After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

On Sat, 19 Dec 2015 10:26:58 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

.... something else to consider are pets. Dogs can really scratch up
less expensive flooring.

On 12/19/2015 12:26 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

"Pergo" is the brand name and while they were laminate-only (and I
presume it's _probably_ one of those products OP's talking about) for a
long time a couple years ago or so (not sure exactly when) they started
producing wood flooring as well. So, it's possibly one of those
products, too...

To OP, in front of a desk I'd put down one of the desk floor mats over
the flooring, whatever it is...

--

"Oren" wrote in message
...
Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they
essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does
it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I
wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

... something else to consider are pets. Dogs can really scratch up
less expensive flooring.

There are no pets, just my wife and I , both around 65 and 70.

What I think I would really like to have is some that does have a small
layer of real wood on top. Really would like to have some that I have heard
of years ago that was thick enough it could be refinished one time if there
were no deep scratches in it, but the people at Lowes did not know anything
about this kind of flooring.

This flooring is going in the room with the TV and most used room of the
house.

About 5 years ago we had some laminate that was the printed on stuff
installed in a dining room and hall and it seems to be holding up ok for the
usage it gets. I looked at a piece of it and it seems to be a layer about
paper thick on top.

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.

On Sat, 19 Dec 2015 13:58:25 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:

... something else to consider are pets. Dogs can really scratch up
less expensive flooring.

There are no pets, just my wife and I , both around 65 and 70.

What I think I would really like to have is some that does have a small
layer of real wood on top. Really would like to have some that I have heard
of years ago that was thick enough it could be refinished one time if there
were no deep scratches in it, but the people at Lowes did not know anything
about this kind of flooring.


Mohawk makes a good hard wood laminate ~ 5/8" thick with a hard
coating... but it cost plenty of dollars.

This flooring is going in the room with the TV and most used room of the
house.

About 5 years ago we had some laminate that was the printed on stuff
installed in a dining room and hall and it seems to be holding up ok for the
usage it gets. I looked at a piece of it and it seems to be a layer about
paper thick on top.

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.


Depends on how it was installed (glued T&G can be fit You can buy
wax pencils in various colors to cover light /medium scratches - not
sure how well they work for deep gouges though.

On 12/19/2015 11:36 AM, dpb wrote:
On 12/19/2015 12:26 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

"Pergo" is the brand name and while they were laminate-only (and I presume it's
_probably_ one of those products OP's talking about) for a long time a couple
years ago or so (not sure exactly when) they started producing wood flooring as
well. So, it's possibly one of those products, too...

To OP, in front of a desk I'd put down one of the desk floor mats over the
flooring, whatever it is...

You have to consider carefully the mat that you purchase! Many
have "tits" on the underside to dig into carpet. You'd want one
that is smooth, top and bottom.

Personally, I'd go for a small piece of indoor/outdoor (very thin)
carpet. A plastic mat will end up sliding. And, scuffing the
flooring beneath. Not so with a rubber-backed indoor/outdoor
carpet.

You could try a (solid) plastic mat with a "no slip" rubber sheet
beneath it. Not sure if they make them large enough for a typical
~4ftx4ft desk chair mat!

dpb wrote:
On 12/19/2015 12:26 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery
wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of
the Pergo Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about
280 sqft. Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations
around the same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to
choose from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by
a local flooring company and was ot very impressed with the
installers. On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put
over
the flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think
after a short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they
essentially print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not
real wood, nor does it have a wood top layer, like engineer wood
products do. Not saying I wouldn't use it, depending on the
application, but it is what it is.

"Pergo" is the brand name and while they were laminate-only (and I
presume it's _probably_ one of those products OP's talking about) for
a long time a couple years ago or so (not sure exactly when) they
started producing wood flooring as well. So, it's possibly one of
those products, too...

To OP, in front of a desk I'd put down one of the desk floor mats over
the flooring, whatever it is...

I use a piece of hardboard over my carpet. The plastic "protectors" just didn't
last. Also, make sure the chair has soft (rubber) wheels, not hard plastic, for
when you roll off the mat.

