What is Pergo®?

Q: What is Pergo®?
A: For those just beginning their search for flooring, the name “Pergo®” is very popular, but not everyone knows precisely what Pergo® is. The easiest way to describe Pergo® is from Steve Simonson’s article “Pergo® vs. the World” which is described as:

Pergo® flooring is a brand of a new type of flooring, known as laminate, which has the look of real hardwood with the easy maintenance of vinyl. It’s available in wood plank, limestone block, marble, and granite tile. While relatively new to the United States, Pergo® flooring has been a mainstay in Europe for almost 20 years.

Steve’s article was written back in the 90s, so calling Pergo® a new flooring type is somewhat outdated, but the important message is that Pergo® is a manufacturer of laminate flooring. Nowadays many flooring manufacturers make their own laminates and laminate itself has caught on in the US as an affordable way to get a great looking wood floor.
Much like other laminates, Pergo® is constructed in 3 specific layers. The first layer is a decorative laminate top. This top is, roughly speaking, a piece of paper with a picture to look like the floor of choice, then it is laminated to the remainder of the board using a pressure based method. The middle of the board is a medium-density or high-density fiberboard core. The final layer is a laminated backing which balances out the plank. With how laminate is created, it causes it to be very stable, allowing for floating installations virtually anywhere in a home.