If you're in the market for flooring, it's just about impossible that you haven't heard of Pergo. In my opinion, Pergo has done for the flooring industry what Elvis and the Beatles did for Rock and Roll. I don't remember exactly when it was, but in the 70s or, possibly, the early 80s, DuPont introduced their "Stainmaster" carpet protection. It wasn't carpet; it wasn't even carpet fiber; it was just a stain treatment that they applied to the fiber. DuPont poured so much money into advertising the name Stainmaster that, to this day, customers still go out shopping for carpet and the first thing out of their mouth is "do you carry DuPont Stainmaster?" The name Stainmaster is more well-known than the carpet manufacturers themselves.
Well, I'm here to tell you that if Home Depot was around when DuPont first introduced Stainmaster, they would have saved a bundle on advertising. Pergo has done what DuPont did, but it probably cost Pergo a lot less to achieve. Pergo was one of the first manufacturers to introduce laminate flooring to the United States. In addition, they struck a deal with Home Depot to carry their line in the stores. Take the fact that Pergo floors were easier to install than most others at the time, they were extremely durable and Pergo's new relationship with Home Depot, then throw in some strategic advertising, and you have the birth of a new era in flooring. Just about everyone I talk to, even if they're not shopping for a new floor, knows what Pergo is.
The Pergo name has become so well-known that it is sort of the "Q-Tip" of the laminate flooring industry. I would have to say that 75% of the consumers I speak to ask if we carry "those Pergo floors," or "the one that looks like Pergo." They may be referring to one of the other 14 brands we carry, but they only know the Pergo name. I'm Italian, and occasionally I have to laugh when someone asks if we carry "Prego" instead of Pergo. I feel like quoting them on a jar of mushroom and garlic flavor and asking them if they'll need any bread with the order.
Pergo has helped to change the flooring industry as we know it. I think it's a change for the better. I have to admit that the flooring business was getting a bit dull and boring. Pergo started it, and just about every flooring manufacturer—and even some companies who never made flooring—is now playing "follow the leader." Some of the big companies now playing the laminate flooring game are Wilsonart, Formica, and a bunch of others. The unique thing about Wilsonart, Formica and some of the others is that they never offered a flooring line before. They strictly manufactured laminates for cabinets, countertops, etc. This new industry has opened doors for some of these companies, and they're glad to step through.
Let's get back to Pergo. There is no doubt that Pergo has the No. 1 position. As with anyone in their position, Pergo is being attacked from all angles. Most of these attacks are coming from flooring dealers who don't want to compete with Home Depot. Some are also coming from installers and do-it-yourselfers who don't know how to properly work with their product and may have had a bad experience doing an installation. There also are cases involving problems with Pergo floors that most of the time are installation-related. If you set aside all of the rumors that you may have heard about Pergo, the truth of the matter is, they make a very good product. I'm not saying that they are necessarily the best quality available, but they're not the "garbage" that a lot of people are portraying them to be.
The summary here is simple. You can't go wrong buying a Pergo brand floor, as long as it's installed properly. It likely will hold up just as well as some brands—and better than others. There are a lot of rumors flying all over the place, especially here on this great thing we call the Internet. Now, don't get me wrong; I think the Internet is a great thing and you can get a lot of information here. The problem is that a good portion is misinformation handed out by people who only think they know what they're talking about, or have something to benefit—assuming you believe what they have to say. Yes, you may hear about more problems with Pergo floors than you do with other companies' products, but do you know why? Because Pergo sells about two to three times more laminate flooring than the other guys. With that much more exposure, you're bound to hear more about them than the others. And as I mentioned previously, most of the problems you'll hear about are installation-related. If you're in the market for flooring, do as much research as you can, but be wary of all that you read because there's always that possibility it may not be true.