On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:54:20 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Oren" wrote in message
...
Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they
essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does
it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I
wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

... something else to consider are pets. Dogs can really scratch up
less expensive flooring.

There are no pets, just my wife and I , both around 65 and 70.

What I think I would really like to have is some that does have a small
layer of real wood on top. Really would like to have some that I have heard
of years ago that was thick enough it could be refinished one time if there
were no deep scratches in it, but the people at Lowes did not know anything
about this kind of flooring.


Then whoever you talked to at Lowes doesn't know what they are doing.
Lowes, HD, etc all carry that product. It's called engineered wood
flooring. And like you say, it can typically be refinished one or more
times if need be. Another advantage is that they put the finish on it
in a factory environment and I think you get a tougher, better finish
than if you finish a conventional wood floor after installation. The
engineered substrate is also supposed to perform at least as good or
better that solid wood with regard to moisture, etc.

"Bob F" wrote in message
...

I use a piece of hardboard over my carpet. The plastic "protectors" just
didn't last. Also, make sure the chair has soft (rubber) wheels, not hard
plastic, for when you roll off the mat.

I had been using the plastic protectors on the carpet and like you said,
they just do not last long. The carpet will be comming out after the first
of the year if the stock market does not drop out the bottom. and some
laminate type of hard wood will be going back in.

If it was not in an area that has to look nice, I would do like I did in the
basement that has a room with some indoor/outdoor carpet installed, just put
down about a 4x4 foot piece of plywood that I had laying around.

On 12/19/2015 12:49 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in message
...

I use a piece of hardboard over my carpet. The plastic "protectors" just
didn't last. Also, make sure the chair has soft (rubber) wheels, not hard
plastic, for when you roll off the mat.

IME, you want to mix hard with soft: i.e., a hard/stiff protector over
a soft carpet; a soft protector over a hard surface.

I had been using the plastic protectors on the carpet and like you said,
they just do not last long. The carpet will be comming out after the first
of the year if the stock market does not drop out the bottom. and some
laminate type of hard wood will be going back in.

I've had a plastic protector over carpet for ~10 years, now. What I've
noticed is the chair tends to "make it's own place" in the protector;
leaving little divets for each of the casters. This is frustrating
when you want to move the chair -- esp if you only want to move it a
VERY short distance (it wants to roll back into those divets).

In the long run, it has proven to lead to cracks in particular spots
as the stress is always constrained to those locations.

If it was not in an area that has to look nice, I would do like I did in the
basement that has a room with some indoor/outdoor carpet installed, just put
down about a 4x4 foot piece of plywood that I had laying around.

As the OP is looking for something to put *over* a "hard" surface,
something "soft" can work -- i.e., a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet.
Anything "hard" runs the risk of shifting, over time. Dirt and
other crud that works its way under that will grind away the
top surface of the flooring.

If he wants to go "upscale", he can laminate some of the flooring
to a substrate, put some rubber under it and lay *that* on the
floor. Not worth the effort, IMO, but, to each his own.

Ralph Mowery posted for all of us...



On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.


Get casters for the chair that are rated for wood.

--
Tekkie

Tekkie® wrote:
Ralph Mowery posted for all of us...



On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.


Get casters for the chair that are rated for wood.

Unless one is way over weight all is well.
We have several high quality office/commercial type
chairs in the house I got almost free when office was
refurnished. Does not cause any problem on the floor.

On 12/19/2015 12:26 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 1:03:18 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
After the first of the year we are thinking about having some of the Pergo
Max from Lowes installed in a living room that is about 280 sqft.

Anything good or bad about this brand or other recommendations around the
same price of about $ 2.50 per sq.ft..

This is in a small town so not a lot of choices in the flooring to choose
from. I did have some flooringinstalled a few years back by a local
flooring company and was ot very impressed with the installers.

On the same thing, what would be a good mat or material to put over the
flooring for a computer chair with rollers for wheels. I think after a
short while the wheels would cut through the wood.

Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.


