How to Cut Laminate Flooring

How to cut a laminate at home?

Laminated panels allow you to create an original look of the floor in any room. On the market, lamellas are presented with various patterns that imitate not only the traditional texture of wood, but also stone, metal and leather. That is, in terms of stylistic diversity, this material surpasses even natural parquet. It would seem that in terms of laying lamellas require much less effort, but this is not so. Simple typical installation can be complicated if non-standard flooring configurations arise. In such cases, the question arises as to what the laminate is cut with. Fortunately, a specialized tool is not required to solve this problem. You can limit yourself to the usual equipment, which is likely to be found in the household of many home masters.

Hacksaw as the most affordable option

If there is not much work, and we are not talking about obtaining an ultraprecise cutting result, then we can restrict ourselves to using a simple tool. a hacksaw. In the cutting process, the main thing is to ensure, as far as possible, the integrity and evenness of the edge, as well as to observe the correctness of the cutting line. In this matter, much will depend on the quality and sharpening of the saw itself. But this option will not work if there is a question about how the laminate is cut in large quantities. Technically, a hacksaw effectively copes with wood-shaving materials, which include laminated panels. And with its help, it is quite possible to cope with a whole batch of material, even alone. But the problem is that maintaining a more or less decent cut quality throughout the process will be very difficult.

Cutting angle grinder

We can say this is the opposite of the previous tool. Provided that the angle grinder is equipped with a high-quality cutting wheel, you can get not only a productive, but also a neat assistant. But cutting a laminate angle grinder without experience is still not recommended. There is nothing particularly difficult to handle with angle grinders, but at least before work it is worth practicing on draft panels. As for the equipment itself, experienced SUVs recommend using a circle with 48 teeth of 160 mm format. This cutter will allow you to perform serial cutting, which is useful not only as a way to save time, but also from the point of view of maintaining smooth edges. at least, the cleanliness of the cut will be ensured in the slats located in the middle of the batch being opened. By the way, to get a 100% accurate cut, you can install the same draft elements in place of the outer panels.

Cutting with a jigsaw

If with an angle grinder you have to resort to some tricks to achieve the cleanest result, this is not necessary in the case of an electric jigsaw. Even when working with piece cutting, this tool will achieve impressive results. An example of working with a jigsaw also shows the depth of the question as to what the laminate is cut for, if you need to get a figured cut. Of course, performing a direct cut is the most common operation. But non-standard laying, involving installation with curved panels, is practiced. Another thing is that the implementation of this method can be trusted by professional SUVs. The advantage of the jigsaw is that a model that is suitable for its characteristics, even in the hands of a novice in such works, can provide a very decent result. To do this, you should initially purchase a multifunctional machine, the design and saw blade of which allows figured cutting.

Using a circular saw for cutting

The advantages of this tool include high cutting speed and the ability to work with multiple panels simultaneously. It has already been noted that an angle grinder is distinguished by similar performance, but there are also serious features in the circular. Its power in terms of cutting is much higher, so if you are thinking about how best to cut a laminate from commercial or semi-commercial series, then it is better not to find this method. Such panels are characterized by high strength, hardness and rigidity. Therefore, not even a jigsaw or hacksaw will cope with this task even in boxed work. An angle grinder will undoubtedly perform party cutting, but not as fast and efficiently as a circular saw.

Laminate Guillotine Cutting

This method can be called optimal for the average home craftsman who plans to ennoble one or more rooms in the house with a laminate flooring. The guillotine for lamellas is a special cutter, the design of which is designed not only to directly provide an effective mechanical effect on the material, but also user convenience. To understand what laminate is cut in a domestic environment, this tool should first be considered. Unlike a hacksaw, it performs the operation faster and more accurately, and compared to powerful angle grinders and circular machines it costs much less and requires an order of magnitude less hassle to maintain.

