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What is the Best Way to Cut Laminate Flooring?

Posted on by Mr. Home Reno

You want the room to look better than what it is right now. The floor seems drab; the room filled with gray air. It lacks the cool brown color of wood, you think. That leaves you with one option: wood laminate flooring.

There are several cutting tools you can choose for cutting laminate flooring that is squarely dependent on the thickness of your chosen laminate and the proper function of the tool itself. These cutting tools are table saw, circular saw, miter saw, jig saw, hand saw, and manual cutter.

Aside from cutting, there are other factors you must consider for your project to go about seamlessly. For the general outlook of the format we will adopt, please see below.

  1. Cutting Tools: Pros and Cons
    1. Table saw
    2. Circular saw
    3. Miter saw
    4. Jig saw
    5. Hand saw
    6. Manual cutter
  2. Safety Always
  3. DIY vs Flooring Professionals

Cutting Tools: Pros and Cons

The list of saws listed here is for comparison purposes and there are other saws available everywhere for specialized uses such as fine cutting and tree or log separation. The ones chosen may perform the task for our material but there are weaknesses that we have to know.

Table Saw

Pros: 

  1. This is a power tool meaning it uses electricity to perform; it is fast. 
  2. It may come in several speed settings.
  3. It has a table with stands with models that let the table expand.
  4. An adjustable circular saw in the middle of the upper compartment.
  5. This, by far, is the best of all in the list where the whole length of the laminate can sit on the top of the table for easy cutting.
  6. Cuts cross-wise and length-wise.

Cons:

  1. Expensive for a DIY project.
  2. Not for the novice user.
  3. Electricity cost.

Circular Saw

Pros:

  1. Another power tool, this one is portable and can be handled in one hand.
  2. Time saving with fast operation.

Cons:

  1. Needs a table for material seating.
  2. Expensive for DIY project.
  3. Not for the novice user.
  4. Tendency to incline in an angle, not a perfect, straight cut.
  5. Cannot cut length-wise
  6. Electricity cost.

Miter Saw

Pros:

  1. A power tool making things fast.
  2. Cust clean cross-wise.
  3. Portable and adjustable.

Cons:

  1. Cannot cut length-wise.
  2. Needs a table for long length cuts.
  3. Electricity cost.
  4. Not for novice user.
  5. Expensive for DIY project.

Jig Saw

Pros:

  1. Can perform cutting cross-wise.
  2. Past and powerful.
  3. Portable and adjustable

Cons:

  1. Not recommended by professionals for laminates.
  2. Cannot do a long length cut.
  3. Made for the purpose of cutting curves and angles.
  4. Electricity cost.
  5. Not for novice user.
  6. Expensive for DIY project.

Hand Saw

Pros:

  1. Cheap for a DIY project.
  2. With a guide, can cut both short and long length incisions.
  3. Portable and user-friendly.
  4. No electricity cost.

Cons:

  1. Tendency to incline at an angle.
  2. Tedious and slow work.
  3. Blade teeth are widespread.

Manual Cutter

Pros:

  1. Cheap for DIY project.
  2. Portable and user-friendly.
  3. Blades can be sharpened or replaced.
  4. Lighter weight than power tools.
  5. No electricity cost.
  6. Multiple material usage, including ceramic tiles.

Cons:

  1. Cuts only cross-wise.

Safety Always

Before you start on installing and cutting the laminate flooring yourself, assess the volatility of the situation and the danger it poses on you. Safety is premium. Blades in the saws and those aggressive power tools are among the few reasons we must observe safety and correct procedure. 

Here are a few tips and recommendations to keep harm away.

  • Sport On Safety Gears. Safety glasses, full on face or not, with side shields or not, ear plugs or muffs, respirators.
  • Never Wear Loose Clothing and Jewelry. Loose clothing can get caught in the fast spinning blades to pull you forward and do deep harm. The same applies with necklaces, wristbands, or pendants.
  • Never Do Vices on Projects. Alcohol and drugs are well known disruptors of one’s mental state. Never be fooled by these clowns.

DIY vs Flooring Professionals

Let us clean the messy blackboard first to get to the bottom of things. Do you have the money? If yes, then take the professionals. If not, then DIY it is. Do you have the tools? If yes, then you are not a mere hobbyist; go ahead and have fun. 

If not, you must seek the money to either: go to the professionals, or, buy the tools and spend more on your mistakes along the way. Have heart, life is a long course of learning anyway.