The Proper Way to Lay Pergo Flooring
The tools that you will need for this job are relatively few and simple. The exception to this rule would be that you really need a table saw because you will more than likely need to rip some of the planks when you reach the wall on the other side of the room. You will also need to be able to cut off boards at various lengths as you go along. A saber saw might also be useful if you are going to have to cut any slot type of opening to go through doorways. You can cut these with your table saw if you are careful and a little skilled. You will need a good hammer and a tape measure. Get a pencil to mark your boards for cutting.
Most do-it-yourself centers will have a kit available to make the job a little easier, but nothing will make it altogether simple. The kit will have two tools for helping you to knock the boards tightly together. One will probably be plastic and will be the one that you use most often for closing the cracks as you lay the flooring. The other will be metal. It will be bent on both ends. One end, usually the widest end, will have a small amount bent down. This is to hook over the edge of the board when you are near a wall. You will hammer on the upturned end to pull the board into position. The kit will likely come with some spacers to help you keep your boards the right distance from the wall. You will need to minimize gaps so that your baseboards will cover them completely. You may or may not want to bother with the spacers. I personally find them to be more trouble than benefit.
If your floor is extremely uneven or in poor condition, you will need to begin the job by doing any necessary repairs to the sub floor. Then, get some 1/4 inch plywood to use for underlayment. You will need to make sure that you get this down good and flat to make a smooth surface for the new flooring to rest on top of it. This does not require you to be a master carpenter, but do take your time and make this part of the job fit correctly. You can nail this down with a regular hammer and nails or use an air driven hammer. Either one should do you a good job.
Take your time picking out your new flooring. You will be walking on it and staring at it for several years. Also, you can buy the type with the backing already attached to each board. I recommend this over buying unbacked boards and having to lay a pad underneath them. It just makes a much quicker job when you buy the boards with the backing attached. They will cost you more, but you will be glad that you spent it later on.
Pick a wall that does not force you to make difficult cuts right away. By doing this, you can get used to working with the flooring a little before you have to have your saw skills challenged. As you begin, do not be too quick to get discouraged. Sometimes the first few boards can be a little tough as you are learning the technique. Lay the first board in a corner going along a straight wall. You want to lay it with the side does not have the long tongue sticking out against the wall. The same is true for the end. This will leave you a tongue going along the outer edge of the board and lapping around the end. You will need this to be able to attach the next plank.
Take another full length plank if there is room, and lift the tongue end up several inches off of the floor. Slide the opening in the end of board over the tongue on the first board until the ends meet nicely. Now lay the board down flat. You should have a nearly invisible seam between the two ends of the boards. Repeat this procedure until you reach the next wall. Measure the distance and cut a board to fit. Be careful to cut the proper end of the board. You want the sawed end to fit near the wall. You should not have to force it into place. Keep the other end of the board to start the next row of flooring.
Once the first row is in place, you are ready to start the next row. Using that sawed off piece. Attach the side of the plank to the first row against the wall where you started. This should be easy to get it to snap into position. If you have a small crack that will not play nice, you will need to use the tool and hammer. The tool will be a rectangle about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. One side and one end will be notched to allow it to fit over the soft tongue on the boards. Tap the other edge of the tool, but not to hard to snug the board into place.
The second board on the second row is where you finally begin to have to learn to lay the flooring correctly. Snap the end into place while sliding the upraised board as close to the first row of boards as possible. They should touch along the length. When you have the end attached, you need to go to the far end of the board and raise the outside edge just an inch or so to snap the end of the board into place. You will probably not be able to snap the entire length into place. Make sure that you did not unfasten the first board. If you did, raise both boards and try to fasten as much of their combined length into place as you can. Now, using the long edge of the tool, tap the boards until they fit tightly against the first row. Repeat this procedure until row two is complete. If you had to cut a board to complete this row, use the other end to start the next row unless it is the same length as the you last one. If it is, put a long piece down and keep going. You always want to stagger the seams so that you do not get long lines going across your new floor.
As you get more rows of flooring down, it will get easier not pop boards loose that you have already put in place because of the weight of the floor they are attached to. Your technique should start to improve also. Continue to lay the rows until you reach the other side of the room. On the end piece to each row, you may need to use the metal bent tool to pop the end seams into place. Depending on your skill and the quality of your flooring, you may not need to do this.
However, now that you are getting to the far side of the room, the likelihood that you will need this second tool is great. More than likely, you will need to rip the whole final row of planks. You will use the second tool instead of the plastic one along this wall because the plastic tool simply will not fit. Another reminder here not to pound these tools too hard because they can move and mar the finish of the board. If you do not get too carried away, you should have few problems with this.
Going around doorways, cabinets, and the like, you may have make some notches. I recommend that you lay the board down and orient it to the place where it will fit and draw the picture of what you will be removing on the board with the location in sight. Make a prominent “X” on the part of the board to be removed. Now, you are ready to cut it out. You may have to remove a door or existing trim to be able to get the flooring into these areas. Just take your time, you will be able to make it work. Avoid the temptation to just cut the board off and make two smooth ends meet. You will have to nail these in place to keep cracks from forming quickly at these points. Make the proper cuts and lay it right. You will be much happier in the long run.
Once you establish a rhythm, you should be able to lay this flooring at the rate of between 50 and 100 square feet per hour in areas without tricky cuts. In those areas, you speed is not important. It is more important to do it right the first time to avoid excessive waste. When your flooring is all in place, immediately lay your strips over exposed ends in doorways. This will protect your floor and make your job look much better. Follow this by installing the baseboards or re-installing the previous trim. Be careful when moving items like the stove and refrigerator so that you do not mar the new floor. You will want to lay flooring under these appliances to make the job look right.
