of a laminate material - it can even be refinished 1-2x if you want. That stuff was $4.50/sq ft - still cheaper than real wood flooring (that is end matched) - and no nails/glue involved during the install.

A real wood floor should always be more valuable than a laminate I would think ... if more $ during a resale is very important to you. But laminates are nice nonetheless.

[CarreraS2]

We had Pergo in our house and I absolutely HATED it.

It sounds awful when you walk on it. Cheap and thin sounding.

And I think all that Pergo stuff looks bad. It doesn't look, sound or feel real. It's like a bad toupee for your floor!

I'd use it in an apartment, or rental unit, or something like that, but not in my house again. I'd spring for a real wood floor from the start.

As far as a subfloor, you could always lay and glue sheet linoleum. That smooths things out and is a thick moisture barrier.

[speeder]

Thanks for the replies! I went to a flooring warehouse place yesterday and they had a lot of this stuff, Pergo and other brands. It varies a quite a bit in price and quality. Brian, thanks for the input, this is for an apartment and I need to minimise cost.

I'm going by Home Depot today to check out substrate options, there are good suggestions here.

[Shuie]

We put this in a house we sold a year or so ago. Im fairly mechanically declined and often use tools to destroy things, but the install went fairly smoothly.

Im a big fan of the Pergo type fake wood floorings. Not so much a fan of the Pergo brand due to the cost compared to similar products. Mainly becuase it does not warp or scratch like real hardwood will. My mother has this stuff in her house and I cannot tell the difference between it and real hardwood by sight. It does sound and feel different when you walk on it though.

The existing floor does need to be really close to level, but I forget what the exact tolerance is. There is a moisture barrier sheet that gets taped down to the bare concrete under the flooring.

You will probably need the install block tool to hammer and pull the pieces together. Also, dont forget the trim pieces, doorway entry barrier pieces, and a miter kit. Make sure you grab the DIY video next to the material in the store as well.

Good luck!

[onewhippedpuppy]

It's not all that hard, just make sure you leave at least the minimum spacing around the edges, my father in law didn't and the floor eventually took a spring to it, kind of interesting. He had to go back and re-cut the tight pieces. The foam underlayment will help with any cracks/ seams in your subfloor, just so it's not a large amount. If you get the stuff that glues on the seams, it's more water resistant. My inlaws had 10 (yes 10) kids, and they did their entire house with it probably three years ago. After two years, it still looked new. They just built a new house and installed beautiful pre-finished eucalyptus hardwood plank flooring, after maybe six months it already has visible scrapes and scars. I second the jigsaw route as well, quick and easy.

[DByers]

Dennis, If I can take my kitchen from this



to this



any one can install this stuff. I used an engineered hardwood. I just didnt like the feel of the laminate stuff. like the character that comes with a worn hardwood, scratches and all.

[Frostie]

3 years ago I installed around 1300 sq/ft (basically 1 full level) I used the stuff at Cosco, it was basically the cheapest stuff on the market at the time, and I believe it still is. It is a tongue and grove glue style. I used the 1mm foam underlay kit, which is a must.

I took a week off of work, filled the fridge full of beer and went to work, all you need is a table saw, measuring tape, hammer, hammer block and wedges (wedges, glue and hammer block come with must foam underlay kits) The stuff went down great, no problems, A fun project, remember you will need to upgrade your baseboards when you are done. I defiantly recommend the stuff. The surface is just as durable as your countertops. I even had the hammer fall out of my pocket a few times and land claw first on the floor, not even a scratch. It made my house a lot quieter as it got rid off all the squeaks in my floor. I’m not sure why Brian had sound issues? Possible no foam underlay? This stuff is defiantly the best bang for your buck. I’d run the cheap stuff as I think it is all the same.

I used to be the shift eng in a mill that made the high density fiber board for this stuff. I’d use melamine resin around 17% and crank the wax up to 7%. Density was cranked up to 56lbs/sq ft. And from there is would get sent out for the surface. The stuff is pretty durable.

[speeder]

Dan, Looks great! That's about the color that I had in mind. Did you have to leave a small gap around the edges and cover it w/ 1/4 round?

Frostie, (and everyone else), Thanks for the info. I am leaning towards this stuff. I'll post some before and after pics if I do.

[Frostie]

I can’t speak for Dan, but yes I had to leave a small gap on the edges. This is what the wedges I used were for. This is also why I had to remove all my baseboards also.