Features of cutting vinyl laminate

If commercial panels are characterized by high strength, then vinyl material, on the contrary, is made with the expectation of creating an original decorative effect. In addition, vinyl simplifies floor cleaning, which is why housewives appreciate it. Such lamellas are also convenient in terms of cutting. As a rule, this is a relatively soft material that can be cut with a hand tool. So, how to cut a vinyl laminate? Use the above funds, perhaps, is not worth it. It is more advisable to use a clerical knife, which is characterized by high cutting ability, almost like a blade. Soft vinyl panels are sensitive to mechanical stress, so a sharp knife will be a better choice than a rough angle grinder or hacksaw.

How to choose the best tool?

Focusing on the choice is on two groups of factors. Firstly, on the characteristics of the material, laying conditions and the amount of work. Secondly, the parameters of the tool itself. For example, how to cut a laminate at home? It makes no sense to arm with productive electrical equipment in this case, since a small volume of panels for household styling will also be qualitatively processed by a hacksaw guillotine. If you plan to design a huge office area using a wear-resistant laminate model, then a circular saw or angle grinder will be a good choice.

How to cut a laminate?

Even if the tool for the specific tasks was correctly selected, this does not mean that a predetermined quality result is predetermined. Much depends on the technique of cutting. First of all, the surface of the lamellas is cleaned of dirt and dust, and the tool is prepared for work. It is especially important to choose the right tooling for your angle grinder and circular saw. The work process itself must be performed smoothly so that the edge is maintained in a proper aesthetic condition. In this case, each panel during the cutting process must be securely fixed, otherwise there will be a risk of uneven cutting.

Useful laying tips, options for laying the laminate yourself

The laminate flooring is laid in the same way as the brickwork, in the run. Thus, the integrity of the coating is achieved. But, in order to do everything right, it is necessary to resort to cutting material more than once.

Laminate strips must be cut with special responsibility and understanding, and therefore at least minimal knowledge of tools and cutting methods is needed.

The Most Common Laminate Cutting Methods

The laminate is trimmed so that torn and protruding parts do not form on the cut plane, of course, there should be no damage to the material.

In order to achieve such a result, it is necessary to use various special tools, which will be discussed further.

Sawing

Consider how and with which saws a laminate is cut at home:

• Unlike materials similar to chipboard, laminate is well cut with an ordinary hand hacksaw.
• At the edges of the laminate there should be no rough scuffs or other noticeable deformations. In this regard, the teeth of the saw should be small, and the saw itself can be any.
• If somehow it turned out to damage the end edge. it’s okay, you can easily hide it under the baseboard and it will not be evident.
• The rule “Measure seven times, cut one” applies to the cutting of a laminate. Before you cut off a part, you need to accurately measure everything and apply the markup along which the cut will be made.
• In order to get a quality edge located on the front side, it is necessary to cut the laminate by holding it face up. In this case, the laminate should be kept horizontal.
• No need to apply great effort, pressing on the saw. This may result in scrapping the edges of the laminate.

Jigsaw cutting

Cutting laminate with an electric jigsaw is the most convenient, fast and “clean” way. In the absence of a jigsaw you can use a hand saw, but this process is more time-consuming. Therefore, due to the low price, it is recommended to purchase a jigsaw, because it can provide effective help not only when cutting laminate, but also in many other works.

Consider the method by which you can cut the laminate with a jigsaw:

• Before cutting the laminate, it is necessary to install a blade with a reverse small tooth on the jigsaw. This standard canvas, which, basically, always comes with a tool kit. In the absence of one, you need to purchase it, otherwise you can spoil the coating.
• After the jigsaw is equipped with a suitable blade, it is necessary to mark the shortened bar. The marking is applied to the back of the laminate (not to the front).
• Then you can proceed directly to cutting. The laminate must be fixed and turned face down so that the marking line is visible. The cut is made strictly according to the intended fishing line.

Circular saw cutting

Using a circular slab to trim the laminate will greatly simplify the process. Therefore, if there is such a saw among the tools, you can safely you can get down to business.