For the most part, that's correct. We put Pergo in the kitchen (pattern
we selected was a faux marble, very light in color generally with grays
and tans thrown in). This was long enough ago that it was glued seams.
SWMBO loves it. Spills wipe up (IF you can find them) and hides dirt,
etc. like a champ. Grandkids and granddogs can't hurt it. Scuff marks
from heels wipe off with a DRY paper towel. Damp mop cleans it up like new.

Got tired of the carpeting in the rest of the house and was going to go
with either engineered hardwood floors or... something else.

While in the BORG one day, I walked by their flooring displays and spied
a type of Pergo made solely for the BORG. The name escapes me now but
while it is "printed" it also has some texture to it (about the same
you'd see with real wood floors). The color was the exact shade we were
looking for and the clincher was that every visible joint is actually a
joint. The joints are actually highlighted by a very slight chamfer as
you expect on a hardwood floor. The product is just shy of 5" wide and,
I think 4' length. Snap lock installation with the foam underlayment
pre-attached (Pergo's standard subfloor requirements are in effect and
you do NOT use any other underlayment).

Again, it looks great, it looks real, it cleans up easily, the dogs and
grandkids can't hurt it and, more recently with SWMBO seriously breaking
her ankle requiring surgery, etc. Neither her transport chair, walker
or crutches have left any marks.

Best of all, it really looks like wood and guests comment on how nice it
looks and can't believe it's a laminate floor. IIRC, I got it on sale
and it ran about $2.75 sq ft.

Disclaimer: I don't sell Pergo, I don't have stock in that company nor
in Home Depot, but this product is really one of a kind. the other
Pergo, not so much.

On 12/19/2015 12:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Oren" wrote in message How hard would it be to take
out and replace a piece or two after it had been installed if it gets
a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half a box of the stuff
that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but just
wondering.

I, too, wonder about that Ralph. I have a little less than one package
squirreled away against that eventuality. What I would/will do is take
a small panel circular saw with depth set appropriately and cut the
offending section out by cutting about 3/8" from the joints all the way
around. Final cuts will be with a sharp chisel or multi-tool so as not
to disturb/harm the balance of the floor. Once I get it cleared, I'll
remove the bottom of the grooves on the two adjoining edges and slip the
replacement piece into place. Likely, it will not look perfect but I
suspect that it will be one of those "to see it you have to know it's
there and be looking really hard for it."g

In this case, I suspect the bigger the piece you're replacing, the
better off you are. There's enough flex to the Pergo that if you
measure seven times and cut once you can get a nice press fit and
everything will lock into place on two edges. If that's not tight
enough, a light, thin bead of clear silicone or RTV on the "unsecured"
sides, followed by a weight on top until the silicone cures will solve
the problem while still allowing for the slight seasonal
expansion/contraction of the floor.

On 12/19/2015 2:43 PM, trader_4 wrote:



Then whoever you talked to at Lowes doesn't know what they are doing.

I'm shocked! ! !


Lowes, HD, etc all carry that product. It's called engineered wood
flooring. And like you say, it can typically be refinished one or more
times if need be. Another advantage is that they put the finish on it
in a factory environment and I think you get a tougher, better finish
than if you finish a conventional wood floor after installation. The
engineered substrate is also supposed to perform at least as good or
better that solid wood with regard to moisture, etc.




My family room has Mannington engineered wood that I installed about 15
years ago. Still looks great with the factory aluminum oxide finish.
Had I used typical urethane it would not have held up as well.

IMO. laminate is good but it just is not the same as wood. That said,
we put WilsonArt laminate on the steps many years ago and it still looks
the same as when installed. Probably will outlast me and certainly the
carpet it replaced.

On 12/19/2015 11:58 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.

"Hard" is the wrong question to ask. : It's relatively easy to replace!
The thing you want to be concerned with is how *noticeable* the repair
will be! Most wood products have regular patterns that your eye seizes on.
So, even small deviations (crooked line, larger/smaller gap, etc.) are
readily noticeable.

