The better to cut laminate at home

angle grinder or angle grinder

A rarely used tool. It is quite simple to work for them. the cutting line is marked and traversed with a disc. But there are also disadvantages. Laminate flooring burns, dirt may form at the edges of the cut, the angle grinder is noisy and quite dangerous to use. In order to do work quickly and at the same time with high quality, skill and experience are required.

A circular saw

The 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 low hazard indicator, controllability;
• no smoke, no dirt. only fine sawdust.

It doesn’t take much skill to work with a hand-held circular saw. Recommended action for beginners involves setting up a secure foot for the movement of the tool sole and working on a 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 disadvantage of a circular saw is that not everyone has such a tool, it is irrational to buy it specifically for laying laminate flooring.

Hacksaw for metal and saw for wood

A hacksaw for metal allows you to get a clean cut without tearing off the decorative coating. And if a decision is made to act as a saw for a tree, it is advisable to choose a tool for gardening, designed for pruning branches and twigs. Working with a hand tool looks like this:

• using a pencil or marker, mark the cutting line;
• if you need a right angle of a cut, it is recommended to use a carpenter’s marking corner;
• first, a decorative and protective coating is cut through. This must be done carefully, minimally damaging the edges.

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

Cutting with a hacksaw for metal

Complete list of available tools

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

They produce both a laminate according to the classical scheme, from MDF, covered with several layers using lamination technology, and a one-piece vinyl finishing material, which has only one outer protective layer.

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

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

Each of the devices differs in both availability and convenience and speed of work. The decision, the better to cut the laminate, is made on the basis of the requirements for the volume of work, the quality of the cut obtained, as well as the accuracy of processing. If we are talking about small repairs and want to know how to cut laminate at home, the list will be significantly reduced.

How and how to cut the laminate. All techniques: from knife to guillotine.

The decision to decorate an apartment or house with the help of such a flooring is taken daily by hundreds of people. For beginners, there is usually no question of how to install, since the laminate manufacturer provides detailed instructions and offers all the necessary consumables. But it can be difficult for a home craftsman to decide what to cut a laminate with.

The easiest way

• Complete list of available tools
• Hacksaw for metal and saw for wood
• Jigsaw
• Knives
• angle grinder or angle grinder
• A circular saw
• Guillotine and blade cutter

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, you should follow some rules.

• To make it convenient to work, the markings are made on the front side of the laminate board. In order to prevent tearing of the decorative coating during cutting, a saw with a reverse tooth direction is chosen. Standard. picks up material from below and can damage the upper layers of the laminate.
• If it is not possible to use a saw with a reverse tooth direction, the markings must be done from the back of the board. In this case, the decorative coating will remain intact along the edges of the cut.
• At zero feed and high rpm, special straight tooth saws can be used.
• If you want to achieve very high accuracy and cleanliness of the material passage, it is recommended to use special thin saws for curved cuts.

They work with a 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 along which the sole of the jigsaw will move.

Video how to cut with a jigsaw.

A utility knife or utility knife is a very successful tool for cutting laminate flooring. This should be done according to the following scheme:

• after marking the future mowing line of the cut on the front side, install a support, preferably a metal corner or ruler;
• with a blade with strong pressure, slide along the laminate along the support.

It is necessary not to move the support and make several passes of the knife until the blade has passed more than half the thickness of the laminate board. After that, it is broken with a slight swing. It is not recommended to use excessive force in order not to deform the edge with a decorative coating.

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

We cut the laminate with a clerical knife

Guillotine and blade cutter

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

• a strip of laminate is laid into the guillotine, with a cutting line directly under the blade. After that, pressure is exerted 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;
• a blade cutter is similar to a photographic cutter. Hybrid technology is used. scissor and guillotine at the same time. 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.

The 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 consistent quality.

But the main drawback of a professional tool is that it is expensive, it can perform only one, precisely indicated operation. Therefore, it makes no sense for a home craftsman to look for such devices for a one-time repair.

The best way to cut laminate flooring?

Correctly cutting the laminate to the required dimensions is one of the positions in the technology of installing this flooring at home. It’s no secret that the laminate is laid like a brick, which means that some of the panels will be cut in half. In addition, not all of the last panels in the row fit entirely. And again you have to cut them.

Many ordinary people who are trying to lay the laminate with their own hands have a legitimate question, what cutting tools are there and which one is better? To answer these questions, it is necessary to consider all types.