Consider the instructions for cutting a laminate using a circular saw:

• As in other cases, the saw teeth should be small.
• On the front side of the coating, marking is applied, along which the cutting process will be carried out.
• The bar must be placed horizontally on the machine table face up. Then, holding the edge of the bar, gently and without abrupt movements push the laminate away from you onto the rotating saw blade.

Tip

When working with a circular saw, safety rules must be observed: the rotating blade must be under a special protective cover, the sleeves of the outer clothing of the person working behind the machine are fastened.

It is also necessary to remove all things that might accidentally fall into the coverage area of ​​a circular plate, such as bracelets, chains, etc.

What else to use in work

What else do experienced professionals cut through the laminate flooring? They use a machine designed for this purpose. The machine is a rigid structure with a movable sharp blade, which is driven by a handle.

The operation of this tool is as follows:

• The laminate strip is placed horizontally on the machine support;
• The marking line is combined with the horizontal line of the projection of the knife;
• The handle of the machine connected with the knife is lowered all the way, cutting the laminate. The result is a smooth, neat cut.

Helpful information! This type of machine can help with cutting a large amount of material in a short period of time. And due to the fact that it does not work on electric energy, it can be used in places where there is no source of electricity.

If you decide to engage in the cutting and laying of laminate flooring professionally, and the matter does not stop at once, you can safely buy yourself such a machine.

Whichever tool you use when cutting the laminate baseboard, you need to remember that a lot depends not only on the tool, but also on the person who uses it. Do not use too much force when cutting, be careful when calculating and marking and, of course, follow the safety rules.

Correct calculation and applied marking is the key to quality work.

In this article, we examined several ways and tools that can be used to cut a laminate. Among the described tools, one cannot definitely name the best. they are all good in their own way and in the end their choice is reduced to individual preferences.

Someone prefers mechanics, someone on the contrary, an electrician, etc. To get more visual information on the methods of cutting laminate flooring, it is recommended to watch the trained video.

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Article author: Vladimir Denisov

How and with what to saw a lamina,

Laminate was to the taste of many. this inexpensive floor material is very practical and beautiful. It’s just that not everyone can gently saw off even pieces from him. And you have to cut, and more than once. at the end of each row, at least. So how and with what to saw the laminate so that the cut line pleases the eye. consider the methods and tools that can be used for sawing a laminate.

Pick up a hacksaw

Laminate hacksaw, of course, sawn, but not very suitable for such work. After all, the teeth of a hacksaw designed for woodwork are eerily large, and the top film of the floor covering is so thin. Togo and look. ugly marks will remain from these teeth. Yes, and sawing a pressed laminate structure with a hacksaw is hard. Hands get tired.

To get a better result, arm ourselves with a hacksaw with small teeth. For example, a hacksaw designed for sawing metal may well come up. It will be possible to avoid chipping at the cut, but cutting with a fine-tooth hacksaw will be more difficult than using a woodworking tool. However, if you do not intend to saw the laminate in large quantities, then this method is suitable. The cut quality, of course, is not ideal, but quite tolerable.

And here are the promised little tricks: before sawing, stick a piece of masking tape on this place. If this is done, then chips will not form at the cutting site. over, the laminate board must be placed face up. And so that the cut is smooth and clean, the hacksaw should have small, frequent teeth.

Since the laminate is pressed using special mechanisms, it is naturally better to saw it not by hand, but by an electric tool.

For example, an electric saw, (reciprocating saw), which is increasingly used by home craftsmen, is quite suitable for this.

We are equipped with an electric jigsaw

It is good if you have a jigsaw equipped with a file for wooden surfaces at home.

Using this tool is the best option.

Before sawing, with a pencil, mark the cut line, and then with a knife or awl cut through the film of the laminated coating. Now tightly clamp the board (face down).