Growing up, the walls of the basement and living room were tongue-and-groove
paneled (6-8" wide continuous planks, floor to ceiling). Likewise, the
acoustic tile ceiling in the basement.

If you have a DEFECTIVE section that you aim to replace, then you can
afford to "sacrifice" that/those piece(s). You cut *inside* the
perimeter of the affected pieces to isolate it from the carrying surface
(wall, floor, ceiling). This ensures the tongues on the remaining pieces
remain intact (they are visible between the INSTALLED tiles/planks).

The replacement piece is where the effort is required. As they aren't
flexible (over that short of a span), you will have to cut the tongue(s)
or groove(s) off to allow the other (groove or tongue) to mate with its
neighbors (like parallel parking in a spot that's just as large as
the vehicle you're driving! : )

[paneling has tongue on one edge, groove along the other; ceiling tiles have
tongues on TWO edges, grooves on the OTHER two!]

If it is *true* tongue-and-groove -- i.e., one edge looks like [ while
the mating edge looks like a T on it's side -- then you have to cheat.
But, do so in a way that no one can *see*! :

[Some schemes are more like "opposing double-rabbets" -- like an L
mated with an upside down L. These are easier to fudge!]

On the replacement piece(s), remove the bottom/hidden half of the groove
to make it into a rabbet. I.e., turn the [ into an upside down L.
Slide the tongue of the replacement piece into the groove of the
neighboring piece. Lower the modified groove side of the replacement
piece to sit *atop* the protruding tongue of its neighbor.

In this way, you've not altered the visible dimensions of the pieces.
The gaps will remain as they were before (assuming the replacement
piece is dimensionally identical). There won't be any disturbance in the
"pattern" that you perceive, visually.

If you simply chop off the tongue(s) and drop it in place, you'll end up
with a different seam on that side. Depending on how tighly packed the
pieces, this may prove to be visible (or not).

[E.g., with tongue and groove paneling, the tongue is usually visible
in the installed pieces; it forms a continuous visual surface from
one plank to the next]

On 12/19/2015 4:50 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 12/19/2015 12:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Oren" wrote in message How hard would it be to take
out and replace a piece or two after it had been installed if it gets
a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half a box of the stuff
that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but just
wondering.

I, too, wonder about that Ralph. I have a little less than one package
squirreled away against that eventuality. What I would/will do is take
a small panel circular saw with depth set appropriately and cut the offending
section out by cutting about 3/8" from the joints all the way around. Final
cuts will be with a sharp chisel or multi-tool so as not to disturb/harm the
balance of the floor. Once I get it cleared, I'll remove the bottom of the
grooves on the two adjoining edges and slip the replacement piece into place.
Likely, it will not look perfect but I suspect that it will be one of those "to
see it you have to know it's there and be looking really hard for it."g

It depends on the effort you want to expend and the tools you have
available. If you take pains to cut the original piece out leaving
"a bit of meat" along the edges with the tongues, you can run the
piece through a planer (or, just buy some identical thickness shim stock)
and insert this into the grooves of the "still installed" adjacent
pieces. I.e., make the opening into which your replacement will
fit be "all tongues" (or, 3 tongues) and your replacement piece
"all rabbets".

A bit of thinking before cutting usually pays off. There are very few
"do overs" in this sort of endeavor! :

On 12/19/2015 1:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Oren" wrote in message
...
Just for the record, AFAIK, Pergo is a laminate material where they
essentially
print an image of wood on a plastic surface. Tt's not real wood, nor does
it
have a wood top layer, like engineer wood products do. Not saying I
wouldn't
use it, depending on the application, but it is what it is.

... something else to consider are pets. Dogs can really scratch up
less expensive flooring.

There are no pets, just my wife and I , both around 65 and 70.

What I think I would really like to have is some that does have a small
layer of real wood on top. Really would like to have some that I have heard
of years ago that was thick enough it could be refinished one time if there
were no deep scratches in it, but the people at Lowes did not know anything
about this kind of flooring.

This flooring is going in the room with the TV and most used room of the
house.