• Laminate cutting tools
• Hacksaw for metal
• Jigsaw
• Angle angle grinder
• Knife
• Professional tools

Jigsaw

But this electric tool is ideal for cutting laminate.

• Firstly, the jigsaw has high rotations of the working body, which allows you to cut the material without the formation of chips and cracks.
• Secondly, it is a lightweight and very convenient tool that even a beginner can use.

• Thirdly, the cut is smooth, almost perfect.

Advice! In order to cut the laminate, it is best to use the special saws that are produced for this operation. They have a smaller pitch between the teeth, but the teeth themselves are set differently. And the shape of the file is completely different.

Angle angle grinder

Probably, every home craftsman has a small-sized angle grinder in his arsenal. For cutting, it is best to use its corner model. It’s just more convenient. Different discs can be used to cut laminate flooring:

• On concrete.
• For metal.
• For ceramic tiles.

Advice! It is best to work the angle grinder outdoors (for example, on an open balcony). The fact is that when cutting a laminate, like any other material, a large amount of dust is generated. And the smell of burning will fill the room.

This tool can be used as a fallback. Suddenly the angle grinder or jigsaw stopped working, all the files broke, and so on. With the help of a good construction knife, you can cut laminate, however, there is its own technology.

• A metal ruler is laid at the cut point.
• A deep cut is made along the mowing line with a sharp knife. The deeper the better.
• The ruler and knife are removed.
• Lay the laminate panel so that the line of the cut lines up exactly with the edge of the table.
• Now press the half of the panel lying on the table with your palm. And press the hanging one with your free hand. The laminate must break exactly along the cut.
• Edges can be smoothed.

Hacksaw for metal

It is this simple tool that the bulk of consumers use when they are faced with the question, what is the best way to cut such a floor covering as a laminate? With a small amount of work carried out at home, this is the best solution. Professionals do not use it, because when using a hacksaw, you have to spend a lot of effort. And it takes a lot of time to undercut. There is information that the laminate can be cut with a saw on wood. Do not even think about it, the saw has large teeth, so you cannot talk about the quality of the cut edges.

Laminate cutting tools

First of all, I would like to note the requirements for tools.

• They should be easy to use.
• Have a small weight and size.
• The main requirement is to get an even cut without defects on the edge of the laminate.

Professional tools

Wizards usually use more powerful tools:

• A circular saw.
• Special cutter for laminate flooring.

Both tools give a neat edge after cutting. A table with a special through longitudinal groove will have to be installed under the circular. It is more difficult to work with this electric tool, it takes skill. Here it is important to carefully guide the disc along the intended mowing line of the cut, not to brake in one place. The hand trembled. there was a displacement right there. Minus circular. a lot of noise and a lot of dust.

The cutter is the most professional modern device. It works on the guillotine principle. The panel is simply laid along the mowing line of the cut under the knife. Then the handle is pressed by hand.

No dust, no noise, smooth cut without defects. This equipment is not cheap, so it makes no sense to use it at home. But the teams that professionally deal with laminate flooring cannot do without it today.

As you can see, there are several tools that you can use to cut laminate flooring. Which one is better? It is difficult to answer this question, because a lot will depend on who will use them.

If this is a home craftsman, then we advise you not to waste it. You can use a hacksaw for metal. If you are a professional then buy a cutter. Of course, you can use power tools, but they generate a lot of noise and dust. This means that all work will have to be carried out on the street.

Tool selection

How can laminate flooring be cut? Each craftsman has his own criteria by which he chooses a cutter for panels. Someone cares about its weight, work from the mains or exclusively by hand. Someone will choose from a variety of options the smallest tool, convenient and mobile. But for most masters of any level, thinking about how to cut a laminate when laying, an ideal cut, the ability to quickly execute it, will still be important. We list all the tools designed to work with laminate planks, designate the characteristics of each of them.

To get a plank of the right size, length, shape, there are several different electrical and manual units. When asked how to cut a laminate, experts give at least 7 answer options:

To get a plank of the right size, length, shape, there are several different electrical and manual units.

• electric jigsaw;
• circular saw;
• angle grinder or angle grinder;
• hacksaw;
• a cutter;
• construction knife;
• an ordinary clerical knife.

Almost any of these tools will be able to get a smooth cut. Naturally, if you have the appropriate experience of handling. There is no single recommendation on how to cut laminate flooring at home, what to use more correctly or professionally, in this situation. Each master is guided exclusively by his own experience and practice. Therefore, we will begin in order to disassemble each of the above.

