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August 26, 2021
If you’re looking into Pergo TimberCraft laminate, you probably have some questions. And that’s understandable!
Pergo is widely thought of as one of the best laminate flooring brands around. After all, they invented the stuff back in the 1970s. But this Lowes-exclusive Pergo product is a bit of an unknown.
Why? Exclusive products from big box stores don’t usually have a great reputation—even if they’re manufactured by companies that are otherwise known for quality.
For example, Costco’s exclusive laminate line is called “Mohawk Home”, and it’s made by Mohawk—a company that manufactures some of the best laminate floors in the world. But Costco laminate flooring reviews expose this exclusive line as a cheap imitation of Mohawk’s better products (which you can only buy at real flooring stores).
So: does the same apply here? Do Pergo TimberCraft reviews suggest this is a high-quality laminate floor worthy of the Pergo name? Or is it just a cut-rate Lowes exclusive capitalizing off Pergo’s brand equity?
To bring you the answers you need, we’ll dive into everything there is to know about Pergo TimberCraft. Below, we’ll explain what it is, how much it costs, talk about its pros and cons, and most importantly, show you how it compares to Pergo’s other laminate collections.
And to do so, we’ve researched hundreds of Pergo TimberCraft reviews—so you know your info is coming from people who actually own the product.
Is Pergo TimberCraft worth buying? Let’s find out!
PS: If you want to skip this (beautiful and interesting) article and go straight to our final judgment call, click here!
Table of Contents
Actually, before we get into Pergo TimberCraft, we should probably explain what laminate flooring is. You know, just to make sure we’re all on the same page.
So: laminate belongs in a flooring category we generally call “resilient”. Resilient products are made to resemble more traditional types of flooring (like wood or stone) while offering increased protection and a lower price tag. Other common floors in the “resilient” category include PVC flooring (aka vinyl), wood-look ceramic tile, and so forth.
To accomplish this, laminate is usually composed of three main layers: a fiberboard base layer, a photorealistic image layer, and a protective wear layer. The final product looks just like prefinished hardwood flooring, and can even give the most durable hardwood flooring a run for its money in terms of strength—but at a much more attractive price point.
Nope! People commonly (and mistakenly) think these materials are the same—but if you compare engineered hardwood vs. laminate, you’ll find that they’re entirely different.
What engineered hardwood? It’s real wood—just made of different layers rather than one big block. In other words, if you want something a little more authentic, you’ll want to consider buying from one of the best engineered wood flooring brands rather than from a laminate supplier.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s come back to Pergo TimberCraft. As we mentioned earlier, Pergo invented laminate flooring back in the 1970s. Back then, it was meant to be a cheap alternative to hardwood flooring. But over time, it became an amazing product in its own right. Now, just about every flooring brand under the sun sells laminate!
A common question on Google asks if Pergo is going out of business. And the simple answer is no.
In fact, along with their laminate business, Pergo sells different types of wood flooring—and it also happens to be one of the best vinyl plank flooring brands on the market (we’ve reviewed Pergo Extreme, Pergo’s premier LVP line, if you’re interested).
It’s possible the rumors have something to do with the company being bought by Mohawk in 2011, but it’s unclear.
We might be verging on spoiler territory here, but we think there’s a reason Pergo products are generally included in lists of the best laminate flooring brands. Whether the TimberCraft line is worthy of such praise comes down to a lot of little factors that we’ll dive into in these next few sections.
Again, Timbercraft is one of many different laminate collections that Pergo offers.
High-level notes: this fake wood floor features durable 12mm-thick planks, it’s relatively affordable, and it exclusively mimics wood floor designs (no stone looks here).
We mentioned this above, but we can’t stress it enough—Pergo TimberCraft is exclusively sold at Lowes. We know: if you have any experience with box store flooring, this might make you a little uneasy.
For example, we’ve previously found that Lowes cork flooring isn’t exactly the best cork flooring around. And their in-house line of LVP, SmartCore flooring is just about average.
In general, box store brands and exclusive lines (like LifeProof vinyl flooring from Home Depot, NuCore flooring from Floor & Decor, or CoreLuxe from Lumber Liquidators) range from mediocre to just plain bad.
However, for reasons we’ll explain below, we don’t think you should write off Pergo TimberCraft just yet.
