Installing Pergo Laminate Flooring: Your Step-by-Step DIY Guide

With your subfloor clean and ready to go, it shouldn't take more than a day to finish this project, depending on the size of the room.

1. 1
   Inspect each plank for defects before you start laying them. Open the cartons and make sure all of your planks are ready to install. If any of the planks are chipped, dented, warped, or broken, contact the store where you purchased them to get replacements. After you've laid them in or cut them, you won't be able to get them replaced for free. ^[13]

   • Take an end label off one of the cartons and keep it along with the receipt so you can easily get replacement planks if necessary. ^[14]
   • Open all the cartons at once. Pergo recommends mixing planks from different cartons so that any variations in shade or color are distributed across the whole floor.
2. 2
   Install underlayment if your planks do not have attached underlayment. It's generally best to install this a row at a time as you go so you're not walking all over it. Tuck the first edge of the first row just under the wall, then line up the second row right next to the first so there's no gap and it doesn't overlap. ^[15]

   • Pergo products with attached underlayment typically have a "+" attached to the name, but you can also tell by reading the plank cartons or looking at a plank for a layer of foam underneath.
   • Your underlayment will help keep your floor a little quieter. It also helps level out the underlying subfloor so you don't have to worry about any minor peaks and dents. ^[16]
3. 3
   Remove the tongue on all long side joints of the first row of planks. Pergo planks lock together with a tongue-in-groove system, so the tongue part sticks out. Cut it off on the wall-side of the planks to preserve ³ ⁄ ₈  in (9.5 mm) of expansion space around the floor. You can use almost any kind of saw for this, including a jigsaw, hand circular saw, or cross-cut saw. Use whichever one you have on hand that's most comfortable for you to work with. Always wear a mask and safety goggles to protect yourself from dust while sawing. ^[17]

   • On the first plank, remove the tongue on the short side that goes against the wall as well.
   • Continue to do this for any side that's against the wall to ensure the proper expansion gap.
   • You might want to cut down even more depending on the width of your room. If your last row is going to be too narrow, for example, cutting down the width of the first row as well as the last row gives your floor a more even appearance. ^[18]
4. 4
   Start in the back left corner of the room to lay your first plank. Set a spacer block from your installation kit on the short side and long side of the plank, then lay it down in the corner. This is the easiest place to start if you're right-handed. If you're left-handed, it might be more comfortable to start in the back right corner. ^[19]

   • All types of Pergo flooring, including Pergo Outlast and Pergo Outlast+, are designed to be floating floors . This means you don't have to worry about attaching the planks to the subfloor.
5. 5
   Angle the second plank 20-30 degrees up to connect it to the first. Line up the second plank on the row and lift the far end up. Slide it in to connect it with the first plank until you hear a click. Then, lay the far end down. You'll hear another click that tells you the planks are locked into place. ^[20]
6. 6
   Lay the first row of planks end to end. Angle the next plank up and snap it into place. After a few planks, you'll get a rhythm going and get to the end of the first row in no time. Now, on to the next! ^[21]
7. 7
   Trim the first plank of the second row so the joints are staggered. Pergo recommends staggering joints by a minimum of 12 inches (30 cm). The end joints of two successive rows should never be in line with one another. Cut planks in an area away from where you are installing the floor so the dust doesn't get into the joints. ^[22]

   • Trim the tongue off the short side of the first plank that will be against the wall as well to ensure the proper expansion space.
   • Once you've trimmed the first plank, continue down the row the same as you did with the first. You might have to trim the last plank so it'll fit.
8. 8
   Continue the same process until you've covered the room. If you run into a stubborn plank that won't snap into place, tap it gently with the rubber mallet from your installation kit. Move your cartons over to the floor you've finished to help weigh down the floor while you work. ^[23]

   • Remember to trim the first plank of every other row so that the joints are staggered across the entire floor.
   • If you need to lay planks around a pipe or fixture, measure ³ ⁄ ₈  in (9.5 mm) of expansion space all the way around it before you cut your planks.
9. 9
   Trim the tongue off the wall side of the last row of planks. The last row is essentially a mirror image of your first. Again, you'll trim off the tongue to maintain that ³ ⁄ ₈  in (9.5 mm) of expansion space. ^[24]

   • Things can be tight working right next to the wall, so you might want to put the last two rows together in pairs so you can lay them down at the same time and have a little more room to work.
10. 10
    Add sealant if the floor is in a kitchen or bathroom. Fill the ³ ⁄ ₈  in (9.5 mm) of expansion space with 100% silicone sealant to prevent water from getting under the floor. Do not use acrylic sealant with Pergo floors. Make sure you completely fill all the expansion space to block leaks. ^[25]
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