The speed of the power tool must be high. It is necessary to try to cut smoothly enough, without jerking the jigsaw so that chips do not happen. Having adapted, it is possible to quickly and accurately saw through the laminate boards. over, an excellent result is obtained when cutting both along and across the board. It seems that the answer to the question, what is the best way to saw the laminate, is clear. Of course with a jigsaw.

Video: How to cut electric jigsaw without chips

Circular Saw. Requires Expertise

And you can cut the laminate with a circular saw, equipping it with a disk for metal work. At the same time, we put the board prepared for cutting and the marked board on some even plane. The laminated film should not be on the bottom, as when working with a jigsaw, but on top. Slowly and smoothly moving the circular disc along the cut line, we get a smooth and high-quality cut surface. During operation, the disc does not get stuck in the laminate.

But for those who have never picked up such a tool, out of habit it will be hard. It is necessary to make a lot of effort and effort to achieve the desired result. Having acquired dexterity over time, it will be possible to saw the laminate very quickly and efficiently. But this process requires patience.

If you have not previously sawed other materials with this tool, it is better to give preference in favor of a jigsaw.

Cutter designed specifically for cutting laminate

This cutter is a bit like a guillotine. The sharpest knife, falling down from above, instantly cuts the laminate, like butter. The cutting line is perfect and as accurate as possible. Just cut this tool can only across the boards. And if you need to saw the floorboard along, then again we turn to one of the methods described above.

Video: How to Cut Laminate Flooring

In addition, such a cutter is very expensive, so buying it can be beneficial only to professionals who are engaged in laying laminate flooring on an ongoing basis. If you just want to change the floor in a couple of rooms in your apartment, then you are unlikely to make such a purchase.

Important: with any method, it is better to measure several times, and cut it later. As a rule, laminate is bought a little more than it turned out according to calculations. It takes into account that you have to cut some boards, and then dock them correctly.

Video: Laminate Cutter

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Updated: July 22, 2018

a cutter, how to cut, a knife, a hacksaw, than to cut, saw, than to cut without chips, it is better to saw off, the tool in the photo and video

Laminate. flooring, which is increasingly found in every home. Its installation always requires adjustment in length and width, because the lamellas should be laid in compliance with the brickwork rule. Accordingly, the question arises from here: "How to cut a laminate at home?". In this article, you will learn about different tools and how to fit using them.

About tool selection

Laminate cutting must be performed with high quality so that the cut line is straight and even, and the edge remains intact. All these points are quite easy to perform, choosing the right tool for cutting laminate. An example of the right choice is the fact that not every person can cope with a professional tool, so he should use simpler tools with which he will do this job more accurately.

The simplest tool that absolutely everyone has, but it is not the best solution. A knife for a laminate is suitable only if you want to make a small cutout for a ledge in the wall. If it is still possible to cut the lamella across, it is almost impossible to do it along, because you will spend a lot of time and effort, and the cut will turn out to be of poor quality and curved.

If you decide to use a knife, then check its sharpness, because with a blunt foot you will do much more work shortcomings than sharp.

Hacksaw

Hacksaw is very convenient to perform small trimming due to the fact that:

• Laminate is easy to cut;
• The fine tooth of the hacksaw ensures no chips;
• If you still damage the edge, then you can easily close the flaws with a skirting board.

Sawing should be carried out according to the following instructions:

1. First, make a clear marking on the lamella, remembering that it should be bright, because when sawing it will be covered with a thin layer of dust.
2. To get a good edge, cut the sheet by turning it face up.
3. Do not apply excessive force to the tool so as not to damage the edge being dipped.

Jigsaw

This is a more expensive tool, but its choice is the best answer to the question of what is better to saw the laminate. A jigsaw is worth buying only if the amount of work is too large to cut everything manually or if you don’t have money to purchase it.

How to cut a laminate with a jigsaw:

1. Install the blade with the reverse fine tooth into the jigsaw. If the canvas comes complete with an expensive and high-quality tool, then you can use it, otherwise purchase it separately.
2. Draw a lamella.
3. In this case, the lamellas need to be sawed, laid face down and fixed on a hard surface.

