DIY: Installing Pergo Flooring?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I watched a couple of youtube videos, and it looks like it is pretty much dirt stupid, which if true, makes it a good project for me. If you have done it, is it really that easy? We're moving into a new home, and one room has carpet that needs to be replaced. I'm not especially handy, but these videos make me think that I can do it and save $500 - $600 in installation costs.

 

[golfgal]

I know several people that have done this and they all say the same thing, laying the first two rows is difficult and after that it is simple-time consuming but simple. If you don't have a lot of cutting to do (around corners, doorways, etc.) you can get a standard sized room done in a weekend.

If you know anyone that has done this before, see if they will help you get started then you should be able to do it on your own after that.

 

[Melmac]

If Pergo is a brand of snap and click laminate, then we just installed laminate last weekend in our basement. The room is probably 300-400 square feet and square with the exception of a support post in the middle of the room. The hardest part was deciding how to lay the floor down so that the seams between the end of each board was more than 40 cm apart (as per the instructions). Once we got the layout done, including laying the cork/vapour barrier underlay, it took about 8 hours (my dad, my DH and myself).

My dad brought over his circular saw which made easy work of the cutting and my DH and I measured the pieces and snapped them in when cut. Like golfgal said, it is easy but time-consuming. We saved $600 laying it ourselves. The floor was easy - it was the baseboards/trim that sucked Maybe you can save the current baseboards and reinstall when finished? Good luck!

 

[momof1princess]

unfortunately, installing pergo isn't as easy at it looks, and it doesn't snap and click together (i wish it did!). my DH and DFIL built our house from the ground up, but when it came time to install the pergo....well....after two ruined rows, we called a professional. however, it was worth every penny. it's a beautiful floor.

 

[Pigeon]

unfortunately, installing pergo isn't as easy at it looks, and it doesn't snap and click together (i wish it did!).

People often say "Pergo" when what they mean is laminate. Pergo was the brand to become popular in the US first, and people use the term as a generic. There are lines of Pergo that snap together. Older lines needed to be glued.

Dh installed laminate in our kitchen. It wasn't a bad project. We used a brand that was recently discontinued, which is a shame because it's great stuff. Three years later, with a dog and two kids and it looks exactly the same as it did on installation.

 

[BunsenH]

I would rate this type of installation 'easy', but I am comfortable with measuring, visualizing, planning, using tools.

As mentioned, selecting a starting point is key. Other tricky areas are prepping the sub floor, the last row, near doors, transitions to adjacent rooms, molding, etc.

Think about what other DIY jobs you have completed successfully before comitting.

 

[momof1princess]

People often say "Pergo" when what they mean is laminate. Pergo was the brand to become popular in the US first, and people use the term as a generic. There are lines of Pergo that snap together. Older lines needed to be glued.

Dh installed laminate in our kitchen. It wasn't a bad project. We used a brand that was recently discontinued, which is a shame because it's great stuff. Three years later, with a dog and two kids and it looks exactly the same as it did on installation.

this is what we have, and it was a PAIN, but as i said, it's beautiful. and almost 11 years later, it still looks brand new.

 

[brerrabbit]

I just did the bathroom in our garage with a vinyl product that looks like wood. It comes in 5 inch by 36 inch pieces and basically each piece has a base that hangs over and you piece it together and they are glued to each other so you get a soild floating floor. Installation was not bad. The hard part is how does your sub floor look? I had to take up linoleum and the concrete floor underneath was not good. So I had to use a self leveling compound to level the floor before I could put the floor down. Fortunately for me it was a small area and only took a half a bag. The most important thing about laying this product is making sure the subfloor is level and has no bumps. If it does the floor will not be right.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

unfortunately, installing pergo isn't as easy at it looks, and it doesn't snap and click together (i wish it did!). my DH and DFIL built our house from the ground up, but when it came time to install the pergo....well....after two ruined rows, we called a professional. however, it was worth every penny. it's a beautiful floor.

This is Pergo, and it does snap together.

 

[JCJRSmith]

I did Pergo in our family room - 11' x 22'. Their were some tricky cuts on the side of the room where the heat registers and our sliding glass door are located but nothing too terribly difficult. My wife and I did it in a weekend.

When we put down Pergo in the kitchen and downstairs hallways, we had that done professionally.