Pergo engineered hardwood experience?

10 years ago

Hi, we need to pick an engineered hardwood that's 1/2" thick or less. Grayish mid tones is what we're looking for. I'd like to hear if any of you have opinions on Pergo engineered wood (not laminate). I search for Pergo, and all the reviews seem to refer to the laminate.

This Pergo engineered wood in "Woolen Maple". Seems to fit the bill. It seems to look good in the store, is priced like other engineered mid tier options elsewhere, and adds interest with its variable width planks. We have pets and the house is in North Carolina.

Thoughts? Personal experience with this product?

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

10 years ago

If you feel that Lowe's is a good place to buy engineered hardwood, then feel free to enjoy your choice. The floor is listed as a "float" or "glue down" install. The floating is cheapest type of install. The glue down is the MOST expensive form of glue down. The "secondary" choice of install (which you ONLY see if you go to Pergo's website) is the staple/nail (no cleats listed) install. That means you are BETTER OFF with the floating/glue down install.

Pergo is a quality LAMINATE flooring producer. I would hazard a guess that they want to maintain their brand name. This floor would be considered "average quality". They do not list the wear layer thickness nor the type of finish on the floor. Hmmmm. I'm not fond of those types of tactics.

If you want a medium end engineered hardwood in a gray colour, this will probably work just fine. I HATE seeing people purchase from big box stores. Please visit your Pergo rep to see if they can get/install the same floor (it won't be cheaper...but you will be dealing with a licensed dealer/installer).

Lowe's, Home Depot, Home Hardware, Rona, etc have ruined so many floors with their bad advice that I would hate to send someone there to PURCHASE a floor. Many of their sales people don't know how to CARE for a floor...let alone install one.

Good luck. Mid-grade would be my gut reaction to this floor.

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Comments (8)

Lakshmi
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks. The advice is very helpful. We'll keep it in mind as we shop around.
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elizamorrill
10 years ago
@Cancork, can you provide an alternative for Pergo Max Hardwood? We are looking to pull up about 1000 sqf of nasty carpet in our living/dining areas, a hallway, and 3 bedrooms.

We have strongly considered both the Pergo Max Hardwood and the Coretec Plus. I've read SUCH mixed reviews about Coretec that it makes me so, so nervous to put it down. I also love that we'd be able to say "hardwood floors throughout" when we sell in a couple of years, if we were to go with the PMH. Unfortunately, though, we are on a tight budget and real hardwood is not an option.

My husband and children have asthma, so green, non-gassing flooring is a must. We're also on a concrete slab in the deep south. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
When it comes to asthma and allergies, cork is one of the best options we have. Cork floating floor will fit the bill. CoreTec has multiple lines with 2-3 different click versions. Many concerns for coretec comes most from installation concerns. The biggest concern: lack of subfloor preparation.

An engineered hardwood preparation is going to be very close to the same prep as a floating CoreTec floor. Any subfloor that holds carpet = needs plenty of work (read "money") to get a rigid surface on it.

The slabs in the "deep south" have special concerns so be prepared to spend as much as $4/sf on the PREPARATION. Then you add in the cost of the floor...and then the labor is a third cost. This is your cost break down.

Technically a floating "click" together floor is CHEAPER to install than engineered hardwood (glue down or floating is your only choice over slab). The best type of install is a glue down. To get an engineered floor glued to concrete in the south should be VERY expensive. The adhesives ALONE will cost $3.50/sf. That is JUST the glue. The cost of the hardwood is added to that for "materials".

I can get an "ugly" cork floor for $2.49/sf (shipping will add about $0.50/sf onto that). Install should be the same as laminate (roughly $2.50/sf). The prep should be $1-$2/sf (carpet hides the WORST subfloors on earth). If everything comes out properly, your cork floor will cost you (roughly) $7500 for 1000sf. That's one of the lowest cost "allergy friendly" floors the industry has.

Keep those numbers in mind when you go shopping. Beware of ANY "installation" quote/promise that does NOT include a HOME VISIT by the INSTALLER!!! And no...the sales person at Home Depot is NOT the installer. S/He does not count.

You won't know what your preparation costs will be until AFTER the carpet is removed. Only then can you assess whether or not you have a $1/sf prep (a little grinding + a few bags of self leveller = very little work) or $4/sf prep (this is rare but seen in old houses covered up with carpet.

Good luck. If budget is a concern than you might want to stay away from the BIG brand names...and stick with the middle of the park names. Pergo (laminates) and CoreTec are the big boys in their categories with some serious costs just because of the name.
elizamorrill
10 years ago
Thanks so much for such an awesome and thorough response! I am so appreciative. Changing the convo completely: what are your thoughts on bamboo? Specifically, the "MorningStar" brand?
User
10 years ago
Complete and utter garbage.
elizamorrill
10 years ago
Sophie-- yeah, I asked that question before looking around here and HOLY CRAP-- yeah, that's a no. Any thoughts on the "Natural Floors" by US Floors brand bamboo?
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
Morning Star???? The stuff that is FULL of formaldehyde being sold by Lumber Liquidators??? The stuff that has an on-going class action lawsuit because of the HIGH levels of formaldehyde???? Not good. Bad. Bad. Bad flooring.

Bamboo is FULL of adhesives. So much so, they contain as much as 30% glue. That glue often has high amounts of formaldehyde (there are two types of formaldehyde formulas: urea formaldehyde = BAD; phenol-formaldehyde = slightly better = totally allowed in the USA).

Places like LOW END flooring companies (USFloor is slightly better than LL) almost always work with the "good" formaldehyde. Lumber Liquidators got caught using the urea formaldehyde adhesive. I wouldn't touch low-end bamboo for love nor money. You need to work with $12-$15/sf bamboo to get away from formaldehyde. This is why bamboo flooring is dying a fast and gruesome death.

Sorry. Badly made engineered hardwood is better than badly made bamboo. Keep looking.