Another advantage of the jigsaw is that it can be sawed not only in a straight line.

A circular saw

A circular machine is not something you can cut a laminate at any time, however, if you are a happy owner of such equipment, then feel free to start sawing:

1. Slide the small tooth disc onto the shaft.
2. Draw a cut line on the slats.
3. If the cut is carried out along the bar, then set the width on the machine.
4. Saw the lamella, pushing in front of you.

The main advantage of a circular saw is the speed of its operation, which allows you to cut the lamella along in a matter of seconds, however, due to the size that you can notice in the photo, it is rarely used, in addition, you can not cut certain pieces of laminate on it, for example, under a column or ledge in the wall.

What does a professional use?

In any business, an amateur can be easily distinguished from a professional, not only looking at the speed and quality of work, but also the tool used. This happens with the laying of the laminate. Professionals use a cutter for a laminate, with the help of which they cut in a very short period of time.

As seen in the photo, this cutter. it is a manual machine equipped with a sharp blade that is fixed to the base. The blade is easily adjustable for different types of cuts. Using the machine, you can cut the lamellas along, across and at different angles, without spending much effort and electricity.

The principle of work with the machine:

1. The lamella is placed on a machine support in a horizontal position.
2. The torch adjusts to the marking.
3. The builder applies force to the handle and the blade gradually cuts the lamella.

A professional machine is what it is very easy to saw a laminate without chipping, so everyone who works with laying a laminate tries to purchase it.

You can use any of the presented tools, however, remember that the most important thing in sawing a laminate is the quality of the edge. Remember the tip: to make as few chips and bumps as possible, do not apply much effort to the sawing tool, because this will make the tool pull out fragments from the body of the material, and not cut them out.

Now you know all the ways of sawing, so you can decide on your own the question of how to saw through the laminate.

How to cut a laminate: how to choose the right tool

In order to properly lay the laminate on the floor, you need to be able to not only connect the laminate panels, but also properly cut them. Otherwise, "fit" into the area of ​​the room, as well as to comply with the traditional chess pattern of the coating will be impossible. Since you can’t take laminated boards with your bare hands, you can entrust them to cutting with one of the hand or electric tools.

Selection of cutting tools for laminate flooring

The main characteristics that a tool for cutting a laminate at home should have are:

• Ease of use
• compact and light weight
• the possibility of obtaining a smooth cut, without cracks and chips

The last point, the meaning of which is not to spoil the appearance of the laminate board after cutting, is crucial for most home masters. However, its significance is still exaggerated. In any case, chips up to 5 mm in size on the finished coating will not be noticeable. defects along the edge of the panels will disappear behind the skirting boards.

So, which tools are most suitable for cutting laminate?

Tool number 1. Jigsaw

The best result in the cutting of the laminate can be achieved by applying an electric jigsaw for this purpose. This is an easy, very convenient tool to use, to which any master novice will quickly find an approach. Even a woman or a teenager. Sawing with a jigsaw is performed at high speeds, which avoids damage to the fiberboard structure. If you act quickly, confidently, then the cut will be almost perfect.

The main thing in using a jigsaw is choosing a file. A modern tool is usually initially supplied with special files for cutting laminate. They are distinguished by a special shape, pitch and method of tooth alignment. However, ordinary metal saws. narrow, with small teeth, can do this worse.

In order not to damage the decorative surface, the cutting line is applied (in pencil or chalk) to the underside of the laminate board. It is laid on the table (chair) with the wrong side up so that the part to be cut is suspended. The laminate lying on the table is fixed with one hand, and the other part is quickly cut off with the other.

The fret saw allows to cut a laminate quickly and safely

Tool number 2. A circular saw

A neat cut along the edge of the laminate can be obtained using a circular saw with a metal blade. Working with a circular saw is more difficult than with a jigsaw, so this requires some skills. If you have them, then it will be possible to saw through the laminate quickly, evenly, practically without chips.

