How to cut a laminate at home without chips and damage
The technology of working with a laminate should provide for the fact that during the installation process it will be necessary to trim the canvas along the length or width. The average buyer, who decided to carry out these works on his own, has a completely reasonable question of how to saw the laminate at home.
To trim the laminated board, both hand tools and electrical equipment can be used. The quality of the cut varies in each case, but if you follow the basic instructions, the result is almost always positive.
# 1. Hacksaw for metal
Hacksaw is the easiest and cheapest tool for cutting laminate
A hacksaw with a small tooth is the simplest tool for cutting laminitis. Such a tool is often found even in people far from repair and decoration.
General recommendations for working with a hacksaw are as follows:
- check the tension of the metal sheet. It must be securely fixed;
- apply the necessary marking on the surface of the laminate with a thin marker or construction pencil;
- take a rigid support and fix the panel in any convenient way;
- make a light gash along the line and with slow but smooth movements start sawing the lamella.
This tool will require a lot of time to cut the lamella, since the laminate is a very dense material. The quality of the saw cut strongly depends on the ability to work with a hacksaw and patience.
Before cutting the laminate with a hacksaw, try the tool on an ordinary block of wood or thick plywood. This will allow you to understand at what pace it is most convenient to work, how the canvas behaves on dense material, etc.
# 2. Laminate Cutter
A cutter for a laminated board allows you to get a quick result at minimum cost
A manual cutter for a laminate is a specialized tool made in the form of a supporting structure with a fixed cutting blade. The principle of operation can be compared with the guillotine. The thickness of the cut material and the length of the cut itself varies depending on the model.
The average thickness of the laminate rarely exceeds 0.8-1 cm. Therefore, it makes no sense to buy professional cutters. Enough equipment of the middle price category cost 1500-1700 rubles.
Can be cut both along and across the blade. The only thing is that the quality of cutting along the blade strongly depends on the length of the cutting element. But for laying the last row, the quality of the edge does not play much role, since the cut-off part will be covered with a plinth.
The process of working with the torch is as follows:
- marking the front of the laminate;
- we take the handle with the blade back and lay the panel on the supporting structure;
- we expose the panel so that the line of the cut of the part we need is just to the right of the knife (to the left for left-handed people);
- gently lower the handle until it contacts the panel, press and saw until the unwanted piece is cut off.
After the cut, the front side remains flat and intact, and pieces of paper and torn edges may remain on the back side, which should be sanded with sandpaper.
For more expensive and professional cutters, the edge on both sides is more even, since the handle has more weight, and the blade sharpening itself is better.
# 3. Electric jigsaw
The electric jigsaw is the perfect solution for working with wood cladding
Jigsaw is the most convenient tool for obtaining high-quality saw cut without chips, damage and burrs. Due to the high frequency of the course, the cutting of the laminate can be done in the shortest possible time.
For a thin laminate, you can use the cheapest jigsaw cost of 1300-1500 rubles, designed for cutting wood up to 7 mm thick. A thicker and better laminate will require a more professional tool: power 550-750 watts, cost 2500-3500 rubles.
If you plan to purchase a jigsaw for future use, we recommend that you immediately take the second option, since a cheap power tool has a short service life.
In order to saw the laminate with a jigsaw you will need to purchase a separate file for the laminate. Standard marking is T101BR. This is a blade with reverse teeth, the pitch of the cutting elements is 2.5 mm with a working length of 74-75 mm. The average price is 200 rubles.
Before drawing a guide on the surface of the panel, you should find out which side you can saw this panel. Typically, the instructions specify this item, as some manufacturers allow you to cut along the front layer.
The process of fitting a laminate using a jigsaw is as follows:
- Remove the factory universal blade and install the file for the laminate.
- On the back of the lamella, apply a cut line with a pencil.
- It fixes the lamella so that under the cut line there is free space for the file to move.
- If the jigsaw has a pendulum stroke mode, then it should be turned off.
- Set the jigsaw in front of the cut line, but do not rest the blade until it is turned on.
- Turn on and lightly press, saw off the panel.
The principle of working with a jigsaw is quite simple and will not cause any special difficulties. In the process of cutting, try not to rush, do not put pressure on the tool, work smoothly and measuredly.
# 4. Circular Saw
A circular saw requires skills and experience with the tool
A circular saw allows you to get the highest quality result possible. The main disadvantage is the ability to work with the tool and the high cost of the tool itself.
There are domestic and professional varieties. Professional equipment is equipped with a stand, support structure and clamp. This allows you to securely lock the panel.
The minimum price for a household circular saw starts from 1800-2000 rubles per tool of the lowest quality. We recommend purchasing only if a “circular” is required for work in addition to laying the laminate. But in this case, it is better to look at more expensive and powerful copies.
To work, you need a saw blade on the laminate. Disc size 160-200 mm, thickness not more than 2 mm, the number of cutting elements. 48 pcs. The bore hole is selected according to the tool. The minimum price is 500-700 rubles.
