Pergo- Good or Bad Floor Idea?

[AlfC]

I'm wondering what Mustachians think about Pergo as a flooring option?  Also has anybody installed it themselves? How long would 2000 sq feet take?

[Gimesalot]

I used to work at HD in the flooring department.  I have not installed Pergo myself but I know customers who have.  Here are some things to consider:

Pergo and similar products are not wood pieces, but bits of wood glued together. This means it will not last like wood.
It is very sensitive to mositure and should not be used in bathrooms and kitchens
The floor floats over the existing floor.  You need to buy underlayment for moisture and sound and prep the existing floor
Most of that flooring locks into place, kind of like a puzzle
You will still need a saw to cut pieces to size
You should buy the matching trim for transitions 
Pergo is a brand.  There are several other brands that are less expensive but good quality.

[keepitsimple]

Didn't install it myself but I have it.  +1 for the sensitivity to moisture, we have a light ash color and it stains dark if it gets wet.  Also having both hardwood and Pergo, the hardwood has much better noise insulation and sturdy feel.  If you jump up down on ours it sounds like a herd of elephants.  Not sure if that is all from the Pergo or if our subfloor plays a role as well.

[bogart]

Contemporary laminate flooring (including Pergo) is incredibly easy to install and clean/maintain (provided it doesn't get soaked and absorb the moisture) and offers a wide array of "looks."  It's less durable than other flooring options with the probably exception of carpeting.  I have it and like it.  I'm not someone who devotes a lot of energy to thinking about the appearance of my floor.

[Gggirl]

We installed Pergo 10 years ago and it is easy to install.  The hard part was getting the T shape transition pieces around the fireplace to fit in without breaking the T board.  It is LOUD.  We ripped it out and had hardwood professinal installed and it is much quieter.  Pergo floors looked exactly the same the day we installed to the day it was ripped out.  FYI- I have 2 kids and 2 big dogs.  The pergo was in high traffic area (den, small hall way, and half bath). Never had any issues.  We decided to install wood floors to the entire downstairs and went with hardwood because we liked them better and didn't like the hollow sound of Pergo. 

[Farmgirl]

We bought a house that has Pergo in a heavily traveled hallway, kitchen, and downstairs bathroom.

My first thought upon the realtor showing us the place was "Ugh....Pergo".

After six years of living on the Pergo, I have to say I love it.  We have a small farm and all of the dirt and grit associated with it.  The Pergo keeps ticking and always looks great.  Visitors always comment how nice the floor is.

The Pergo stays!

[Spork]

There are many different product lines.  Choose carefully.  I have installed (and lived with) several different versions.

The old (glued) pergo was by far the most superior.  And the old underlay (looks like a cardboard rectangle) was superior.

The most important thing is that you get laminate that is made of wood and not paper.  Look at the core of the product.  If it looks like wood chips in glue: that's good.  If it is a bunch of layers of paper bonded together: that's bad.

The wood holds up against moisture much better than the paper.  The glued up version holds up even better.  We had one room with the paper core product... and little spills (and pet accidents) would make the product swell and slightly cup between planks.

[Tyler]

IMHO, there are nicer laminate wood options than the Pergo brand.  Go to a flooring store and look at all the options.  Nicer brands these days even have hand-scraped textures and are pretty indistinguishable from natural hardwood. 

We had it installed in our house and love it -- it's more durable (in my experience) than hardwood and much easier to clean than carpet.  Ours is dark and looks great, and spills clean up easily. 

In my experience, two things to look for to ensure high perceived installed quality are the plank thickness and subfloor material.  The thicker the panel and higher quality the subfloor, the more solid and muted it will feel under foot.