What's the latest on Pergo or other Laminate flooring? Or any flooring at all?

[NiceGuyEddie]

139427

I've installed thousands and thousands of square feet of Pergo, but not a single plank in the past 10 years. (Thank the maker!) I knocked down a few walls and I'm doing a remodel. The Pergo above was called Pergo Signature, it was the top of the line at Lowes 16 years ago. Might have been $4 a square foot. It was the kind with some padding on the bottom, so all that was needed was a vapor barrier. Overall, it's held up phenomenally well - the only exceptions were three (3) small leaks in the kitchen. As you can see, the planks are on a diagonal and the old galley kitchen was "end of row" so I was able to pull the planks, sop up the water, let everything dry, and re-install. Even then, the edges curled up a bit and it's always bothered me.

Allegedly, now there's waterproof Pergo. Not sure I believe it.

Allegedly, Pergo makes hardwood flooring too - same snap & lock concept but real wood up top.

In any case, aside from the waterproofing, the most important thing is that the floor does not creak when you walk on it. Mine does a little bit and it drives me nuts.

I'm of course open to other brands, I imagine the concept is the same. Cost is likely not an issue, I'm doing only about 700 square feet.

I've considered real wood floors, but I don't know how to do it over concrete. It sure would be nice to have real wood floors that if in the event of a problem, they can be partially pulled, sanded, and stained again.

[Al_C]

Romex, Pergo... What forum is this again? ;)

My humble opinion, after having oak installed in the entire first floor last year, is that you can't really beat a real wood floor. Yes, you can certainly do it over concrete. Here's a link I found that you might find helpful: https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/installing-wood-flooring-over-concrete/

So, how's the roadster? ;)

[Jeff Kleiner]

Take a look at some of the plank vinyl in a comparable price range (not the bottom end cheap). It's snap together, waterproof, offers cushion and isn't nearly a "clicky" when walked on. You might find that it's a good alternative. I used it in the mud room, laundry room and office of our house when I built it in 2016 after having spent 18 years with Pergo in the kitchen of the old house. I'm satisfied and don't think I see any reason to go back to a laminate.

Jeff

[Papa]

Another option is faux wood plank tiles. My daughter did her kitchen with it and it looked great. The "ckicky" sound on laminate floors is real and not what I would want. They do have their benefits, though.

[Mike N]

LVP seems to be the current trend. We have it in our whole house and have been very happy. It was roughly $5 a sqft so not the cheap end but also not the most expensive. The backing is advertised as water proof but not flood proof. We have had numerous spills on our flooring with no apparent adverse effects. You can get flood proof versions but of course the price goes up. Our entire upper floor is installed over regular wooden sub flooring and the lower floor is on concrete. No clicks, creaks or slaps as you walk on it. It does not feel like solid wood flooring to walk on but it does not feel like laminate either. There is a wide choice in floor coverings these days so it's not a straight forward decision, they all have their pros and cons.

[cv2065]

I just got finished laying the waterproof Pergo in two rooms. Nice stuff. Has a texture to it as well. The key is the way it interlocks to keep out moisture. Does it work? Haven't 'tested' it yet, but have no plans to purposely do that. The underlayment is key for the creaking. Pergo has a 'Gold' underlayment that is similar to in consistency to a windshield sun visor for a car. Once laid down...very silent. Having the concrete floor level also helps with sound.

Putting real hardwood over concrete is kind of a pain. You have to put down a liquid moisture barrier of some kind over the concrete prior to, then use an adhesive to put the floor down after that. So removing a piece for repair would not be as easy to do compared to a floor that's nailed down or a floating floor from Pergo.

[Cobradavid]

Over the years, we've had Pergo-type with wood veneer, solid wood, and engineered wood in our house. Previously, the flooring has been floated on a cushion/moisture barrier over the concrete slab. The latest iteration is engineered wood and it's glued down. The glue provides a moisture barrier. Glued down makes the floor feel more solid (not hollow-sounding). A few months ago we had a plumbing leak which damaged some of the planks (the floor was just 9 months old :( at the time), but the flooring guys were able to remove and replace just the damaged areas.

[NiceGuyEddie]

139480


Vinyl? LVP? Man, I've been out of the loop. How can vinyl be hard???

One thing I don't understand is how can a soft underlayment keep down the creaking? I would guess it would make it worse because then the flooring can move up and down as you step on it.

I considered tile 6" x 36" strips that look like wood, but the issue is I will already have a mud room which has a brick floor, I will have brick fireplace hearth & mantle that goes all the way up to the ceiling, plus a brick backsplash in the kitchen. A tile floor would be too much hardscape. It would otherwise be perfect, it's hotter longer than colder where I live so I guess it would help, and over concrete it's about as waterproof as you can get.

Sadly, right now there don't seem to be any showrooms around to walk on samples.

I need to commit on this sometime just after the new year!

[NiceGuyEddie]

On a recent episode of This Old House, they mentioned a snap & lock style flooring that can be sanded and refinished as much as three times in its lifetime. Any idea what type of flooring this is? This would be ideal if in the event I don't like the floor color 15 years from now.

Mr. Google didn't help me with this one.

[flynntuna]

Watch this YouTube

https://youtu.be/u4-chJRfi80

[NiceGuyEddie]

Great video above.

I just learned that if you want hardwood and wider than the traditional 2" strips, it's going to be engineered hardwood planks.

My current choice is Pergo Max @ $ 3.49/sf less underlayment. It's hardwood and has a texture to it.

[Dkelly]

If you're considering upgrading your flooring, waterproof laminates are definitely an option, though the performance can vary. For creaking, check that the subfloor is level and consider a better underlayment.

If you're after real wood, engineered hardwood works well over concrete and offers a more stable solution. You might want to check out Natural Wood Floor (https://naturalwoodfloor.co.uk/) for high-quality options that could meet your needs. Just make sure to have it professionally installed for the best results.

[Aleinsteingenius]

We used porcelain tiles that look like wood. You cant scratch or break them with a hammer and chisel (I tried). Wood was not an option because all the floors are heated.

[Railroad]

Thread is 5 years old!!!!!!!