Pergo Questions

Is Pergo a Good Value?

• "Consumer Reports" conducts tests on various types of flooring, subjecting them to scratches, impacts, abrasion and exposure to a variety of stain-producing liquids. In 2010, the magazine's website listed Pergo Accolade flooring as a "best buy" along with two other brands of flooring. At $1.59 per square foot, it is among the least expensive flooring materials available. All Pergo flooring is manufactured in layers, and the top layer is a highly scuff-resistant plastic coating that is more durable than hardwood, vinyl or carpet. Accolade is one of five Pergo brands certified by the North American Laminate Flooring Association, or NALFA.

Is Pergo a Green Product?

• Among the ecological benefits that NALFA lists for laminate flooring products, including Pergo, are that they are manufactured with wood chips and are free of damaging chemicals. Pergo itself claims that 80 percent of the wood in its products is recycled from the wood industry and that the products, when burned in waste incineration plants, yield a high amount of thermal energy. In communities without such plants, however, discarded laminate boards end up in landfills, where their durability results in long decomposition times and becomes a liability. The company claims that no toxic chemicals are used in bonding the layers that make up a flooring board.

Is Pergo Easy to Install?

• When laminate flooring was first introduced, the installer had to glue the boards and frequently had to clamp pairs of boards to keep them together while the glue set. Contemporary Pergo boards, on the other hand, snap together without the need for glue, which makes it possible for virtually anyone with basic carpentry skills to install a Pergo floor. The flooring "floats" over the subfloor, without the need for glue or nails to hold it down, and the most challenging part of an installation is usually cutting the boards. You can do that with any type of power saw; hand saws aren't recommended for cutting Pergo.

Will Pergo Work Where I Want to Put It?

• To be suitable for a Pergo installation, the subfloor must be flat and dry. Pergo will crack and separate on an uneven subfloor, such as an unfinished concrete pad or a buckled hardwood floor. Moreover, even though Pergo boards are sealed against moisture, installing them below grade or on a concrete pad that hasn't fully cured is not advised, as the boards will likely curl and warp. You can install Pergo over floors with existing coverings, such as hardwood, vinyl, tile and even carpet, without removing those coverings, as long as the floors fulfill the basic installation conditions -- that is, they are flat and dry.