How To Cut Laminate Flooring

You have bought a laminate floor and now want to install it yourself. Installing laminate flooring is a relatively easy job, but chances are, you are going to have to have to trim some of the boards to fit your room perfectly.  This guide will explain the best ways to cut laminate flooring, so you will be completely happy with the laminate floor in your home.

Laminate flooring can be easy to install. But it is not always easy to cut. High-speed saws with the wrong blades installed can often chip the surface as they cut. It takes the right techniques and tools to get the job done. Below are some of the best ways to cut laminate flooring using different methods so you can choose the right one for your project.

There are several different ways to go about cutting laminate flooring and a few different tools to reach for depend on the type of cut required. The following sections will explain how to cut laminate flooring and which types of cuts they are best suited for. Before you get started, make sure to wear safety goggles, gloves, and a dust mask and always take precautions to work slowly and carefully, ensuring to keep hands away from the blade and the cutting line.

A laminate flooring cutter is specially designed for cutting flooring, so not only is it effective, but it causes no chipping, and it is quite easy to use, it is a knife that drops straight through the laminate, like how a paper cutter works. However, it can only manage short cuts, so you will still need another tool to rip planks to width. If you do not want to purchase one just for your project, you may be able to rent one from a home improvement center.

• Mark the laminate board to length.
• Lift the handle on the Guillotine to raise the blade.
• Place and position the cut line under the blade.
• Ensure that everything else is clear from the laminate cutter (hands, fingers, clothing, tools, etc.)
• Press down firmly on the handle to cut the laminate.

Best for: Cross and angled cuts (against the grain)

A mitre saw is an excellent tool for cutting laminate flooring. To ensure there is no chipping, prep the board with painter’s tape before cutting.

• Install a sharp fine-tooth blade with a high TPI (80 to 100 teeth per inch) in the mitre saw.
• Mark the cut and angle on the laminate flooring. Be sure to mark at the edges of the flooring, so the mark can be seen when you pull the mitre saw out.
• Place some masking tape across the marked cutting line and re-draw the cut line. (this will help with chipping)
• Position the flooring up against the mitre saw’s fence. Adjust the mitre saw to the correct angle for the blade to meet the marked cutting line. Clamp the board in place.
• Safely start the mitre saw and allow the blade to get up to full speed.
• Slowly lower the blade into the surface of the laminate flooring to cut it to length.
• When the blade has fully stopped, remove the board, peel off the tape, and check your work.

Best for: Long, angled cuts and ripping boards to width (cut along the grain lengthwise)

A circular saw is a tool many DIYers already own so it can be convenient for cutting flooring. It can also chip the boards if you are not careful. Here is how to avoid that:

• Install a carbide-tipped blade with a high TPI (60 to 80 teeth per inch).
• Mark the backside of the board at the cut location.
• Place a piece of masking tape across the marked cutting line and re-draw the cut line across the tape.
• Clamp the laminate board to a worktable, bench, or pair of sawhorses so that the saw will not cut through the work surface.
• Adjust the saw depth to a little more than the thickness of the laminate plank.
• Place the saw on the edge of your mark, pull it back slightly, and start the saw.
• Slowly push the saw through the board until it is cut.
• Unclamp the board, remove the tape, and inspect the edge.

Best for: Cutting boards to width.

When it comes to cutting laminate boards to width, the table saw is the handiest tool. It is the least likely to chip the boards on these cuts. Make sure to use a carbide-tipped blade with a high TPI for minimal chipping.

• Mark the board for the cut.
• Placing the board on the table saw adjust the fence to the correct width of your mark.
• Remove the board and start the saw, allowing the blade to reach optimal speed.
• Carefully place the laminate board against the fence and slowly pass it through the table saw blade.
• The use of a push stick is recommended to push the board through until completion. (never pull the board through the saw)

Best for: Curved cuts and notches but can be used for all cuts. 

If you have a curved cut to make, such as around pipework, a pole, or another obstacle, a jigsaw is the tool for the job. But, again, this method requires the right blade (carbide-tipped is best) and some prep work. To get the proper proportions of the curve, it is helpful to try to create a template of the shape you need to cut on paper first, then trace it onto the laminate board.

• Place several strips of masking tape across the surface of the laminate board where the cut marks will go, then trace the template onto the tape.
• Clamp the laminate board to a stable surface with the cut line as close to the edge as possible but leaving enough room to avoid cutting the bench or worktable.
• Install a down-cutting blade with a tpi of about 14 in the jigsaw.
• Place the jigsaw on the laminate so that the blade is in line with the cut.
• Pull the saw back slightly and start the saw.
• Slowly pass the jigsaw through the laminate board, supporting the edge hanging off the work surface with the other hand.

Using the same techniques as above and a straight edge for marking the boards will also allow you to use the Jig Saw to perform all cuts required to install your flooring.

Best for: Short crosscuts and short angle cuts

Cutting laminate flooring with a handsaw is not the most efficient, but it can be done. Note that it is important to use a fine finish saw, with at least 15 TPI (teeth per inch) more teeth on the blade will give you a cleaner cut. A crosscut saw will inevitably cause chipping. Take care and use a light touch as you follow these steps:

• Mark the cut and/or angle on the plank of laminate flooring with a pencil.
• Place the plank of laminate on a stable, flat worktable or bench. Making sure your cut line mark is overhanging the edge of the work surface. Clamp the plank in place to the work surface.
• Position the handsaw on the far edge of the plank at the cut mark. Holding the saw at a shallow angle, while you steady the opposite side of the board on the work surface, start sawing with short, light strokes just until the saw begins to cut a groove.
• Position the blade within the groove at a downward angle. Using longer strokes (but maintaining light pressure), continue cutting through the board.
• Once you have cut about halfway through the board, support the material with your free hand to prevent the board from snapping.
• Continue cutting with light pressure until the board is cut.