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How to Cut Floor Boards Without Chipping Mark and measure where you want to cut the boards beforehand with chalk or pencil. Keep your board in place using a stand or a clamp. Wear goggles, a mask, and gloves. Use a table or circular saw to make long, straight cuts. For angles, use a utility knife or a jigsaw.
What is the best tool to use to cut laminate flooring?
The jigsaw is the best power tool to use to cut laminate floors with for a few reasons. It’s light, important because you’ll be picking it up all day. Also, the best blades are cheap.
Do you cut laminate flooring face up or down?
4. Sawing laminate. If you’re sawing laminate with a hand saw, make sure you turn the good-looking side up. If you’re using a saw blade made for laminate, however, you should saw wit the good-looking side up, since a laminate saw blade as upside-down teeth, which means it splinters downward.
Which way up do you cut laminate flooring?
Leave the laminate facing right-side-up and cut it with a circular saw or handsaw.
Can I cut laminate flooring with a knife?
A regular utility knife blade can be used to cut flexible, self-adhering laminate strip material. The caveat is that you must change the blades frequently so the knife cuts properly — a dull blade will not cut effectively.
Do you cut the tongue off the first row of laminate?
Place the first plank with the tongue side towards the wall, being sure to allow 1/8″ for expansion. We recommend cutting off the tongue on this first row to avoid any problem with the expansion gap. To start the second row, use the piece left over from the last plank of the first row.
Can I cut laminate flooring with a Stanley knife?
Yes. You can cut laminate wood flooring with a utility knife. The utility knife has all the power and cutting capacity to cut through laminate wood flooring whilst not chipping the blade off. You cut laminate flooring face down, with its backside facing you.
Should you cut laminate flooring upside down?
4. Sawing laminate. If you’re sawing laminate with a hand saw, make sure you turn the good-looking side up. If you’re using a saw blade made for laminate, however, you should saw wit the good-looking side up, since a laminate saw blade as upside-down teeth, which means it splinters downward.
What length do you cut laminate flooring?
It’s best to keep cut pieces no less than 16 inches long, but with a good stable, flat subfloor, the cut lengths can go as short as 1 foot. If you find that your first row leaves you with a very short cut piece on the left end, it’s best to reconfigure the row so that it begins with a partial board on the right end.
Will a jigsaw cut laminate flooring?
A jigsaw is a real all-rounder when it comes to cutting laminate floors. It’s best used to cut out shapes from your board. For example, when you want to place boards around your toilet or maybe a pillar. Always use a fine toothed blade and have the saw blade spinning before you touch the board.
Can a Dremel cut laminate flooring?
The Dremel 561 cuts hard wood up to 3/8″ and soft wood up to 5/8″. Also cuts plastics, fiberglass, drywall, laminate, aluminum and vinyl siding.
What kind of blade do you need to cut vinyl flooring?
For cutting vinyl planks, you need a jigsaw blade that is less aggressive and has finer teeth on the blade. The fine teeth will give a smooth cut and not damage the edges of the plank being cut.
Does the tongue or groove go against the wall?
Which to Install First. Which side is the tongue, which the groove, and which goes first during installation? The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.
Which way do you lay laminate flooring in multiple rooms?
The best direction is based on the shape of your house. There is no right direction, but the more accepted rule is that the floor direction should run parallel to the longer walls, but long hallways are exempt from this rule.
Can a laminate cutter cut lengthwise?
Generally speaking, you need to cut laminate flooring lengthwise when installing the first and last rows of laminate flooring, along the walls. We recommend you to draw the cut line on each laminate board, one by one, as to get the job done properly.
Can I use a table saw to cut laminate flooring?
Table saws produce straight, accurate cuts. Use them to make crosscuts against the grain of laminate flooring when you must trim boards to the proper length. Table saws are also great for rip cuts, made with the grain.
Do I need a table saw for laminate flooring?
If you are just learning how to cut laminate floors, understand that you don’t need a special saw. In fact, you can cut the planks using a table saw, miter saw, circular saw, hand saw or laminate cutter. Use clamps to help hold the planks steady while cutting.
What happens if you don’t stagger laminate flooring?
The main problem with laminate flooring that has not been properly staggered is that it is more likely to separate from the boards it is adjoined to. In addition, in severe circumstances, the boards may lift or move out of place.
What does staggering laminate flooring mean?
Laminate flooring should be staggered by 6 inches or more. If the seams are too close together, then the floor cannot “breathe” properly, and the seams can break down. To prevent this, cut the first board in a row to a length that staggers the seams by 6 inches or more.
