Installing Pergo Flooring Question?

HI Calspeed

You are probably right that you don't need it as the concrete has longed cured and probably holds little to no moisture. But, plastic is very inexpensive and acts as extra insurance. I always say play it safe and protect your investment.

I would probably recommend you use a cork or foam underlayment for sound reduction. Laminate flooring can be very noisy and tends to have that hollow clicking sound when walked upon.

If you are installing laminate as a DIY project, I would highly recommend you refer to the site below. They provide FREE step by step installation guides as well as videos along with the tools and material necessary for a successful laminate flooring installation. You will find information about vapor barriers and underlayments as well.

http://www.findanyfloor.com/InstallationGuides/Ins...

Why not install the sheeting anyway, just for GP (general practice). It certainly wouldn't hurt and it's not expensive. You can also get a thin foam sheeting that you cut roll out, cut to shape, and tape together with packing tape to make bigger sizes as an underlayment. This provides a moisture barrier, sound dampening, and a slight bit of give to make it less fatiguing to stand on the floor for a long time. They installed this when I had laminate put into my kitchen several years ago. It was amazing how much of a difference it made from the standpoint of leg and foot fatigue when standing in the kitchen for a long time. And, that was on a wood sub floor over a foundation, not a slab.

The vapor barrier is intended to prevent warm moist air moving into a cold space-- so if you put a vapor barrier on the garage floor before the sub floor then no-- if you did not then you may want to put one under the pergo floor if for no other reason than stopping cold moisture and air from hitting back of floor and warping it--in your area may not be a problem but why take a chance--

No, if the linoleum is in good condition, it acts like a moisture barrier only like plastic sheets. you will only would desire to placed a layer of froth till now laying the laminated wood floor planks. If the linoleum is harm, its greater useful to do away with it and used pergo's plastic sheet.

yes dont cut corners , the barrier keeps the wood from absorbing moisture and buckling , let your flooring acclimate for 2and 1/2 weeks and check with a moisture meter for balance , more than you thought mmm