Power Tools: Grinder

When pronouncing the word “angle grinder”, many will have one very persistent association with cutting metal. Most first got acquainted with this tool when they changed metal pipes at home to plastic ones. However, this unit has great capabilities. Grinding machines come in different sizes, capacities. Because of this, they have one main quality. versatility. Therefore, there is a certain category of craftsmen who do not have a question about how to cut the laminate. They automatically select an angle grinder, as they are used to cutting absolutely everything.

The angle grinder is very convenient to use, produces a perfectly flat, smooth cut. For everything to work out, you need to install cutting discs:

• metals;
• concrete;
• ceramic tiles.

Important! Planks should be laid and fixed face up before cutting.

When working with this power tool, there are two important points to consider: a large amount of dust, an unpleasant smell of burnt wood. If you are wondering if an angle grinder can cut laminate flooring, the answer is yes. You just don’t need to do it indoors. Better to go outside or to the balcony.

Power Tools: Jigsaw

Electric jigsaw is an extremely convenient, simple tool

This tool is number one in most classifications. There are several reasons for this. The electric jigsaw is an extremely convenient, simple, easy-to-use, very effective tool. Therefore, when looking for a solution to the problem, the better to cut the laminate, many people stop at the jigsaw.

Even a beginner can use it, even female hands can handle it. And the result will be more than high quality: the cut will be perfect, even, smooth, since the jigsaw produces a large number of revolutions. The main thing here is to choose the right file. Usually, in a set with a jigsaw, there are also accessories exclusively for the laminate. They have a special shape, pitch, set of teeth. But an ordinary file designed for metal can also cut the planks: with small narrow teeth.

Important! To properly shorten the panel with a jigsaw, lay it on a flat surface with the wrong side up.

Thanks to the jigsaw, the cut will be perfect, even, smooth

On the wrong side, all the markings should be done, that is, draw the line of the cut. How to cut a laminate if you don’t have a jigsaw to get an equally perfect cut? You can use a circular.

Formica/laminate tool

Hand tools: hacksaw

Working with a hacksaw will require some physical effort.

If you are puzzling over which file or jigsaw to cut laminate flooring in small quantities, an ordinary hacksaw can help you. The only thing you should be prepared for is that working with such a tool will require some physical effort. In addition, it is a mistake to think that for cutting wood you should choose a hacksaw with large teeth for wood. They will only “rip” and crush the board, break the fragments out of it. To prevent this from happening, you should choose exclusively a hacksaw for metal. with small, often located teeth.

A hacksaw is not suitable as the main tool, so professional teams do not use it. The disadvantages of using are the following: low productivity, high physical costs, danger of material damage. But in some cases, when it is not advisable to cut the laminate with an angle grinder or a jigsaw, when the volume of material is small, a hacksaw can even come in handy.

• Tool selection
• Power Tools: Jigsaw
• Power tools: circular saw
• Power Tools: Grinder
• Hand tools: hacksaw
• Hand tools: construction knife
• Professional tools: cutter
• Subtleties of the process

Anyone who has ever laid laminate flooring knows that it is impossible to achieve perfect coverage without cutting it. After all, no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to reach any of the walls and keep the full length of the boards.
And the chess classics in drawing cannot be observed without cutting. Laminate is not the material with which you can work with an ordinary kitchen knife: not every tool is capable of making a high-quality cut. That is why, when starting to lay the laminate flooring, you need to decide in advance on the cutting unit. Perhaps it will be a revelation for someone, but there are many answers to the question of how to cut the laminate. Each of the tools has its own advantages, features, potential, operational nuances. And you need to know about all the intricacies so that later, in the process of work, to avoid several problems at once.

When starting to lay the laminate flooring, you need to decide in advance on the cutting unit.

Hand tools: construction knife

You can use a construction knife especially when it is important to quickly decide how to cut the laminate.

When laying laminate, various situations arise in which you can be helped out. by a simple construction knife or even a clerical knife. For example, just a couple of planks are left to trim or cut, the power tool is out of order, and the work needs to be finished. A construction knife refers to tools, the use of which does not require skill or experience. However, they will need to cut with the application of physical strength. It can be used especially when it is important to quickly decide how to cut the laminate on the floor without securing the panels for a long time. The board is placed upside down with a foil. The cut is performed along a ruler and with some pressure. It will not be possible to completely cut off the fragment: only a deep trace will remain on the surface. Next, you just need to press a little to break off the cut piece.

Published on 20 October 2016 02:49 PM

How to choose a hacksaw?