About 5 years ago we had some laminate that was the printed on stuff
installed in a dining room and hall and it seems to be holding up ok for the
usage it gets. I looked at a piece of it and it seems to be a layer about
paper thick on top.

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.


When building 7 years ago (same age range for the 2 of us) we went with
a laminate because of having a 60 pound dog. It's in the kitchen and
living room/family room. It looks really nice. However, if we didn't
have the dog, I would have used real hard wood. It has a 'softer' feel
and probably looks a little better. However, I've got to say, this
laminate (Shaw) looks pretty good.

On Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 1:02:31 AM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:
On 12/19/2015 11:58 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.

"Hard" is the wrong question to ask. : It's relatively easy to replace!
The thing you want to be concerned with is how *noticeable* the repair
will be! Most wood products have regular patterns that your eye seizes on.
So, even small deviations (crooked line, larger/smaller gap, etc.) are
readily noticeable.

Growing up, the walls of the basement and living room were tongue-and-groove
paneled (6-8" wide continuous planks, floor to ceiling). Likewise, the
acoustic tile ceiling in the basement.

If you have a DEFECTIVE section that you aim to replace, then you can
afford to "sacrifice" that/those piece(s). You cut *inside* the
perimeter of the affected pieces to isolate it from the carrying surface
(wall, floor, ceiling). This ensures the tongues on the remaining pieces
remain intact (they are visible between the INSTALLED tiles/planks).

The replacement piece is where the effort is required. As they aren't
flexible (over that short of a span), you will have to cut the tongue(s)
or groove(s) off to allow the other (groove or tongue) to mate with its
neighbors (like parallel parking in a spot that's just as large as
the vehicle you're driving! : )

[paneling has tongue on one edge, groove along the other; ceiling tiles have
tongues on TWO edges, grooves on the OTHER two!]

If it is *true* tongue-and-groove -- i.e., one edge looks like [ while
the mating edge looks like a T on it's side -- then you have to cheat.
But, do so in a way that no one can *see*! :

[Some schemes are more like "opposing double-rabbets" -- like an L
mated with an upside down L. These are easier to fudge!]

On the replacement piece(s), remove the bottom/hidden half of the groove
to make it into a rabbet. I.e., turn the [ into an upside down L.
Slide the tongue of the replacement piece into the groove of the
neighboring piece. Lower the modified groove side of the replacement
piece to sit *atop* the protruding tongue of its neighbor.

In this way, you've not altered the visible dimensions of the pieces.
The gaps will remain as they were before (assuming the replacement
piece is dimensionally identical). There won't be any disturbance in the
"pattern" that you perceive, visually.

If you simply chop off the tongue(s) and drop it in place, you'll end up
with a different seam on that side. Depending on how tighly packed the
pieces, this may prove to be visible (or not).

[E.g., with tongue and groove paneling, the tongue is usually visible
in the installed pieces; it forms a continuous visual surface from
one plank to the next]

I don't understand all the talk about using a saw to cut out sections, etc.
Ralph said he has Pergo. Pergo is a floating floor system. It's not
nailed or glued down, they just push together. If you need to replace
a section, I would think the
easiest thing to do is just pull it apart to get to the bad section, replace
it, then put it back together. I guess if you had a real big room with the
bad spot in the middle it might require a different technique.

On 12/20/2015 8:46 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 1:02:31 AM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:
On 12/19/2015 11:58 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:

How hard would it be to take out and replace a piece or two after it had
been installed if it gets a bad sctatch or something ? They left about half
a box of the stuff that was installed in the hall. I don't need to now, but
just wondering.

[snip]

If you simply chop off the tongue(s) and drop it in place, you'll end up
with a different seam on that side. Depending on how tighly packed the
pieces, this may prove to be visible (or not).

[E.g., with tongue and groove paneling, the tongue is usually visible
in the installed pieces; it forms a continuous visual surface from
one plank to the next]

I don't understand all the talk about using a saw to cut out sections, etc.
Ralph said he has Pergo. Pergo is a floating floor system. It's not
nailed or glued down, they just push together. If you need to replace
a section, I would think the
easiest thing to do is just pull it apart to get to the bad section, replace
it, then put it back together. I guess if you had a real big room with the
bad spot in the middle it might require a different technique.


