Best way to cut a lot of laminate flooring

[David W.E. Roberts]

Hi,

I am about to embark on a major laminate flooring project.

In the past I have used various methods to cut, some good, some bad, none fast.

(1) Jig saw with guide - takes time to set up, and the jig saw sometimes has a mind of its own. (2) Circular saw with guide - as (1) and more accurate but the saw is heavier and it all takes time to set up (3) Hand saw - afte a while I can follow the line (mostly) but this is slow and as the day wears on my arm wears out.

I am looking at sliding mitre saws because in theory I just lay the board down and slide the saw along the mark.

However, I need some guidance (as usual).

(1) The cheapest sliding saw at Screwfix is

£89.99. I am pretty sure they had cheaper at B&Q, but the offer may be over. Is there a recommended saw of this type for the job I want to do?

(2) Is the bog standard blade you get with these saws suitable for cutting laminate, or do you need a blade with finer teeth?

(3) Is there another type of saw in the same price bracket (up to about £100) which is more suitable for the job?

TIA

Dave R

[Andrew May]

How wide is the laminate. Do you really need a sliding mitre saw or would a basic chop saw do the job. Basic chop saw would probably be more accurate than an equivalent sliding jobbie. Best bit of advice I can give if you decide on that route is to get a decent blade. That will make more difference than anything.

Andrew

[David W.E. Roberts]

The boards are 200mm wide, which is wider than most mitre saws.

The first two I looked at on Screwfix cut 130mm and 140mm.

This is why I think I need a sliding saw - they tend to cut between 200mm and 300mmm depending on model.

[Andrew May]

You're right - if they are 200mm then you will need a sliding saw.

Same comment applies about the blade though. I've used Freud and they've been quite good but I'm sure there are others. And I'm sure others will be along soon with their own recommendations.

Andrew

[LSR]

I'm pretty pleased with the 10" SIP sliding compound mitre saw I got from Costco when it was £99 inc VAT on special offer. They now do the 12" one - was £99 ex VAT when I was last there. It's much more rigid than the similarly priced ones I've seen in B&Q.

Remember that all the sawn edges will be hidden under the skirting (or quadrant if you really must) so you don't need a very fine cut.

[GMM]

I just did my whole ground floor with all of those options available and ended up using a small handsaw for nearly all the cuts. Cutting turns out to be a fairly minor part of the whole job and quite a few cuts are not straight chops, but have some 'shape' to them, which is generally easier by hand.

On the other hand, if you're looking for justification for buying a new toy, that's a different matter and clearly whatever you don't already have is essential for the job........

[David W.E. Roberts]

Thanks - I have about 30 feet to do.

Because of the general configuration and lack of right angles it doesn't look a good idea to follow the recommendation and go along the longest side.

My best bet seems to be to go crossways in runs of about 11' 9" so I reckon there will be quite a bit of cutting.

Hmm...3 boards every two feet means 45 cuts which doesn't seem a massive number, but still I've just done a small kitchen with 300mm boards (imitation tiles) and the cutting seemd to be the major part of the operation.

Laying the clip together boards was a matter of seconds.

I may also end up doing a lot more laminate flooring in the next house so it may be a good investment.

Cheers

Dave R

[George]

Great piece of it is to have a sliding compound mitre saw. I bought mine new off a guy on ebay for £70,he's still selling them but a different brand. If you do buy one make sure its a double radial arm which is more stable than the single arm.

[Pete C]

I'd try some /decent/ blades out on a bit of scrap laminate, eg Bosch T101D.

Multiply the time taken by the number of cuts.

If you only need square cuts it shouldn't take long to make a 'sawboard' type jig from few scraps of ply, I usually make them with a staple gun.

Though if you /do/ want a sliding compound mitre saw, then buy one.

cheers, Pete.

[Stuart Noble]

You could do both the ripping and the crosscuts on a sawbench.

[Rookie_Remodeler]

The blade is the most important thing to consider (IMHO). I did my house's whole floor using a Craftsman 10" compound mitre saw, a Bosch jig saw and a Makita circular saw. The mitre saw was the the length and angle cuts Jig saw for the special 90 degrees angles to fit the planks around corners and air vents on the floor. Circular saw for the long strip cuts for the end of the rooms.

I bought a special blade to cut laminates (has carbide tips) because they are very abrasive. My circular saw's blade was dull at the end of the project (only bought the special blade for the mitre saw). The mitre saw blade was still doing nice cuts in the end.

[Andy Hall]

True enough, although ripping at an angle for non square rooms?

OTOH, if it's laminate it doesn't really matter anyway.

[The Medway Handyman]

Cheapo jigsaws just don't do the business, a good one will.

Make up a sawboard

with a right angle fence. Even a cheapo circular saw will work well.

True! Although for smaller jobs I use a handsaw because by the time you have set up a power tool you could have done the job by hand.

Yup! And a very useful bit of kit all round.

Avoid any B&Q own label power tool like the plauge - they are the spawn of the devil.

Cut line is under skirting/beading so it won't show.

[Rick Hughes]

either way be warned laminate flooring very quickly blunts TCT blades ... You don't need a very fine tooth, but certainly finer than the standard blade. something like 3- 4 tpi