Installation Guide

PERGO American Era 3/4” Solid Hardwood Flooring Installation Instructions
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MAINTENANCE
Pergo hardwood floors are easily maintained—no wax, no mess. The best way to care for your new floor is to perform
regularly scheduled maintenance, which includes sweeping the entire floor at least once a week to remove dirt and
debris that may scratch the floor. High traffic areas such as entrances, doorways, and traffic paths will require cleaning
more frequently, depending upon of the amount of concentrated foot traffic. Following these easy steps is the key to
keeping your new floor looking beautiful for years to come.
Step 1:
Routinely sweep your floor with a soft bristle broom or use a vacuum designed for use on hardwood floors.
WARNING: Vacuums with a beater bar or power rotary brush head can damage a wood floor and should never be used.
Step 2:
Apply Premium Quality Hardwood Floor Cleaner to a terry cloth or micro fiber mop; do not spray directly onto the floor.
Use a back and forth motion with the mop. When the terry cloth or micro fiber cover becomes soiled, simply replace it
with a clean one. Cleaning the floor with a soiled cover causes streaking. The covers are re-usable so simply throw the
cover in the laundry to wash and dry it as you would any towel. DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER when washing terry
cloth or micro fiber covers.
CARE TIPS AND WARNINGS
• Wipe up spills promptly and use approved hardwood cleaner.
• Use felt protectors under heavy pieces of furniture and chairs.
• Never use rubber backed rugs on your floor. We recommend the use of Mohawk Home
®
rugs and anti-skid non-slip
rug pads. Rug pads should extend all the way to the edges of the rug to work properly.
• Always clean under rugs and mats to remove damaging grit during routine cleaning. Left unattended, dirt particles
can act as abrasives and de-gloss the flooring finish.
• Spiked heels or shoes in need of repair can severely damage flooring.
• Replace hard plastic or metal casters or wheels on furniture with soft rubber casters or use a protective mat under
the casters.
• Never wet mop your wood floors. Excess moisture or liquids will damage your wood flooring.
• Use only Premium Quality Hardwood Floor Cleaner.
• Never use oil soaps, wax, or other household products to clean your floor.
• Never use steam cleaners on your wood floors. This will force moisture into the wood and cause damage to
your flooring.
• Keep pet nails trimmed as recommended by your veterinarian.
• Protect your floor when using a dolly for moving furniture or appliances.
• Use protective window coverings to protect hardwood floors from excessive heat and during periods of
direct sunlight.
AVOIDING SCRATCHES AND DENTS
With today’s active lifestyles, it is important to note that hardwood flooring can and will scratch and dent. To prevent
excessive abuse, the use of strategically placed mats and area rugs as well as floor protectors on chair and table legs
is recommended.
TRANSITION MATS
Transition mats should be used at all exterior entrances to minimize tracked-in soil and reduce moisture during inclement
weather. Ideally, the purchase of two sets of transition mats for each exterior entrance will allow a fresh one to replace
the soiled one during routine weekly cleaning. This will prevent the transition mat from becoming a soil source.
PROTECTION FROM SUNLIGHT
Hardwood contains certain types of acids in its cellular structure. With exposure to sunlight, these acids begin to amber.
The color change is referred to as patina. The wood will reach its own natural warm patina level and stop ambering. The
amount of patina is directly related to the species, amount of acids and the level of sunlight. This effect is often noticed
after a rug is removed and the floor underneath is noticeably different in color. If you remove the rug and expose the
entire floor to the same amount of light, it will even out over time and become uniform in color.