The laminate board is laid on a hard surface with the pattern facing up, fixed. You need to cut it gently, with a little pressure, moving the disk along the drawn line, trying not to slow down in one place.

A circular saw requires dexterity, but helps to cut out a large amount of laminate in a quality manner

Tool number 3. Angle grinder (angle grinder)

angle grinder. a convenient tool, indispensable in the home master’s drawer. It can cut almost everything, including the laminate. For a beautiful edge, without cracks and chips, when cutting, you need to turn the laminate board with the front surface. In this case, discs are used for metal, for concrete or for ceramic tiles.

The disadvantage of using an angle grinder (and a circular saw too!) Is the large amount of dust that will be emitted when cutting a laminate. Also, this action may be accompanied by the smell of a burnt tree. Therefore, you need to engage in cutting on an open bal-street or on the street.

To avoid chips, cutting a laminate angle grinder is necessary only on the front side

Tool number 4. Hacksaw

Laminate can be successfully sawn with a regular hacksaw on wood. But this will have to expend energy, because her teeth are large enough and will bite into the laminate, and not cut it. Smaller teeth in a hacksaw for metal. and it must be used for sawing.

Hacksaw is often used for cutting with small amounts of work. In construction teams, this method is not used, due to the increased time costs and complexity.

Cutting a laminate with a hacksaw. a laborious process

Tool number 5. Laminate cutter

The cutter for the laminate, on the contrary, allows cutting to be done on a professional level. Most often, this tool works like a guillotine. a knife, which, with the help of a handle, is lowered to the surface of the laminate and cut it. The torch operates easily, without chips and noise. To use it, you do not need to use force and possess skills. Perhaps this is the easiest tool to use, which allows you to get an excellent result in any conditions.

The design of the cutter allows you to cut the laminate only in the transverse direction

Since this cutter is used exclusively for laminate flooring, it makes sense to buy it only with professional installation. For finishing several rooms of the apartment, this option is considered impractical.

Tool number 6. Construction knife

An ordinary construction knife can also be used for cutting a laminate. For example, if you have almost finished the flooring device, it remains to cut one board, but suddenly the angle grinder has broken. There are no other tools at hand, but cutting needs to be done urgently. Then a construction knife will come to the rescue. Put a ruler on the front side of the laminate board, draw a deep cut along it with a knife. While holding the board on one side of the cut, push the other side. The laminate should break, just like ceramic tiles under the influence of a tile cutter.

For lack of other tools, a construction knife is suitable for cutting a couple of three laminate boards

As an epilogue

The choice of tool for cutting laminate is large enough. Indeed, qualitatively cutting laminate boards, with experience, can be done with almost anything. Only the amount of time and labor spent will be different. Therefore, when deciding in favor of one of the tools, focus only on your own preferences and needs.

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How to cut a laminate at home and how to choose a tool

The decision to decorate an apartment or house with the help of such flooring is made daily by hundreds of people. Beginners usually do not have a question about how to do the styling, since the laminate manufacturer provides detailed instructions and offers all the necessary supplies. But to decide how to cut the laminate. it can be difficult for a home master.

The easiest way

Complete list of available tools

Today it is not difficult to purchase a laminate of any strength class. Differences in material can be in the thickness, quality and strength of the protective and decorative coatings. There is a difference in the main board, providing rigidity.

A laminate is produced according to the classical scheme, from MDF coated with several layers using lamination technology, and an all-structured vinyl finishing material, which has only one external protective layer.

A complete list of how to cut a board of the right size (the dimensions of standard planks) for laying the flooring looks like this:

• hacksaw for metal;
• saw on wood;
• jigsaw;
• construction or office knife;
• plastic knife;
• angle grinder, she is also an angle grinder;
• a circular saw;
• special guillotine for the laminate;
• blade cutter.

Each of the devices is distinguished by both accessibility and convenience and speed. The decision about the better to cut the laminate is made on the basis of the requirements for the amount of work, the quality of the cut, and also the accuracy of the processing. If we are talking about a small repair and I want to know how to cut a laminate at home. the list will be greatly reduced.