Often, when carrying out work on laying out the laminate, they resort to using such a popular tool as a hacksaw. However, to cut panels efficiently and quickly, you need to choose the right model. Of course, in the absence of others, you can use a hacksaw for wood. But in this case, the process will be laborious, since the hacksaw for wood has large teeth. Due to these features, the hacksaw will not neatly cut the canvas, but dig into it.

The best option would be to choose a hacksaw for metal. It has fine teeth and is able to cut the panel evenly.

However, it is worth remembering that you should only resort to using a hacksaw for metal with small amounts of work. Unlike power tools, this one takes more time to cut and requires more effort, so professional builders do not use a hacksaw for this purpose.

How to trim on the floor?

Sometimes there are situations when it is necessary to trim laminated panels that have already been laid on the floor. Usually people with insufficient experience in carrying out construction work in this case ask themselves how to do it correctly.

In addition, you can turn to a safer, but at the same time, laborious method. using a cutter. In order to cut the laid laminate, you need to arm yourself with a professional wood cutter. According to the advice of experienced people, you need to make two parallel cuts along the width of a narrow chisel, then select the cut piece with a chisel. And so slowly remove the length of the panel to the desired size.

The better to cut laminate?

• Coating types
• What to use at home?
• How to choose a hacksaw?
• Can I use the “angle grinder”?
• How to trim on the floor?
• How to cut without chips?
• Which side to cut?

In the process of laying the flooring, namely the laminate, it is important not only to be able to correctly connect the panels to each other. It is also necessary to correctly measure the size of the panels in accordance with the area of ​​the room, and also not to disturb the traditional masonry in a checkerboard pattern. In such a situation, the question naturally arises. how to cut the panels measured by size? Let’s try to figure out the situation.

How to cut PFL Laminate sheet the easy way

Coating types

The choice of tools for cutting laminated panels largely depends on the type of lamella used. If you plan to lay the floor yourself and without the help of specialists, then it is better to pay attention to soft types of laminate.

At home, it will not be difficult to cut soft cork or two-layer vinyl laminate. Such types of laminated panels are distinguished by high indicators of wear resistance and moisture protection, as well as fast masonry.

To cut this type of lamella, you do not need a special tool, it will be enough to arm yourself with an ordinary ruler, pencil or pen and a construction knife. First, the cut line is marked with a pencil or pen, and then a knife should be drawn along it. After that, you just need to bend the canvas. If you need to make a curly cut, then you can use large scissors for this action.

However, for sawing other types of multi-layer panels, which include high-strength fiberboard or chipboard, you need to choose more serious tools.

Can I use the “angle grinder”?

Also called an angle grinder, this tool is great for sawing a variety of materials, including laminated panels. With this device, you can get an even and neat cut. To properly cut the laminate flooring angle grinder, you need to lay the panel with the decorative side up, and also use special replaceable discs with fine teeth for working on metal, ceramic surfaces or concrete.

Since when working with an angle grinder, a large amount of dust and dirt is formed, and you can also smell an unpleasant burning smell during the sawing process, it is better to carry out all manipulations outdoors. On the first floor, you can stretch the extension cord through the window and work on the street, on the upper floors an unglazed balcony is the best fit.

Another nuance when working with an angle grinder, as well as in handling a circular saw, is that you need to have at least a little experience with this tool. Uncertainly guiding the hand during sawing can lead to an uneven edge or it can be completely frayed.

How to cut without chips?

In order to carefully saw off the laminate of the required length, you need to carefully prepare for the start of work.

Initially, you need to decide what kind of tool from the ones described above will be done. And you need to be guided when choosing not only the availability of the device, but also the existing skills in handling it.

After that, you need to accurately measure the length of the panel to be cut. In this case, you should not rush, because a mistake is fraught with damage to the material. At the same time, do not forget about the thickness of the blade, which will cut the blade, and take it into account when measuring.

When the measurements are made, and the place of the cut is marked with a pencil, you need to draw a straight line along which the laminated panel will be cut.

When all the preparatory work has been done, you can proceed directly to the sawing process.

What to use at home?

When choosing a tool that is supposed to cut laminated panels, several factors must be taken into account:

• The tool should be easy to use and not cause discomfort. It depends more on personal preference and handling skills.
• Compact and lightweight items are much easier and faster to handle, and during repairs, every minute counts.
• Another most important point of all is that with the chosen tool, you should get a smooth cut without chips or cracks. However, you should not focus too much on this factor, since minor irregularities will quietly disappear under the baseboards.

