Installation Guide

10. OTHER SUBFLOOR REQUIREME NTS
a. Vinyl sheet goods, linoleum and resilient (VCT) tiles:
Old vinyl and linoleum tiles or sheet goods normally
do not need to be removed. Some older vinyl sheet
goods and tile contain asbestos. Should you choose
to remove these older floor coverings, consult a floor
covering retailer or the manufacturer of the vinyl floor
covering regarding the contents. Should it contain
asbestos special precautions for your safety must
be taken.
b. When Pergo flooring is installed over vinyl, linoleum
sheet goods, over resilient tiles or ceramic tiles and
the subfloor is concrete, a vapor barrier is always
required.
c. Ceramic tiles and terrazzo: Old ceramic tiles normally
don’t need to be removed. Usually, Pergo flooring
can be installed directly over ceramic tiles and terrazzo
providing they are smooth, sound and dry. These
flooring materials must be smooth and flat to within
3
⁄16"
in a 10' radius. (See Subfloor Requirements/General,
section 7.)
d. Use Pergo Moisturbloc
TM
together with Pergo SilientStep
TM
or Pergo Soundbloc Foam
TM
or use the 2 in 1 product,
Pergo SoftSeal
TM
Foam/Film combination, or equivalent
if the subfloor is concrete.
• If the Pergo Product being installed has an attached
foam underlayment then use only a vapor barrier
when installing over a concrete subfloor.
• When installing a Pergo Product with an attached
underlayment foam over a wood subfloor no other
additional acoustic underlayment should be used.
11. NEW CONSTRUCTION REQUIREM ENTS — There are
several special considerations that must be evaluated
before installing Pergo flooring in new construction.
a. As with all wood-based flooring products, the installation
should be scheduled as late in the building cycle
process as possible. This will prevent any unnecessary
damage from occurring as the result of other trades
involved with the construction process. Always protect
the floor if other trades will be walking on the floor
after installation.
b. The house/building must be closed and the climate
controls should be in operation for at least two weeks.
The temperature should be maintained between
65°F and 85°F during these two weeks and the relative
humidity should average between 30% and 90%.
c. Close attention must be paid to the condition of the
subfloor. (See sections 7 through 10 for your specific
subfloor requirements.)
d. Moisture in the wood or concrete subfloor, foundation
walls, basement, or crawl space must be checked
and verified to be in compliance with the subfloor
requirements. (See Job Site Evaluation, section 6 —
exterior/interior moisture conditions and sections 7
through 10 for your specific subfloor requirements.)
e. Kitchen cabinets should be installed before the floor
is installed. However, cabinets may be installed after
the floor is in place providing the cabinets, island
cabinets, etc. are not fixed/attached to the Pergo
floor. Island cabinets can be anchored to the subfloor.
The holes for the anchoring bolts or screws must be
3
⁄4" on center, larger than the diameter of the bolts
or screws—this allows for the
1
⁄4" expansion space
needed for a floating floor to move without being
obstructed by the fastener. Other cabinets must be
fastened to walls or to the subfloor as described for
island cabinets.
f. Specific areas of the expansion spaces, and only
specific areas where there is water exposure, such
as the expansion space in front of the kitchen sink,
in front of the dishwasher or around the dishwasher
space if the dishwasher has not been installed yet,
in the refrigerator space and around any water
supply line, in front of any exterior doors and sliding
glass doors must be filled with Pergo Sealant or a
100% mildew-resistant silicone sealant that will remain
flexible. (Also see sections 12 through 14, for Kitchen,
Bathroom and Laundry Room Installations.)
12. BATHROOM INSTALLATIONS —Because the Pergo
surface is resistant to water, Pergo laminate flooring
can be installed in bathrooms. However, it is very
important to prevent water or moisture from getting
under the floor.
Installation in bathrooms must be made in accordance
with the following instructions:
a. The expansion spaces, all expansion spaces,
between the Pergo flooring and walls, the doorway
transition or other fixed objects such as pipes for
radiators, sinks, water supply to water closet or toilet
flanges MUST be sealed with Pergo Sealant or 100%
mildew-resistant silicone.
b. The space around the perimeter of the Pergo floor
must be
3
⁄8" wide and sealed prior to installing the wall
trim. The
3
⁄8" expansion space must be completely
filled with sealant to avoid water getting underneath
the floor.
c. When Pergo flooring is installed in a bathroom and
an adjoining hall or room, a T-Molding must be
installed in the doorway between the rooms or hall-
way and the expansion space under the T-Molding
must be filled with the proper sealant. Place sealant
in the expansion space of any flooring transition in
the doorway of a bathroom.
d. Pergo must not be installed in rooms with a floor drain.
e. Pergo must not be installed over any floor that has a
sump pump—i.e. should there be a bathroom at a
below grade level or on-grade concrete slab in the
home and a sump pump is located on that below-
grade level flooring or on the on-grade level subfloor,
then Pergo flooring cannot be installed anywhere on
that floor.
f. Standing liquids should not remain on the surface of
a Pergo floor. Standing water is defined as water that
has set on the surface of the flooring for longer than
30 minutes.