Pergo TimberCraft has a WetProtect coating that basically shields it from spills, splashes, and so on. If WetProtect sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same technology used by Mohawk’s waterproof laminate brand, RevWood!
In fact, you’ll find that Pergo and RevWood share a lot of attributes, which makes sense—they’re both owned by Mohawk!
TimberCraft also uses Pergo’s UltraDef technology, which “recreates the look and feel of genuine hardwood”, according to Pergo.
Of all the Pergo TimberCraft reviews we looked through, we didn’t really find any complaints saying otherwise!
All laminate flooring is given an AC rating between 1 and 5 that measures the floor’s scratch resistance and durability. An AC rating of 4 or 5 means the floor is rated for commercial use—aka it’s super-duper durable and can withstand heavy traffic.
For context: even the best hardwood floor brands don’t recommend that you use their products in commercial settings. For that, you’d need something like rigid core luxury vinyl flooring or concrete flooring that’s made to look like wood.
All of that to say: TimberCraft’s AC4 rating means it’s seriously strong stuff.
Yes! Pergo TimberCraft qualifies as waterproof laminate flooring.
As it happens, there are surprisingly few waterproof laminate flooring brands on the market, so this is a big advantage. There’s RevWood, obviously, but along with Shaw’s Repel line and Floor & Decor’s surprisingly great AquaGuard flooring line, there aren’t too many to choose from.
Now, this doesn’t mean that TimberCraft is waterproof in the sense of “you can use it to line a swimming pool or shower”, but it will easily survive spills and splashes. Just treat it the same way you would treat waterproof hardwood flooring: clean up liquids quickly, and don’t go out of your way to leave it in standing water.
If conditional waterproof flooring isn’t your bag, then we’d consider waterproof vinyl flooring instead. Compare the pros and cons of vinyl plank vs. laminate, and you’ll find that vinyl is way less finicky when it comes to liquids (especially EVP, a type of luxury vinyl flooring).
Anyway, if you don’t mind not being able to dump a bucket of water on your floor, Pergo TimberCraft is a great way to achieve that wood floor bathroom look you’ve always wanted! Or, you know, something similar.
In total, Pergo TimberCraft currently offers 17 different looks, all of which mimic reasonably wide-plank wood flooring.
The hardwood species it imitates are, admittedly, a little limited—but common looks like hickory or oak are well represented. More exotic looks like ebony flooring are not.
That said, you can find a good range of shades, all the way from dark to light wood floor species. And we’re not just talking about basics here—you can find distressed pine flooring lookalikes, and we’ve also seen images of Douglas fir flooring patterns online (although they might not be available any longer).
Pergo TimberCraft reviews agree that installation is mostly easy. You don’t have to glue it down the same way you might glue down vinyl plank flooring—but if you want to maximize the floor’s water resistance, you’ll need to follow the directions to the letter (see below).
What is a floating floor? Rather than using glue or nails to stay in place, floating floors rely on gravity and friction.
Generally, this is accomplished with a snap-together or click-lock flooring system. These systems rely on special grooves in the sides of each plank, which are “click-locked” or “snapped together” directly on top of your underlayment or subfloor (ideally: both). And… voila! That’s all there is to it.
Pergo TimberCraft uses Mohawk’s UniClic locking system, which is very highly reviewed (Mohawk owns Pergo, remember?) If you’re looking for the easiest flooring to install, products with UniClic are a good bet.
Floating floors like TimberCraft are usually DIY-able, but cool wood floor patterns (herringbone parquet flooring, for example) can’t always be done—it depends on the locking system. That said, this limitation may be the only disadvantage to floating floors that can’t be solved with a good underlayment.
And here’s why installing Pergo TimberCraft isn’t as easy as, say, installing carpet tiles.
The few negative Pergo TimberCraft reviews we found centered around failed water resistance. But the problem is that these reviews almost always cite improper installation—which is, well, avoidable. Translation: you need to install it properly. No cutting corners here.
We won’t spell it out for you (TimberCraft’s installation manual does this already), but properly installing Pergo TimberCraft goes like this:
Regarding that last bit, TimberCraft uses WetProtect, remember? So there’s no need to apply the sealant all over the floor—just where it touches the wall.
And voila! There’s nothing overly complicated here. As long as you follow all the directions, the floor should repel water.
We almost always recommend hiring a pro to install flooring because A) it’s usually required in the warranty, and B) it’s more likely to turn out well.
