How to Lay Pergo Flooring in a Hall That Turns

Remove any molding along the base of the walls in the hallway. This may be screwed or glued on. Detach all screws and tap a paint scraper behind the molding to gently remove. Set the molding aside.

Place the Pergo laminate flooring planks in the hallway 48 hours prior to installation. This allows the planks to adjust to the natural expansion and contraction caused by the temperature in the house, not that of the hardware store.

Lay out planks along the edge of the left wall, placing them lengthwise parallel to the wall. Once you have the necessary length of planks for the first row, cut the tongue off to create a flush line with the wall. Start the first row on the opposite wall from where the hallway turns. If it turns to the left, start the first row on the right wall.

Place a 1/4-inch spacer along the edge of the Pergo plank closest to the wall. Laminate will expand in warmer weather, and the spacing allows the planks to expand without cracking. Make the first row flush with the end of the hallway.

Measure and cut a 32-inch-long section from a plank. This section will start the second row, creating an interspersed pattern with the planks. Position the second row's plank in place next to the first-row planks by holding the new plank at a slight angle and guiding the tongue into the groove of the laid plank. Once in place, press the new plank flat to the ground.

Secure planks one by one along the second row before moving to the third. Use full length planks until you get to the end of the hallway, then cut the last plank according to the wall measurement. Every even row starts with a 32-inch-long cut plank, followed by full length planks to the end.

Review the pattern of the interspersed planks when you have finished the layout up to the turn. The hallway from the turn will now have Pergo planks perpendicular to the wall. If the last plank at the end of the first hallway section is a 12-inch-long cut, alternate the 12-inch plank from the right to left side on each row to give the interspersed look consistency.

Add row by row down the hall, cutting the planks as you go so they fit.