Hacksaw and wood saw

Hacksaw for metal allows you to get a clean cut without tearing off the decorative coating. And if it is decided to act as a saw for a tree, it is advisable to choose a tool for gardening intended for cutting branches and knots. Work with a hand tool looks like this:

• with a pencil or marker marks the fishing line;
• if you need a right angle cuts, it is recommended to use a carpenter’s marking corner;
• First, a decorative and protective coating is cut. This should be done carefully, minimally damaging the edges.

Then, a board made of MDF is cut through a saw or hacksaw. These tools are the most common option when deciding how to cut a laminate at home.

Hacksaw cutting

Jigsaw

Using a power tool allows you to achieve high speed and with a certain skill. the quality of the cut. But when working with a jigsaw, some rules should be observed.

1. To work conveniently, markup is done on the front side of the laminate board. In order to prevent tearing of the decorative coating during cutting, choose a saw with the opposite direction of the tooth. Standard. picks up material from the bottom and can damage the upper layers of the laminate.
2. If it is not possible to use a saw with the opposite direction of the tooth, marking must be done from the back of the board. In this case, the decorative coating will remain intact at the edges of the cut.
3. For zero feed and high revs, special straight tooth saws can be used.
4. If you want to achieve very high accuracy and purity of material passage, it is recommended to use special thin saws for curly cuts.

They work with an electric jigsaw according to the expected scheme: they draw a cutting line depending on the type of saw and pass the material. The advantage of using a power tool is that you can make long cuts, for example, along a wide strip. This will require care or support, which will move the base of the jigsaw.

Video how to cut with a jigsaw.

A construction or office knife is a very successful tool for cutting laminate flooring. You need to do this according to the following scheme:

• after marking the future cut line on the front side, establish a support, preferably a metal corner or ruler;
• with a strong pressing blade, the laminate is held along the support.

It is necessary not to move the support and make several passes of the knife until the blade passes more than half the thickness of the laminate board. After that, they break it open with a slight swing. Excessive force is not recommended so as not to deform the edge with a decorative coating.

A plastic knife (along with construction and clerical) looks like the answer to the question, what is the best way to cut vinyl laminate. This material is sufficiently plastic and easily lends itself to a steel blade. A special plastic knife thanks to the bent tip allows you to make a deep passage without excessive pressure, helping to maintain a direct direction.

Cut the laminate with an office knife

angle grinder or angle grinder

A rarely used tool. It’s quite simple to work with. a fishing line is marked and cut through with a disk. But there are also disadvantages. The laminate is on, dirt may form at the edges of the cut, the angle grinder is noisy and quite dangerous to use. In order to do the job quickly and at the same time efficiently, skill and experience are needed.

A circular saw

A hand-held circular saw has an impressive list of benefits. Among them:

• the ability to adjust the depth of cut;
• high purity of processing;
• acceptable noise level;
• relatively small hazard indicator, manageability;
• smoke does not form, dirt. only fine sawdust.

To work with a circular saw hand-held class does not require large skills. Recommended for beginners option includes the installation of a reliable support for the movement of the sole of the tool and work on the table.

By adjusting the immersion of the saw blade, you can cut the laminate without damaging the surface of the workbench or other support. The main drawback of a circular saw is that not everyone has such a tool; it is irrational to buy it specifically for laying flooring from a laminate.

Guillotine and blade cutter

Two tools that are specialized. These devices work like this:

• a strip of laminate is laid in the guillotine, with a cutting line directly under the blade. After that, exert pressure on the working body using a long handle. The disadvantage of the guillotine is the small length of the cut, difficulties may arise when cutting a wide board at an angle;
• The blade cutter is similar to the photographic one. Hybrid technology is used. both scissor and guillotine. The advantage of the blade cutter is the ability to make long passes of the material, which, with a certain skill, will allow you to process some dimensions of the boards along.