The work sequence will consist of the following:
- Take the protective cover back and put the stop.
- Loosen and remove the lock nut from the standard disc. Install the disk over the laminate and fix the nut with a wrench.
- Using the protractor, set the disk perpendicular to the laminate panel.
- Mark the front of the panel.
- Lock the panel so that nothing interferes with the progress of the disc.
- Set the circular saw, turn it on and smoothly cut along the cut line.
During cutting, the saw should be gently pushed forward. Try not to do jerking, do not tilt the tool itself, as the fishing line will cut at an angle. If possible, better entrust the work to a professional or practice on unnecessary pieces of wood.
# 5. Angle grinder
Manual angle grinder is not the best choice when working with laminate
An angle grinder or a manual angle grinder is a compromise when the tool is available and there is no way to look for something else. Laminate can be cut with an angle grinder, but it is strongly not recommended to purchase this tool specifically for these works.
For cutting laminated boards, you can use a disk for ceramic tiles. Cutting should only be done on the front of the lamella. In the process of work, the cutting blade should be carried out “on itself” and the angle grinder should be held firmly by hand.
It is difficult to single out the special advantages of this approach, since it is not a specialized tool that requires work skills. If possible, it is better to abandon its use.
As a result, it turns out that it is better to saw the laminate with an electric jigsaw, a circular saw or a hacksaw with a metal blade. With the skill, you can also use an angle grinder, but the speed and quality of work will significantly decrease.
How and with what to saw a laminate. choice of tool and the nuances of sawing laminated coatings
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.
Video: How to Saw Laminate with an Electric Jigsaw Without Chipping
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.
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
How to cut a laminate: choose a tool
Laminate is a relatively new material for flooring, but has gained well-deserved popularity due to its practicality and aesthetic appearance. In addition, it is easy to assemble it yourself, having completed all the necessary measurements.
During assembly, laminate boards must be staggered to give strength to the entire structure. Therefore, each row requires correction in length, both at the beginning and at the end.
It is not so difficult to shorten boards or cut pieces of a certain shape, the main thing is to make the right choice. than to saw a laminate at home. Consider what kind of tools you can use for cutting a laminate board.
Hand hacksaw: the nuances of work, safety
If the front of work is small. one or two rooms. and there are no electric cutting tools, a hand saw is quite suitable. A sheet of a hand saw should have very small and frequent teeth.
A hacksaw for metal is best suited, as the laminate is a hard, very strong, extruded material, and it is difficult to saw with a conventional tool with large and rare teeth.
The laminate board is sawn from the front side, and in order to avoid chipping and chips, a masking tape must be glued along the cut line. On top of the tape, an exact line is drawn under the ruler or square, along which the material will be sawn.
Significantly facilitate and accelerate the process of electric sawing, and the cut quality will be better. With the help of an electric or a hacksaw for metal, corner cuts can also be made in the laminate, but for rounded sections (for example, under a pipe or column of an arch) such tools will not work.
To cut the board, it is necessary to lay it on the working table so that the cutting line is at least 20 mm from the table edge.
Laminate cut with a jigsaw
The best tool for cutting a laminate can be called a jigsaw. This is a fairly comfortable and easy-to-use tool.
The main advantages of a jigsaw over other tools are:
- compactness, light weight;
- the ability to cut any configuration (wavy, rounded with a different radius);
- simplicity, usability;
- high quality cut without chips and cracks.
Sawing a laminate board with an electric jigsaw is carried out at high speeds, so the slices are obtained in high quality. both curly and across the board, and along the entire blade. The main nuance is the choice of a file for a jigsaw.
For sawing a laminate, special files with a special tooth shape, frequency and method of divorce are intended. The standard saw blade for cutting backward laminate is marked T101BR.
Video: How to cut a laminate smoothly and without chips
The cut line is drawn from the back of the laminate (usually the manufacturer indicates which side is best to cut). Then the board is laid on a table or a special stand, so that the cropped part is outside the plane of the desktop.
The laminate board is pressed tightly with your hand to the surface and the excess part is quickly cut off. The most important thing is to fix the board well so as not to damage it and avoid accidental injuries. In the process, do not rush, press hard on the jigsaw.
Laminate circular saw
If there is no jigsaw, you can use a circular saw to cut the laminate. This is a more complex tool, to use it you must have certain skills. Using a circular saw, you can get the best quality sections of the laminate board along and across the canvas.
The cutting element is a disc with a size of 16-20 cm, with a blade thickness of not more than 20 mm, the number of teeth is 48 pcs. When working with this tool, you must follow a certain sequence of actions:
- take the protective cover away, install and fix the cutting disc along the laminate;
- Using the protractor, set the saw blade perpendicular to the lamellas;
- make markings on the front side of the panel and fix it so that nothing prevents the movement of the saw;
- smoothly cut off the excess part.
