Would you put Pergo/laminate in your own house?

Question

I was just curious if people would go with this instead of hardwood to save money on installation.

Kevin C. · Answer

I think some people confuse laminate and engineered woods as being one and the same.   Laminate floors are not wood floors, they are composite flooring with a picture of wood on top.  Engineered wood floors are 100% wood, the base being made from cheap wood with a final layer of fine wood on top. 
          
          Better engineered woods can be refinished multiple times, laminates cannot be sanded/refinished.
          
          Below are some links that describe the differences between solid, engineered and laminate flooring.
          
          http://www.theflooringlady.com/engineered_vs_solid_hardwood_flooring_000877.html
          
          http://woodboys.com/engineered_vs_solid.html
          
          http://www.buzzle.com/articles/engineered-wood-flooring-vs-laminate.html
          
          http://ezinearticles.com/?Laminated-vs-Engineered-Floor---Which-Is-the-Real-Thing?&id=630901

Diane J. · Answer

Personally, I hate Pergo and wouldn't put it in a rental much less my own home. Go with tile if you're looking to save money.

Favorite store: Tile for Less

Also, if this is the same house with the radiant heat, be careful with hardwood and laminates as they can buckle where tile will conduct the heat wonderfully.

James Hiddle · Answer

It would depend on the neighborhood. Nicer neighborhoods would probably install hardwood average income neighborhoods I would install laminate.

J Scott · Answer

For example, I can get 3/4" solid oak hardwoods installed and finished onsite with three coats of poly for $5.25 per sq ft, so paying $5/ft for laminate wouldn't make sense.

Bienes - do some pricing research to determine where the most bang for the buck will be...

Diane J. · Answer

Sorry, Got you confused with another poster.  :oops:

Yeah, you'd have to put down concrete board on the plywood or OSB subfloor if you went with tile and that can add up but overall still cheaper than hardwood.

I've seen alot of designs on HGTV lately where they only use carpet in the bedrooms, hardwood in the family room and the rest in tile. Depending on the floor plan this could look choppy or stunning!

I'm also looking into installing hardwood as a DIY project. Not sure if the savings is worth it but Harbor Freight sells the nailer pretty cheap (with good reviews) and plumbing a straight line isn't rocket science. The tricky part might be undercutting the door jambs.

I'd go with engineered or regular ol' red oak. Drum sanders are a pain but putting the satin finish down is easy enough.

Kevin C. · Answer

I put Pergo in a personal residence about 12 years ago - house has since been sold.

We did not like the product, was way too shiny and 'clicky' when walked on.  The flooring did not really look or feel like wood once installed.

We had engineered wood installed in our last personal residence, that product was fantastic.

I would do engineered wood again, but not Pergo or laminates.

Brian Levredge · Answer

I would maybe do a laminate since there are types that look pretty good when installed and can even be refinished one more time.  At $5 per ft, installed, It's a much cheaper alternative.  I won't even work with a client who wants to install Pergo in their house, so there's no way I would ever put that in my place.

Bienes Raices · Answer

Thanks for the responses...
                    
                    I've heard that the high end, more realistic laminates can end up costing almost as much as hardwood...
                
          I've been going to open houses in this neighborhood to see what other people have done. They generally have some combo of tile and pergo/laminate. I don't think hardwood is that common here.

Bienes Raices · Answer

Thanks. Couldn't tile end up being more expensive with all the prep work, and since the floor may not be level? Right now there is carpet over the floor so the floor's condition is unknown. The attraction of Pergo is that it doesn't require adhesive, etc. I agree that some Pergo looks fake.

Diane I'm not sure what you are referring to w/ regards to the radiant heat?

Would you put Pergo/laminate in your own house?

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