Having familiarized yourself with the main characteristics, you can proceed to a more detailed study of tools for cutting laminate.

One of the easy-to-use tools with which you can cut the lamellae is the electric jigsaw. The device is lightweight and even a teenager or girl can quickly figure it out. The jigsaw operates at high speeds, so the cut is accurate. One of the important factors when using this device is choosing the right jigsaw file. Modern models are usually equipped with special removable files for working on laminate flooring. They differ from other files in the shape, location and size of the teeth. However, in the absence of specialized attachments, narrow files with small teeth are also suitable for cutting metal products.

In order to avoid damage to the decorative side of the mark, all manipulations with the jigsaw with the panel should be carried out from the wrong side. It is necessary to position the canvas on a table or chair so that the cut piece of lamella is in a suspended state. Firmly pressing the panel with your hand to the table, you should quickly move the jigsaw along the cut line with a jigsaw.

A guillotine is quite suitable for cutting the required pieces of laminated panels. Unlike the previous device, the guillotine has a mechanical device. In appearance, it can be compared to large scissors. This cutter is quiet, uncomplicated and accurate to operate. With the help of it, it is easiest to cross-cut the laminate, but buying a cutter for repairs in an apartment will be impractical. Such a device is suitable for those who are professionally engaged in laying flooring, so it can be found for temporary use from familiar repairmen.

In order to cut the lamellas using a professional machine, you need to lay the panel on the guillotine support. Then adjust the blade so that the notch for the cut is aligned with the cutter blade. After that, you need to lower the guillotine handle, cutting off exactly and neatly the required piece of the panel. To get an even cut when sawing laminate, you can use a circular.

However, in this case, the circular saw must be equipped with a special blade for working with metal. In addition, unlike a jigsaw, working with a circular saw requires some skills to easily and quickly cut straight pieces of panels.

To work with circulars, lay the laminated panel face up and secure it securely. During work, you need to act carefully, slightly pressing during the movement of the disc and not staying for a long time in one place. Also, do not forget about the elementary safety rules: the sleeves of clothes must be buttoned up during work, and you must also take care of your hands.

Another tool that requires working skills is a router. A manual design with replaceable cutters is unlikely to be found in every home, but it can be found in those who are professionally assembling furniture. The cutter is able to leave behind a perfectly flat and smooth surface, in addition, the tool can cut various shapes.

Sometimes an ordinary construction knife can become an assistant when cutting laminate. It can be used for small volumes of work, for example, for cutting one or two panels, when there is no time to look for another tool.

When using a knife, lay the laminate face up, then make a deep cut in the marking area with the knife. Then, holding one side of the panel, it is necessary to press on the other part of it until it breaks in the place of the cut.

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 makes it easier to clean the floor, which is why housewives appreciate it. Such lamellas are also convenient in terms of cutting. As a rule, it is a relatively soft material that lends itself to cutting with a hand tool. So how to cut vinyl laminate? It is probably not worth using these tools. It is more expedient to use a clerical knife, which has a high cutting ability, almost like a blade. Soft vinyl panels are sensitive to mechanical stress, so a sharp knife is a better choice than a rough angle grinder or a hacksaw.

Open with a jigsaw

If you still have to resort to some tricks with an angle grinder to achieve the cleanest result, then in the case of an electric jigsaw this is not necessary. Even with piece cuts, this tool will deliver impressive results. An example of working with a jigsaw also shows the depth of the question as to what the laminate is cut with if you want to get true shape cutting. Of course, making a straight cut is the most common operation. But non-standard styling, involving installation with curved panels, is practiced. Another thing is that the implementation of this method can be trusted by professional parquet flooring. The advantage of a jigsaw is that a model that is suitable for its characteristics, even in the hands of a beginner in such works, can provide a very decent result. To do this, initially you should purchase a multifunctional device, the design and saw blade of which allow you to carry out figured cutting.

Hacksaw as the most affordable option

If there is not much work, and we are not talking about obtaining an ultra-precise cutting result, then you can limit yourself to using the simplest tool. a hacksaw. In the process of cutting, the main thing is to ensure the integrity and evenness of the edge, if possible, and also to observe the correct cutting of the line. In this case, much will depend on the quality and sharpness of the saw itself. But this option will not work if the question is about what the laminate is cut with in large quantities. Technically, a hacksaw effectively handles wood-based 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 it will be very difficult to maintain a more or less decent cut quality throughout the entire process.