Guillotine and cutter are professional tools. They provide extremely high cleanliness and accuracy of cuts, allow you to process a huge amount of material with stable quality.

But the main drawback of a professional tool is that it is expensive, it can perform only one precisely designated operation. Therefore, the home master for a one-time repair does not make sense to look for such devices.

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useful information and installation tips, options for sawing a laminate yourself.

Many people who decide to lay the laminate with their own hands are faced with the problem of fitting the laminate parts to the desired size. That is, the laminate needs to be sawn, not all saws are suitable for this. To understand why it is still better to saw a laminate, you need to understand the structure of its tile, what it consists of.

About laminate flooring

For different materials, their processing, different tools are required. You cannot cut glass with a saw, and you cannot cut metal with a glass cutter. You need to know what a laminate tile consists of in order to understand what is the most convenient way to saw a laminate.

What a laminate consists of

Four main layers of the laminated panel

• Tar paper is the first, lowest layer of the laminate. This is waterproofing from the main floor. concrete screed or wooden. Sometimes a backing is added under this paper. It provides additional heat and waterproofing. But such a substrate only happens in some collections of laminate; it significantly increases its cost.
• The second layer is the thickest. This is fiberboard, from which the laminate is made. Very high density fiberboard. The thicker this layer, the better. The castle crashes into it.
• The third layer is a layer of paper, it is decorative. On this paper is a drawing imitating wood, stone, whatever.
• The fourth layer of laminate consists of resin. acrylic or melamine. it is the topmost, the last. Through these resins, the pattern on the decorative layer is clearly visible. Resins are protection, the wear resistance of the laminate depends on the thickness of this layer.

Laminated panel fitting

• Looking at the composition of the laminate, its structure can be decided that it is easy to saw it, whatever. In general, it is. But nevertheless, to do something better, more convenient, more accurately. An instruction on how to saw a laminate can be good advice, but not a guide.
• The type of cut, its clarity, very much depends on the tool with which the laminate is sawed. It is desirable that the cutting structure of the saw is as small as possible, then the cut will be normal.
• Not only the fineness of the teeth depends on an even cut of the laminate. It also depends on the speed with which it is sawed, on the material from which the saw is made, its qualities. If these figures are high, a jigsaw file with large teeth can make a perfect cut.
• It should be added that there is no such thing as a jigsaw file for cutting a laminate. There are various files for wood or metal. You can use any. You just need to know that if you saw metal with a fine blade, it would bind in the laminate, if it was large with wood, it would go easier. The cut is almost the same.

• An electric circular with the most conventional wood cutting discs cuts laminate flooring perfectly. There are no special disks for cutting laminate here. Each sheet of manual electrocirculation can play this role.
• With this method of cutting, it is almost impossible to cut in different directions. In this case, you need to take an electric jigsaw, and for curly cuts a nail file for metal, it is thinner.

Take advice. When working with manual electric circulator, it is better to turn the laminate face down. This eliminates the torn edge of the paper. This can happen if you do not turn the laminate board over, if the saw blade is not sharp enough.

It is possible to cut the substrate and the laminate angle grinder. Saw blades are taken on metal or concrete. This work will cause smoke in the room where to do it. It is possible to insert a blade with teeth into the angle grinder. This is not the best option, the cut will certainly be uneven.

You can cut the laminate with the simplest hacksaw, metal or wood, but always with small teeth. Canvas for metal will be difficult to cut wide panels or laminate boards along. But the cut trace after it is clearer than after working with a canvas on wood.

Tip. In the worst case, you can do with a construction knife. This is in isolated cases. If necessary, cut the laminate board, but no tool. Under the ruler with a knife, a deep fishing line is held, the laminate is broken by a blow of the hand. The other part of the panel is pressed by the knee to the stool.

Conclusion

As you can see, many tools can easily cut through the laminate. Here it is more a matter of having a tool, and if there is a choice, a person’s preference.