Cutting Laminate Floors: A Guide for Repairing & Installing New Laminate Floor Planks (2022)
Thinking of overhauling your home’s floor system with new laminate floor planks? Well, you’re in luck! In this short guide, we’ll show you exactly How To Cut Laminate With Simple Methods. No need to call in professional floor installers at all. So long that you have the tools, it’s actually quite simple!
Step 1: Measure the Plank
The first step is to measure the laminate plank with a tape ruler. Mark the plank with a marker so that you know how and where to cut the plank to suit your project’s specifications.
Step 2: Lay the Plank on a Good Worktable
A plywood worktable is preferred for cutting laminate floor planks. This type of table is most suitable for working with a saw. You should never cut laminate floor planks on cement worktables.
Step 3: Start Cutting with a Circular Saw
Laminate floor planks can usually be cut with any cutting tool, ranging from a hand saw to a utility knife. However, to make the neatest and most accurate cuts, you should get a circular saw. If you don’t have such a saw and can’t afford one, consider leasing one from your local hardware store.
Carbide tipped saw blades are preferred for cutting laminate. If the plank is on the thicker side, switch the saw to a lower speed to avoid excessive wear on the tool.
Most electric saws cut from top to bottom, so start at the top of the sheet (farthest from you) down to the bottom. You should also lay the plank with the laminated side facing down onto the table to avoid accidental damage to the sensitive lamination.
For now, just cut the plank to the rough shape you want. You can trim the plank later.
Step 4: Install the Plank
Place the plank into place. You should already treat the installation surface with the correct floor plank adhesive or glue by then. Allow the glue to settle and bond tightly to the plank.
Next, use a jigsaw with a fine blade (approximately 20 teeth per inch) and trim out the corners and curves of the plank. Trim slowly to avoid chipping the lamination or the plank itself.
Step 5: Sand Down the Plank
Last but not least, use a belt sander with a grit of 100 to smooth out the edges of the planks.
If you don’t have a belt sander, you can use a metal file or a sheet of sandpaper. They will work, too.
Just remember to work gently.
The floor planks are very sensitive, so if you use too much force, you will risk accidentally damaging either the lamination or the plank. When that happens, unless you want to live with the damaged plank forever, you will have to switch it out with a new plank. There is no way to fix a chipped laminated floor plank!
Important Site:
How to cut Laminate
Cutting Laminate sheets
Conclusion
And that’s everything that you need to know about cutting laminate floors! As you can see, it is a lot easier than it looks. The most “serious” tool that you need to have at hand is a circular saw.
We hope this short guide from The King Live has proven to be useful for you!