During cutting, the tool should be held strictly perpendicular to the laminate panels, so that the cut is smooth, cut smoothly, without stopping or jerking, since they are the cause of chips.
This method of sawing has a rather significant drawback. a dust cloud and the smell of burnt material. Therefore, you need to work on bal-Kone or in the open air.
Laminate Cutter
Another tool for cutting laminate flooring is the cutter, which works according to the guillotine principle. In other words, this is a sharp knife that, with the help of a handle, falls onto the board and smoothly cuts it. To work with the cutter, skills and the use of force are not required, the cut is very high-quality, smooth, without chips, and the process itself proceeds without noise and dust.
With the help of a cutter, you can easily achieve the ideal result of a professional level. But it is advisable to use this tool specifically for professionals, since it has a narrow specialization, is intended only for cutting laminate. Therefore, to repair two or three rooms, it makes no sense to purchase this tool.
Another disadvantage is that it is impossible to cut the laminate panel along the canvas, but only across.
A lot of people, starting repairs in their apartment with their own hands, simply do not know how to saw the laminate. As it turned out, the most convenient and easy to use tool is an electric jigsaw.
Subject to certain rules, you can quickly learn and achieve a good result. Each of the above tools has some advantages over the others. the choice must be made in accordance with professional skills.
Than sawing a laminate
In recent years, among all floor coverings, it is the laminate that stably holds high positions in popularity. This is understandable, because the laminated board is very similar to wood, although it is made on the basis of high density fiberboard. The construction of the laminate is four-layer, and on the surface there is another layer in the form of a film, its purpose is decorative and protective. Laminate is quite easy to install. Like the vast majority of floor coverings, the laminate needs to be cut and adjusted to the size of the room, and this can be a problem for a beginner, because it is not known how to saw the laminate so that the cut is without the slightest cracks and chips.
Jigsaw cutting
Jigsaw
Jigsaw is one of the most convenient materials for sawing a laminate. Sawing should be carried out at increased tool speeds to reduce the possibility of deformation of the laminated board.
In order to do everything right, you must first prepare for the cut. To do this, from the outside mark a line with a pencil, on which the cut will be carried out. Now you need to hold the same fishing line with a sharp object, for example, a knife or an awl, and make some effort. This will allow you to cut through the upper protective layer, which in the future will help to create a more even and clear line cut board.
Now you need to place the board on a flat surface and fix it thoroughly. The part of the board to be sawn must be in limbo. Actually, now you can start cutting.
Laminate saws for laminate
You should also determine which file is best used. Today on sale there are nozzles for wood, including special ones for laminate.
If it is necessary to make straight sections, then the file can be wide, although for more complex cuts it is better to use a file with small teeth and a narrow blade. The narrowness of the canvas especially affects the beauty of the curly sections, and the narrower the canvas, the thinner and more accurate the result.
Also recently appeared on sale files with the opposite direction of the teeth, which perfectly cope with the task of accurately cutting the laminate.
Using a circular saw
A circular saw
A circular saw cannot be called optimal for cutting a laminate, but if a person has certain skills in working with it, then he should not have difficulties. Most often, this method is used when it is necessary to saw the laminate along, that is, when it is necessary to go through the entire length of the board. A circular saw can significantly speed up the cutting process and get high-quality material of the required size.
The disadvantages include the formation of the smell of a burnt tree. The saw should be with small teeth.
Using Angle Grinder
Angle Grinder
When using an angle grinder to cut a laminate, it is necessary to select disks for concrete or ceramic tile. Sawing is carried out on the outer, front side, to avoid the formation of burrs and chips.
When using the angle grinder, a lot of dust and burning is formed, and therefore it is necessary to protect objects in the room, after covering them with a film.
Using a Hacksaw to Cut Laminate
Hacksaw
The hacksaw is clearly not the leader in the rating, the better it is to saw the laminate, but sometimes a person has only it at hand. A classic hacksaw has very large teeth, and with their help it will not be possible to cut the board quite nicely.
For a quality cut you need a hacksaw with small teeth.
On wood
The obvious disadvantages include the duration of the process. Using a hacksaw can be justified if you need to file a small angle or make a cut across the board. Using a hacksaw to cut a laminated board along its entire length is a catastrophic waste of time.
Using a cutter
Special station
This tool acts on the principle of the guillotine, that is, its parts seem to clamp the building material, which must be cut, and then quickly cut off by pressing. The cut is very smooth. In addition, when using the torch, there is no noise and it does not form dust.
The design of the cutter is such that they can only make cross cuts, which significantly reduces the scope of its application, and therefore the cutter should not be bought for a single laying of the laminate.
Figured cuts
In some cases, for example, at the junction of a laminated board with pipes, it is necessary to make a cut of a certain shape, which is called curly. Theoretically, you can make such a cut with a hacksaw and a circular saw, although the jigsaw is a recognized leader in terms of ease of use.