Certainly, if the damaged area is near a border, that will work.
However the Pergo does NOT just push together. It locks by joining the
pieces at an angle (~30 degrees) and then pushing down. The only part
that "pushes" together are the end pieces. That said, to "uninstall"
the floor to get to a bad piece in the center requires that you remove
everything from the baseboard into that position (let's say 8' in) and
from one end of the room to the other since it all locks together and
the joints are staggered by 16" to 20" or so.

If somebody accidentally dropped a spinning router in the center of my
living room, I'd damn sure attempt to cut out the section before taking
up the entire floor, numbering everything to reinstall it, etc.

If the "cut and paste" routine that Don and I have offered doesn't work,
removal/replacement of the entire floor remains an option. I suspect,
trader, if you actually installed a Pergo or similar floor system, you'd
agree.

On 12/20/2015 7:58 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

Certainly, if the damaged area is near a border, that will work. However the
Pergo does NOT just push together. It locks by joining the pieces at an angle
(~30 degrees) and then pushing down. The only part that "pushes" together are
the end pieces. That said, to "uninstall" the floor to get to a bad piece in
the center requires that you remove everything from the baseboard into that
position (let's say 8' in) and from one end of the room to the other since it
all locks together and the joints are staggered by 16" to 20" or so.

Exactly. Like trying to remove a brick in the middle of a wall by removing
the bricks above it (i.e., they overlap each other). The farther "down"
you need to move through the courses, the WIDER the gap you have to
create (to ensure no bricks lie atop the NEXT LOWER course when you go
to remove THOSE bricks -- getting you one step closer to your target).

If somebody accidentally dropped a spinning router in the center of my living
room, I'd damn sure attempt to cut out the section before taking up the entire
floor, numbering everything to reinstall it, etc.

If the "cut and paste" routine that Don and I have offered doesn't work,
removal/replacement of the entire floor remains an option. I suspect, trader,
if you actually installed a Pergo or similar floor system, you'd agree.

Please remove the twelfth chevron from the following sequence -- without
allowing any of the others to move in the process:

"Unquestionably Confused" wrote in message
eb.com...
Certainly, if the damaged area is near a border, that will work. However
the Pergo does NOT just push together. It locks by joining the pieces at
an angle (~30 degrees) and then pushing down. The only part that "pushes"
together are the end pieces. That said, to "uninstall" the floor to get
to a bad piece in the center requires that you remove everything from the
baseboard into that position (let's say 8' in) and from one end of the
room to the other since it all locks together and the joints are staggered
by 16" to 20" or so.

If somebody accidentally dropped a spinning router in the center of my
living room, I'd damn sure attempt to cut out the section before taking up
the entire floor, numbering everything to reinstall it, etc.

If the "cut and paste" routine that Don and I have offered doesn't work,
removal/replacement of the entire floor remains an option. I suspect,
trader, if you actually installed a Pergo or similar floor system, you'd
agree.

The flooring I am asking about is the kind that floats and not nailed or
glued down. It just sort of snaps together. While I guess that it would be
possiable to start at the edge and remove a lot of flooring which may take
all day or more for one person, there must be a simple way to remove one
board and replacce it with another. I see how getting out one board may not
be much of a problem, but getting another board in would be.

There is no patern to match. This floor just looks like a hard wood floor
with a random patern. When looking at over $ 1000 a replacement is not
really an option for me if only one or two boards get messed up.

Getting the old one out may not be much of a problem, but getting a new
piece in is the question. From what I am reading, I guess that I would need
to cut out some of the edges which sort of equates to the tounge and grouve
in the real hard wood flooring and then glue in the new piece.

On Sun, 20 Dec 2015 14:32:23 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:

The flooring I am asking about is the kind that floats and not nailed or
glued down. It just sort of snaps together. While I guess that it would be
possiable to start at the edge and remove a lot of flooring which may take
all day or more for one person, there must be a simple way to remove one
board and replacce it with another. I see how getting out one board may not
be much of a problem, but getting another board in would be.

