Tech / Special Interest → Home Improvement > Pergo question

Re: Pergo question

I would recommend AC powered personally but that is just my opinion.

Just a couple of little tips IC, from when my brother and I installed pergo for the 1st time a couple of months ago...

Get yourself a pull bar, some scrap HARDwood to cut into tapping blocks, and some 1/4" scrap to use as perimeter spacers.

Here's a low-quality kit with everything included: »www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/Qep-···odCFEAtw

Planks should aesthetically run along the length of a room, which is going from left/right from your drawing. Joist orientation is of no importance for laminate as you need need a strong sub-floor (and you already have one since you have carpet).

However, because of the two doors, it might be easier to go top/bottom because then you would just have to cut your planks to length to meet the transition piece in the doorway. It should also make it easier to work around the heater in case you find it too difficult to remove.

PLAN AHEAD in terms of which direction you need to install the laminate. I'm talking about the direction you take for each piece.
So if you need to start from the left, then you should start at the top of the drawing so that your lines end up on the right wall where your doors are located. It's easier to make the length cut precisely for the doorways.

I picked up some free samples of Pergo down at the Depot to see how they'd look in my home since nothing in the store (with their cheap high output lighting) looks the same in a home. The one on the left is Belmont Oak and the one on the right is Sierra Cypress. Both are $1.99/Sq Ft. Room is 140 sq ft.

I'm steering towards the Pergo Belmont Oak. They do not have attached underlayment. The room is a second story bedroom where humidity isn't an issue so I'll probably use a cheap foam underlayment. The room underneath is the kitchen.

Update Sept 23:

I did talk to the guy at the Home Depot today and he said its best to run the planks the length of the room (north/south in my case). He also said its best to use a circular saw (which I'd have to acquire or rent from Home Depot for $19 a or I could purchase a low end model for $39 at Home Depot).

The room measures 9 1/2 feet wide and 13 feet long.

Each box covers about 20 sq ft so about 7 boxes. I could buy 8 to be safe and return any unopened boxes.

As for being a renter, we're a long term tenant. We've been here 11 years and don't plan on moving any time soon. We pay our rent faithfully. If we changed rental units like I change socks I would not do the floors, but I would try to avoid units with carpeting and try to rent units that have no smoking clauses in their leases due to allergies (which is the reason I'm putting Pergo in the bedroom).
--
I've experienced ImOn (when they were McLeod USA), Mediacom, Comcast, and Time Warner and I currently have DirecTV. They are much better than broadcast TV.

I have not and will not cut the cord.

If there is shoe molding or quarter round, you will remove that first. For your floating floor, you will probably put down foam underlayment. »www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfIma···048f.pdf I think. »www.flooring-professionals.com/w···rs-fail/

After your floor is in place, you will replace/install shoe molding to hide the gap. The flooring can expand and contract, and the molding will hide the gap.

Use an 18 gauge air nailer to nail the molding into place. A friend may have one with compressor that you can borrow.

Could I just use the existing baseboards to cover the gap.

You may create a hazard if you raise the floor level relative to the baseboard heat. Without more info I would say that the heater needs to be uninstalled and re-installed. If you install the flooring up to the heater will you trap the heater in so it can't be removed or serviced properly?

The heater is a 240 volt baseboard heater. I'm 95 percent sure the power supply comes in through the wall as the landlord's husband had to replace a broken heater in the other unit and I was there when he did it. Not that difficult.

If I wanted to throw more money at this unit I would install one of those softheat hydronic baseboards but that's not on my wish list.

My old landlord at our previous residence had these words of wisdom "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I remembered those words when I was fixing the loose toilet last month. I was tempted to replace the toilet (as I want a chair height elongated) but all I needed was a flange repair kit, wax ring, and flange bolts.

So if the heater works, I'm going to just reuse it. But if I owned the house, never mind the softheat baseboards, I'd put something in that is cheaper to run like forced air natural gas.

The reason I'm doing the Pergo is allergy control and taking three daily allergy medications is no longer being effective. I'm up to four medications if you count the prescription they gave me for when things get really bad and five if you include my Epi-Pen (if I end up with shellfish residue in my dinner).

A big thing in allergy control is removing the source of allergens and dust mites are a biggie for me. The doctor says the carpet in the bedroom has to go.

The landlord has already given me permission to remove the carpet. The Pergo will be easier to keep clean, just sweep it and use a dust mop.
--
I've experienced ImOn (when they were McLeod USA), Mediacom, Comcast, and Time Warner and I currently have DirecTV. They are much better than broadcast TV.

I have not and will not cut the cord.

If the baseboard does not come off readily, consider adding shoe molding. See if you can find a pre-finished match.

Re: Pergo question

As others have mentioned, when all is said and done, you may want to consider an air purifier. My better half has bad allergies and we purchased a Blueair 400 purifier. It works wonders for her.
Good luck!
--
Traditional thinkers say, "If it's not broken don't fix it." But breakthrough thinkers say, "Fix it before it breaks." - Gerald Nadler

lift the baseboard heaters up... It'll look better, and it's the right way to do it. With a little luck, shouldn't even have to disconnect them - there should be enough slack to move them up 1/2"

As for the baseboards, it's unlikely you'll be able to reuse it - it'll probably split as you take it up, no matter how careful you are. I'd buget for replacement.

the electric baseboards that were left in a few rooms here before the gas heat was installed have removable covers. you can put flooring under by removing the cover as was done in the kitchen here.

A little OT: I've been thinking of replacing my worn out vinyl floor in the kitchen with pergo. But I've heard that if pergo gets wet, it will swell up and the only fix is to replace the boards, so putting it in a kitchen, bathroom or anyplace that gets wet is a bad idea.

Is that true?

Duplicate post.

I would never put laminate or hardwood in a bathroom. In a kitchen pergo is not a problem as long as you are not having swim parties in the kitchen sink. If you get water on it just wipe it up, do not just let it sit there and think it will dry on its own.