Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pergo. I received compensation for sharing my experience.
Sometimes you choose your next DIY project…and sometimes your house chooses it for you.
Four years ago in 2022, we completely transformed this space. We did major demo, repairs, rebuilding everything with custom furniture and when it was finally finished, I loved how it turned out.
If I’m being completely transparent, I’ve secretly wanted to change the floors pretty much since we installed them. We were on a very tight budget at the time so we went with the cheapest flooring ever! They also never flowed quite as well as I wanted with the original flooring throughout the rest of our house.
Replacing perfectly good flooring definitely wasn’t high on my project list, though, so I lived with it. That is until our roof decided otherwise.
The Roof Leak That Started This Project
Living in California, we’re used to pretty dry weather, which meant a problem with our roof went unnoticed for quite a while. Then we finally had a really rainy season…and that’s when the problem revealed itself.
We discovered a roof leak, and unfortunately, by the time we realized what was happening, the water had already damaged part of the room including the flooring and baseboards.
Not exactly a project I wanted to take on right now but I decided to look at the silver lining. If the damaged flooring needed to come out anyway, this was my opportunity to finally find something that coordinated better with the floors throughout the rest of our home.
Shopping for New Flooring
I headed to The Home Depot to look at Pergo Outlast flooring in person, and one of my biggest priorities was finding a color and style that would create a more seamless transition between this space and the rest of our house.
And I have to say, this is not your grandma’s Pergo.
I was genuinely surprised by how elevated the options looked in person. There was so much more texture, variation and detail than I expected, which made narrowing down my choices a little harder!
I also spent some time researching Pergo Outlast while I was shopping and utilizing the “view in your own space” feature so I could visualize the choices in our home.
Why I Chose Pergo Outlast Luxury Laminate Flooring
Obviously, I wanted the new floor to look good, but we also actually live in this home. Things get spilled, floors get scratched. People are constantly walking in and out since this space leads to our back deck. I don’t want flooring that I have to be afraid to actually live on. Pergo Outlast checked a lot of those boxes for me.
It has waterproof surface protection and watertight joints that help prevent moisture from getting between the planks. After replacing a floor because of water damage, you can probably understand why anything involving water protection immediately had my attention!
It also has a scratch-resistant surface, which was another big selling point for a high-traffic space in our house. Also if you ever see my DIYs I will drag everything across my floors!
And beyond the performance, I loved the substantial feel of the planks and the realistic wood-look details. I wanted a luxury laminate that was durable and practical without sacrificing the finished look of the room, plus it was a really good match to our existing floors throughout the rest of our house.
Installing the New Floors
Once the damaged flooring was removed and the underlying cause of the water intrusion was addressed, we could finally start putting the room back together.
As with any flooring project, prep is a HUGE part of getting a good finished result. We cleared the room, removed the old flooring and made sure the surface was ready before beginning the installation.
Then it was time for my favorite part—watching the new flooring completely transform the space. I ended up actually going with the color Golden Rustic Oak which was such a great match to what was in the rest of my house.
We worked our way across the room installing the Pergo Outlast flooring, staggering the planks as we went and paying attention to the layout so the finished floor would look natural.
This is always the point in a flooring project where I start getting excited because every few rows completely changes how the room feels. This flooring has the underlayment attached so really the only installation tool you will need is a pull bar to ensure a tight lock.
The Finished Space
And THIS is why I love a good before and after.
What started as an unexpected repair ended up giving me the opportunity to fix something that had bothered me about this room for years.
The new flooring feels so much more intentional with the rest of our house, and I love that I didn’t have to choose between the look I wanted and the durability we need for everyday life.
Would I have preferred to skip the roof leak part of this story? Absolutely. But if I had to find a silver lining, finally getting these floors replaced was definitely it.
If you’re planning a flooring project of your own, you can check out Pergo Outlast flooring at The Home Depot and see all of the available styles and options.
And now I want to know—would you have picked the same flooring I did?