And if not, you have someone else to blame (mostly joking).
Since Pergo TimberCraft has slightly fussy directions pertaining to its waterproofing, we’d advise playing it safe and hiring a pro to do the install. This is especially true because your warranty coverage might depend on it.
However, we would be very careful about using Lowes contractors. More than a few Pergo TimberCraft reviews point out that the contractors Lowes sent did a very poor job of installing their floors. And again: if you’ve done any research at all into box store brands, this is super, super common. We’ll talk about that more in the disadvantages section below.
TimberCraft ranges between $2.60 and a little over $3.00/sq. ft.
For comparison, Shaw laminate flooring—another high-end brand—costs over $5/sq. ft.
Oh, and real wood flooring costs at least $5–$10 for mid-tier products (seriously, buying hardwood floors is expensive). So, TimberCraft is pretty darn affordable in comparison.
The average cost to install laminate flooring ranges between $2 and $7/sq. ft. TimberCraft reviews suggest this product is no different.
For context, that’s slightly less than the cost to install vinyl plank flooring, and significantly less than the cost to install engineered hardwood floors (pricey installation is one of engineered wood’s disadvantages, if you were wondering).
Pergo TimberCraft doesn’t have any special care instructions. Since it’s waterproof laminate, you can use a wet mop to clean it—but a simple broom and dustpan will work fine too. Pergo also says that a combination of vinegar or ammonia and warm water is good for lifting any tough stains in the rare event that they occur.
You should not, however, attempt to bleach Pergo laminate the same way you might bleach wooden floors. Please. Do not do this.
Now that all that general info’s been covered, let’s get to the good stuff!
We scoured tons of Pergo TimberCraft reviews (made by actual buyers). And for the most part, people like this product!
You might think that goes without saying, but it really, really isn’t. To make our best laminate flooring brands and products list (and to write most of our other articles), we’ve made our way through hundreds—if not thousands—of laminate reviews. And let’s just say that they’re not usually this good.
As we mentioned before, most of the complaints (which aren’t frequent) pertain to the floor’s imperfect water resistance.
The takeaway here: TimberCraft reviews suggest that if you install it properly, you’ll probably be happy with it.
One of the best features of Pergo TimberCraft is its durability. This scratch-resistant floor is comparable to the best wood flooring for dogs (since, you know, claws). And since it’s also waterproof, it makes for great mudroom flooring.
But this durability does not come at the expense of comfort—which is a common complaint about laminate floors. If you’ve ever walked over WPC flooring, then you’ll already know what to expect from TimberCraft: a seriously cozy surface.
Take a quick look at the reviews of Pergo TimberCraft on Lowes’ website and you’ll see that Pergo responds to them often.
There are even a few reviews where customers say their warranty claim was rejected by Lowes, only for Pergo to tell the customer to make the claim directly (with Pergo). We can’t know how these claims ended up, but it’s nice to see Pergo making the effort even after Lowes said no.
And again: that level of customer service is not common, even among many of the best laminate flooring manufacturers.
Limited lifetime residential warranties are pretty standard for quality laminate. Unfortunately, many of these are voided by bizarre, sometimes unavoidable stipulations (like, you know, using the floor).
However: we read through TimberCraft’s warranty, and there don’t appear to be any weird stipulations—which again, suggests that with proper installation, this is a solid product!
Want to see an example of a product with a bad warranty? Check out our Stainmaster luxury vinyl review.
What’s surprising is that Pergo TimberCraft offers a 10-year commercial warranty. For laminate, anything beyond 5–7 years is a bit rare. This suggests that TimberCraft can, in fact, handle heavy foot traffic!
As we mentioned above, Pergo TimberCraft generally costs under or around $3/sq. ft.
That’s pretty affordable, even for laminate. So if you’re ready to upgrade your home but not sure if you want to shell out the cost to install carpet with hardwood (or a pricier laminate), TimberCraft may be the answer.
If you’re looking for wood-look sunroom flooring, TimberCraft is a great option. Across the hundreds of Pergo TimberCraft reviews we looked at, there were no mentions of it fading.
That said even the best vinyl plank flooring will fade more than an average laminate when it’s placed in the sun (UV fading is one of the biggest problems with luxury vinyl tile).
Just remember: TimberCraft is not an outdoor flooring option, and it is not a substitute for outdoor vinyl flooring. There are many brands that make products specifically for the outdoors, but laminate flooring brands are not among them.