There is no patern to match. This floor just looks like a hard wood floor
with a random patern. When looking at over $ 1000 a replacement is not
really an option for me if only one or two boards get messed up.

Getting the old one out may not be much of a problem, but getting a new
piece in is the question. From what I am reading, I guess that I would need
to cut out some of the edges which sort of equates to the tounge and grouve
in the real hard wood flooring and then glue in the new piece.


You could always consider putting an area rug over the "eye-sore" G

On 12/20/2015 1:32 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Unquestionably Confused" wrote in message
eb.com...
Certainly, if the damaged area is near a border, that will work. However
the Pergo does NOT just push together. It locks by joining the pieces at
an angle (~30 degrees) and then pushing down. The only part that "pushes"
together are the end pieces. That said, to "uninstall" the floor to get
to a bad piece in the center requires that you remove everything from the
baseboard into that position (let's say 8' in) and from one end of the
room to the other since it all locks together and the joints are staggered
by 16" to 20" or so.

If somebody accidentally dropped a spinning router in the center of my
living room, I'd damn sure attempt to cut out the section before taking up
the entire floor, numbering everything to reinstall it, etc.

If the "cut and paste" routine that Don and I have offered doesn't work,
removal/replacement of the entire floor remains an option. I suspect,
trader, if you actually installed a Pergo or similar floor system, you'd
agree.

The flooring I am asking about is the kind that floats and not nailed or
glued down. It just sort of snaps together. While I guess that it would be
possiable to start at the edge and remove a lot of flooring which may take
all day or more for one person, there must be a simple way to remove one
board and replacce it with another. I see how getting out one board may not
be much of a problem, but getting another board in would be.

There is no patern to match. This floor just looks like a hard wood floor
with a random patern. When looking at over $ 1000 a replacement is not
really an option for me if only one or two boards get messed up.

Getting the old one out may not be much of a problem, but getting a new
piece in is the question. From what I am reading, I guess that I would need
to cut out some of the edges which sort of equates to the tounge and grouve
in the real hard wood flooring and then glue in the new piece.

No, Ralph not really. Go back and re-read both Don's and my original
responses to your question. It can be done, if you do it carefully and
follow what we suggest, at worst you MIGHT have to put just a dab or two
of silicone sealer beneath one corner or edge where you no longer have a
complete tongue and groove (you have to remove the BOTTOM edge of the
groove to fit the replacement back in) so that it doesn't lift up.

On 12/20/2015 1:41 PM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 20 Dec 2015 14:32:23 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:

The flooring I am asking about is the kind that floats and not nailed or
glued down. It just sort of snaps together. While I guess that it would be
possiable to start at the edge and remove a lot of flooring which may take
all day or more for one person, there must be a simple way to remove one
board and replacce it with another. I see how getting out one board may not
be much of a problem, but getting another board in would be.

There is no patern to match. This floor just looks like a hard wood floor
with a random patern. When looking at over $ 1000 a replacement is not
really an option for me if only one or two boards get messed up.

Getting the old one out may not be much of a problem, but getting a new
piece in is the question. From what I am reading, I guess that I would need
to cut out some of the edges which sort of equates to the tounge and grouve
in the real hard wood flooring and then glue in the new piece.


You could always consider putting an area rug over the "eye-sore" G

That's cheating, Oren!g

On Sun, 20 Dec 2015 13:47:56 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:

You could always consider putting an area rug over the "eye-sore" G

That's cheating, Oren!g

Awe shucks. But it could be dangerous for elderly folks. I hear it is
easy to trip over rugs, people fall an break a hip.

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 20 Dec 2015 13:47:56 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:

You could always consider putting an area rug over the "eye-sore" G

That's cheating, Oren!g

Awe shucks. But it could be dangerous for elderly folks. I hear it is
easy to trip over rugs, people fall an break a hip.

That is why they call them throw rugs.

As we are 65 and 70 , in about 20 years we will be elderly..