Anyone experienced with Pergo type flooring?

[wayner123]

IMO, there is no simpler of a floor to put in. The click together is the way to go. I have put in about 6 different rooms. Also make certain to buy the best underlayment. It makes a world of difference not only on sound and feel but also in moisture protection. If you are installing it on top of a floor that is damp, you may want to first put down a moisture barrier. There is a test to find out, if you want I can find the article. I have had bad experiences with the underlayment that is already attached to the laminate. It doesn't allow the floor to "float" as well and it is more of a pain to click together.

The must have tools IMO are:

12" miter saw (you can use a 10", but you will have to flip each plank to cut, which becomes a pain very fast). Or a 10" slider miter saw.

A table saw for ripping the last row

And buy the kit that helps you knock in the planks. Trust me, it's worth the $15-$20.

And a good shot hammer.

There are other tools like a measuring tape, pencil, etc. But that's typical of any carpentry/construction.


As far as pricing goes, there are TONS of different laminates now. Some even have features to mimic hardwood such as grooves and pits associated with real wood. It does pay to spend a little more. Go to an actual flooring store and do the key test if they will allow. The key test is simple, take a car key and whack the crap out of the plank. If it leaves a gouge or mark, go to the next one. Not all stores will allow you do this as they are trying to push the crappy products at a higher margin, so you can just ask them about hardness and if they can prove it. Lowes and Home Depot though, you can whack away all you want.

As mentioned before one of the major factors is the accompaning pieces. At Lowes and Home Depot, they have better pricing and sometimes better product, but the transfer pieces and mouldings might not match up well. (they have gotten much better about this in the past couple years though). The flooring stores usually have a better selection of these pieces to match.

All that being said two important things to remeber about laminate flooring. DO NOT get it wet. Even the top of the line "waterproof" laminate will buckle if it sits with water for too long. The occasional spill won't hurt it, but if the floor is damp or in a bathroom it can over time buckle. Also, you can't just pop out a piece to replace. Once it's in place and say you find that halfway back there is a plank that is chipped, you must take out that whole row or many times the whole number of rows before it to replace/repair. So take your time and if you don't like the way a plank might look, go ahead and use another at that time.

[poker]

Originally Posted by wayner123

IMO, there is no simpler of a floor to put in. The click together is the way to go. I have put in about 6 different rooms. Also make certain to buy the best underlayment. It makes a world of difference not only on sound and feel but also in moisture protection. If you are installing it on top of a floor that is damp, you may want to first put down a moisture barrier. There is a test to find out, if you want I can find the article. I have had bad experiences with the underlayment that is already attached to the laminate. It doesn't allow the floor to "float" as well and it is more of a pain to click together.

The must have tools IMO are:

12" miter saw (you can use a 10", but you will have to flip each plank to cut, which becomes a pain very fast). Or a 10" slider miter saw.

A table saw for ripping the last row

And buy the kit that helps you knock in the planks. Trust me, it's worth the $15-$20.

And a good shot hammer.

There are other tools like a measuring tape, pencil, etc. But that's typical of any carpentry/construction.


As far as pricing goes, there are TONS of different laminates now. Some even have features to mimic hardwood such as grooves and pits associated with real wood. It does pay to spend a little more. Go to an actual flooring store and do the key test if they will allow. The key test is simple, take a car key and whack the crap out of the plank. If it leaves a gouge or mark, go to the next one. Not all stores will allow you do this as they are trying to push the crappy products at a higher margin, so you can just ask them about hardness and if they can prove it. Lowes and Home Depot though, you can whack away all you want.

As mentioned before one of the major factors is the accompaning pieces. At Lowes and Home Depot, they have better pricing and sometimes better product, but the transfer pieces and mouldings might not match up well. (they have gotten much better about this in the past couple years though). The flooring stores usually have a better selection of these pieces to match.

All that being said two important things to remeber about laminate flooring. DO NOT get it wet. Even the top of the line "waterproof" laminate will buckle if it sits with water for too long. The occasional spill won't hurt it, but if the floor is damp or in a bathroom it can over time buckle. Also, you can't just pop out a piece to replace. Once it's in place and say you find that halfway back there is a plank that is chipped, you must take out that whole row or many times the whole number of rows before it to replace/repair. So take your time and if you don't like the way a plank might look, go ahead and use another at that time.

Excellent info

[Blueface]

Kelly,
I recently helped my son complete an upstairs project that involved three continuous rooms and a hallway in between.

In addition to all that has been said, screw Pergo. Go with Armstrong or any other. I had an awful fight with Pergo, which I won, due to water damage they wre trying to exclude. At the time I got mine, they had an amazing all risk water coverage. They later changed it as it cost them plenty in losses and they spent six months trying to apply a new warranty when all along I had my old one attached to my documents of purchase. Luckily, it was backed by Home Depot on the warranty also, so although Pergo never honored my claim, I threatened a suit to implead Home Depot and their legal department agreed they owed me and reimbursed all my money for the floors.

Now, that said, installation.
The hardest thing to do and what takes the most time is figuring out how it will look when said and done.
Do you want to go one way with the planks or the other?
Once you decide which way, and you measure out how the planks will end up (so you don't end up with a tiny cut on one side, you need to drop a plum line and use that as your guide. From that plum line, measure out and drop another line where you need to start the first full plank near a corner of the room, preferrably the furthest point first, working your way out of the room.

Get the kits for hammering them in and shims. Worth their weight in gold. Shims will help secure the floor from moving when you bang it in, which you will need to do on the short side of the plank.

Once you get going, cuts with the right tools are a breeze and the laying down process goes quite easily. Just spend the time initially figuring out how it will all end up. Connect as many planks temporarily to lay out on the floor if needed to get a better perspective.

His is all done now and next to do and last piece is the stairs. It came out really nice. Whole different process there but also not hard to do. Overall, not a difficult project at all as projects go.

For spacing of planks, we used the 1/3 method. Second plank goes in one third from where first started. Third plank goes at 2/3 thirds of first plank, 1/3 of second and so on to stagger them.

Last thing, Armstrong now comes with the foam backing already attached to the panels. My Pergo involved laying down the foam seperately. Also, if doing it on a second floor, no moisture barrier needed but in doing it on a first floor, with no basement (like a typical Florida home), you will need to first lay down a moisture barrier (plastic), then the foam, then the floor (unless like Armstrong where the foam is on it).

If you need any further help, let me know.
Good luck.