Guillotine cutting for laminate

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

Using a circular saw for cutting

The advantages of this tool include high cutting speed and the ability to work with several panels at the same time. It has already been noted that an angle grinder is distinguished by similar performance, but there are also serious features in the circular grinder. Its cutting power is much higher, therefore, if you are thinking about what is the best way to cut a laminate from a commercial or semi-commercial series, then you will not find this method better. Such panels are characterized by high strength, hardness and rigidity. Therefore, even in piece processing, not every jigsaw or hacksaw will cope with this task. An angle grinder will undoubtedly do batch cutting as well, but not as quickly and efficiently as a circular saw.

How to choose the best tool?

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

How to cut laminate at home?

Laminate panels allow you to create an original appearance 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, they require much less effort, but this is not so. Simple typical installation can be complicated if non-standard decking configurations arise. In such cases, the question arises of what the laminate is cut with. Fortunately, no specialized tool is required to accomplish this task. You can restrict yourself to the usual inventory, which is likely to be found in the household of many home craftsmen.

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 the laminate with an angle grinder without experience is still not recommended. There is nothing particularly difficult in handling an angle grinder, but at least before starting work, it is worth practicing on rough panels. As for the equipment itself, experienced parquet flooring specialists recommend using a disc with 48 teeth in a 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 even edges. at least, a clean cut will be ensured in the lamellas located in the middle of the opened batch. By the way, to obtain a 100% accurate cut, you can install the same rough elements in place of the outer panels.

Jigsaw

This is a more expensive tool, but its choice is the best answer to the question of what is the best way to cut laminate flooring. A jigsaw is worth buying only if the volume of work is too large to saw everything by hand, or if you do not mind the money for its purchase.

How to cut a laminate with a jigsaw:

• Install a reverse fine tooth blade into the jigsaw. If the canvas comes with an expensive and high-quality tool, then you can use it, otherwise purchase it separately.
• Draw a lamella.
• In this case, the lamellas must be sawn, laid face down and secured to a hard surface.

Another advantage of the jigsaw is that it can cut not only along a straight mowing line.

A circular saw

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

• Slide a fine-toothed disc onto the shaft.
• Draw the cut line on the lamella.
• If the cut is carried out along the plank, then set the width on the machine.
• Saw the lamella by pushing in front of you.

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

Hacksaw for metal

It is very convenient to carry out small cuts with a hacksaw for metal due to the fact that:

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

Sawing should be done according to the following instructions:

• First, make a clear marking on the lamellas, remembering that it should be bright, because when sawing it will be covered with a thin layer of dust.
• To get a good edge, cut the sheet face up.
• Do not apply too much force to the tool so as not to damage the edge to be finished.

About choosing a tool

Cutting the laminate must be done with good quality so that the line of the cut is straight and even, and the edge remains intact. All of these steps are fairly easy to accomplish by choosing the right laminate cutting tool. 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 work more accurately.

The simplest tool that absolutely everyone has, but it is not the best solution. A laminate knife is only suitable if you want to make a small cutout for a ledge in the wall. If it is still possible to cut the lamella across, then 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 curve.

If you decide to use a knife, then check its sharpness, because with a blunt sheath you will do much more flaws in your work than with a sharp one.

How to cut laminate flooring at home: tools and methods

Laminate is a floor covering that is increasingly found in every home. Its installation always requires adjustment in length and width, because the lamellas should be laid, observing the rule of brickwork. Accordingly, this gives rise to the question: “How to cut the laminate at home?” In this article, you will learn about the different tools and how to fit using them.

What a professional uses

In any case, an amateur can be easily distinguished from a professional, not only by the speed and quality of work, but also by the tool used. This also happens with laminate flooring. Professionals use a laminate cutter to cut in a very short time.

As you can see in the photo, this cutter. it is a hand-held machine equipped with a sharp blade that is fixed to the base. The blade is easily adjustable for different types of cuts. With the help of the machine, you can cut lamellas along, across and at various angles, without spending much effort and energy.

The principle of working with the machine:

• The lamella is placed on the machine support in a horizontal position.
• The cutter adjusts to the layout.
• The builder applies force to the handle and the blade gradually cuts the lamella.

A professional machine is what it becomes very easy to cut a laminate without chips, so everyone who is engaged in laying laminate is trying to get it.

You can use any of the tools presented, but remember that the most important thing in sawing laminate is the quality of the edge. Remember the advice: in order to make as few chips and irregularities as possible, do not put much effort on the sawing tool, because this will force the tool to pull the fragments out of the material body, and not cut them.

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