Pergo TimberCraft reviews are good, but they’re not perfect. Here are some common complaints.
We’ve said it many times before, but installation matters. Pergo is adamant about following their instructions to the letter, because you’re likely to lose TimberCraft’s watertight seal otherwise.
On another note: waterproof laminates can only handle so much water. If you’re a mess in the kitchen (we get it), have clumsy toddlers, or leaky pets, laminate is fine. But: if you have a basement that floods, look into buying tile or different types of vinyl flooring instead. Vinyl’s waterproofing is generally superior, and there’s a reason so many people opt for tile vs. laminate in wet places.
TimberCraft offers a good selection of faux wood flooring types, but the choices are limited to popular wood floor colors and species. And there are fewer than 20 styles, total.
If you want to compare tile vs. wood floor looks, you’ll have to look at another Pergo line (or a different brand). As the name might suggest, TimberCraft doesn’t offer any looks that mimic types of floor tiles.
There’s no reason to think that TimberCraft isn’t non-toxic laminate flooring, but with environmentally friendly flooring becoming more and more important, it’s odd to see a product page not mention any low-VOC certifications.
In all fairness, most composite floors aren’t that green (this is one of the main disadvantages of vinyl plank flooring), but again: you’d expect any product with these certifications to tout them.
All of that to say: if low-VOC or eco-friendly flooring is important to you, you might want to get in touch with Lowes or Pergo before buying this product. Or just go with something like sustainable wood flooring instead.
PS: if you’re able to get in touch with Pergo or Lowes about this, let us know in the comments!
This isn’t a disadvantage of Pergo TimberCraft (or Lowes) as much as it is a disadvantage of buying at box stores in general.
See, when you buy your floors from an actual flooring store, certified flooring installers put them in. And as we said, installation is hugely important when it comes to your floor’s lifespan, according to TimberCraft reviews.
However: when you purchase your floors from a box store (like Lowes), your floors are installed by third-party contractors. Often, these installers lack any sort of certification or oversight. And if something goes wrong, there’s nobody to hold accountable. The store blames the 3rd-party installer, who blames the manufacturer, who blames the store, who blames… you get the picture.
To quote Lowes’ Flooring Installation Services page, their floors are installed by “Professional Independent Installers who are licensed (where applicable)…”
Draw your own conclusions.
Bringing this ship full circle: TimberCraft is just 1 of 5 different laminate lines offered by Pergo. So: how does it stack up against the others?
Portfolio is Pergo’s mid-tier line of laminate. There are only 3 key differences between Portfolio and Pergo TimberCraft:
Pergo Outlast is a Home Depot exclusive (like TrafficMaster laminate flooring). It costs $2.80/sq. ft. on average, offers more than double the number of styles, and comes with a pre-attached underlayment. But, like Pergo Portfolio, the Outlast line is only 10mm thick so it’s not as durable as TimberCraft.
Bear with us for a moment. On Pergo’s laminate website, TimberCraft currently has a 4.3-star rating—which is good—across its 90 reviews (the lowest of Pergo’s 5 collections by a slim margin). Pergo TimberCraft reviews on Lowes’ website are notably better and number in the thousands.
Our judgment: the sample size on Pergo’s website is pretty small and you can’t even buy it directly from Pergo. So what, right? Well, the only people who are going to go out of their way to review TimberCraft on Pergo’s website are the people who had a very positive—or very negative experience. This means the bulk of buyers, the middle, isn’t really represented.
In short, we’d say reviews of Pergo TimberCraft are about the same as they are for any other Pergo collection.
Is Pergo TimberCraft worth buying? The reviews seem to say so!
However, this leads us to an interesting question: is Pergo TimberCraft better than other brands of laminate flooring?
This is much harder to say. RevWood, for example, costs about the same as TimberCraft but offers way more styles. And since the two brands are both owned by Mohawk and share a lot of the same technology (UniClic, WetProtect, etc.), they’re very similar products.
Our take: choose the style that fits your tastes regardless of the brand. Just make sure to buy from a top-rated local flooring store rather than from a box store. Dedicated flooring stores tend to offer better products, installation, and services.
But whatever you choose, best of luck on your hunt for laminate flooring and thank you for reading! For more flooring ideas, info, and reviews, check out the articles below.
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