Although my husband and I are new to the process of building a house, we made a number of improvements to our previous home of 25 years. From new windows and doors to new siding and several rounds of paint, our home went through many changes. And, in spite of contrary advice from a friend or two, installing Pergo rather than hardwood floors was one of our wisest choices. In turn, as our plans for building our new home took shape, our first and easiest decision was choosing Pergo flooring, once again. We’ve had ten happy years of experience with this phenomenal product in our previous home and we’re even happier with the new Pergo product installed 18 months ago in our current home.
When a homeowner has the time to maintain it, hardwood is beautiful. We were both raised in homes with hardwood floors and I remember the hours my mother spent buffing and waxing twice a year. And, possibly because my childhood home was sixty years old when my parents purchased it, I remember my brother and I sliding on the floor and picking up wicked splinter or two. I realize that hardwood products have surely improved over the years, but I can bring to mind two homes with hardwood that I frequently visit and I am not convinced their floors are superior to our Pergo. Both homes have areas where the hardwood has a dull sheen and it seems that residue—wax possibly—is compressed in the texture of the wood. And, in the home with a family dog, the hardwood shows nicks and scratches, presumably from their dog’s nails–minor but many.
Because we are a dog-loving family, we replaced our main-level carpeting in 2008 with Pergo in Brazilian Jajoba and never regretted the decision. Many hours of research went into our choice and in the end, Pergo won out not only for affordability, but for practicality: many happy customers claim it is the most durable and carefree product for homes with kids, pets, and lackadaisical housekeeping.
Most significantly, we like Pergo because it is far more resistant to scrapes and scratches than hardwood (product details). When we moved out of our previous home in 2018, our Pergo looked as good then as the day it was installed. I make this claim with assurance because when our daughter and her husband began their home’s renovation, they asked about our Pergo. When I retrieved unused pieces from our storage room rafters and laid them in the sunlight next to the flooring we had installed nearly a decade earlier, we couldn’t tell the difference. Consequently, she and her husband installed Pergo—specifically Pergo XP Coffee Handscraped Hickory. After one year with two little boys with scooters and a large labrador retriever in their 24’ x 24’ family room, there isn’t a scratch to be found on their Pergo floor.
Now, to be truthful, we had one mishap that resulted in a small nick in our floor. About 2010, our golden retriever knocked over a stained glass floor lamp in her attempt to get a good look at the mailman through our front window. The lamp shattered and left a small knick about a quarter of an inch deep and wide near the front door. However, we followed the instructions for repairing a gash in hard wood: wood-filler putty, a gentle sanding, and follow-up staining with a wood marker. I dare you to find the spot.
So, with Pergo in our new home of nearly one year and our former home for a decade, I am qualified to say that Pergo is easier to care for. Neither my husband nor I have time to fuss over housework. For the past ten years, we vacuum and follow up with a Bona mop and cleaner once a week. In addition, my husband’s issues with allergies have been significantly reduced. Dirt sinks into the depths of a carpet and ultimately its padding, but Pergo (or any hard flooring, for that matter) leaves the dirt with nowhere to hide.
As we considered the choices for our new home, we learned of two new Pergo products on the market: Pergo Max Hardwood and Pergo Timbercraft.
Although its tauted as a floor that can be refinished, we don’t recommend Pergo Max Hardwood for anyone with children, pets, or high heels. Unlike other Pergo products, numerous reviews complain of how easily it scratches and maybe that’s because it doesn’t appear to be the durable laminate that has put Pergo in the forefront of the market for several decades; it is engineered hardwood and scratches like hardwood. In fact, the sales representative even told us that although this Pergo product can be refinished, it probably won’t withstand multiple rounds of refinishing. When we examined the warranty information, we found several disconcerting passages:
This Pergo limited warranty also does not cover damage or defects caused by heavy or concentrated foot traffic, damage by pet claws (nails) or failure to protect the PERGO Max Hardwood floor from sand, gravel or other abrasives by use of walk-off mats.
And,
High heel shoes can concentrate as much as 2,000 pounds per square inch on the floor. This type of heel has a diameter of approximately 3/8” and walking on any wood surface with high heel shoes is considered an abusive situation. This Pergo limited warranty does not cover damage or defects caused by high heels, shoes in need of repair or golf cleats.
We decided to investigate ourselves on complimentary samples at big box home improvement stores and when my husband gave the pocket knife test to the Pergo Max Hardword sample, it was easily scratched. When he used equal pressure on the Pergo Timbercraft sample, there were no marks. Try the test yourself.
As a result of our research, we chose Pergo Timbercraft with WetProtect in Crest Ridge Hickory, for our new home. Not only does each new generation of Pergo seem to emulate the look and texture of real wood, PergoWetprotect claims “lifetime protection against spills, splashes and pet accidents” with proper installation.
Equally important, Pergo is practical from an environmental standpoint. It’s the first flooring company to win the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for its sustainable practices.
And, of course, there is the Pergo “perk” of affordability—nearly half the price of many lines of hardwood, a fact which first draws many customers to the product.
Please keep in mind that professional installation is apparently the key to a satisfactory experience with Pergo. When I have come across negative reviews, it seems the customers with the bad experiences tend to be the ones who install the flooring themselves.
For additional articles from happy Pergo owners, access the following:
Sandra Rochelle’s “What You Need to Know About Replacing Carpet with Pergo” and blogger Lauren McBride’s “Why We Chose Pergo Flooring.”