7 Best Saw Blade for Cutting Laminate Flooring | Saw Wiki (2023)

FAQs

What is the best saw blade to use on laminate flooring? ›

Carbide-tipped saws will last longer and will hold up to the hard laminate flooring better than saw blades without it. Keep in mind, however, even carbide blades will dull, so have a couple handy so you can switch out during your installation.

The Bosch T101BR jigsaw blade is an ideal choice for cutting laminate materials. The blade cuts on the down stroke, not on the upstroke, the “R” in the product code referring to its “reversed” teeth. This is a popular blade often referred to as a worktop blade.

If using a hand saw make sure it has at least 15 tpi (teeth per inch). The more teeth per inch means a finer cut. If using a jigsaw you want to be using a blade that has 30 teeth or more. For a powered mitre saw look for a blade with 80-100 teeth to get a decent cut.

A Carbide Tooth blade with 80 or more TPI (teeth per inch) and a positive 5 degree hook angle, like the DW3128 . Laminate flooring is very hard on carbide and will dull the teeth faster than other material.

For larger laminate floors, a 305mm saw could be ideal, whereas smaller areas could benefit from a smaller saw. You will need to consider how tough the material is here, however. Laminate is strong and hard-wearing so you might need the larger saw to seamlessly cut through the material.

A jigsaw is a real all-rounder when it comes to cutting laminate floors. It's best used to cut out shapes from your board. For example, when you want to place boards around your toilet or maybe a pillar. Always use a fine toothed blade and have the saw blade spinning before you touch the board.

We therefore recommend cutting from the back of the sheet (far from you) to the front (towards you), with the laminated side down, to avoid chipping the laminate. If you are installing your sheet as a countertop or on top of other furniture, leave the curves and the corners out.

Diamond-tipped blades that are made for laminate and fiber cement usually have a low number of teeth to reduce the dust produced by cutting cement. However, typical circular and miter saw blades that are used for laminate will have 80 to 100 teeth for fine, precision cutting.

Do you cut laminate flooring face up or down? ›

The best technique for cutting your laminate is to cut downwards into it with the décor side facing upwards. The plank is then ready for installation.

Start your first row by placing the planks with the tongue side against the wall. You can also trim the tongues off the boards in the first row with a utility knife. However, because the baseboard will cover a bit of your first and last row, trimming off the tongue is not necessary.

With a radial arm saw, circular saw, jigsaw, or table saw, you should rather saw the planks with the good-looking side down. If you're using a saw blade made for laminate, however, you should saw wit the good-looking side up, since a laminate saw blade as upside-down teeth, which means it splinters downward.

You see, laminate flooring will destroy a wood cutting blade with alternating top bevel (ATB) teeth in no time at all. The sharp points on this type of blade can't handle anything that hard – they dull quickly and those tips are what the blade uses to cut cleanly through wood.

Cutting Capacity

A 10-inch miter saw is good for small projects, crown molding, or fine woodworking that doesn't require breaking down large boards. A 10-inch saw generally has the ability to perform 6-inch wide cross cuts at 90 degrees and 4-inch wide at 45 degrees.

You'll need to have the laminate or vinyl tile cutter for the vinyl flooring because of the sharp guillotine blade of this cutter. This sharp blade helps you cut the vinyl planks finely, without any chips.

Blade size: The most common diameters are 10-inch or 12-inch, with smaller trim miter saws using 7-1/4-in. or 8-1/2-in. blades. Other sizes are more rare. Never use a different size blade than the one recommended for your saw; it's unsafe and inefficient.

A crosscut blade, on the other hand, is designed to produce a smooth cut across the grain of the wood, without splintering or tearing. This type of blade will usually have 60 to 80 teeth, and the higher tooth count means that each tooth has to remove less material.

Number of Teeth

For most construction work, a 24-tooth general use blade is sufficient. That blade is very aggressive and will help you rip and cross-cut lumber and sheet goods quickly and with a high degree of accuracy.

Does length of jigsaw blade matter? ›

Blade length

Jigsaw blades come in a variety of lengths. The blade should be longer than the thickness of the material you're cutting. Keep in mind that the effective blade length is about an inch shorter than the actual blade length.

There are two main types of jigsaw blades: U-shanks or T-shanks (also known as SDS). For some jigsaws, especially from the brands Makita and Maktec (manufactured by Makita), specific fittings are required, known as Makita fittings. Other manufacturers are considering the same feature.

The Rapid Wood Blade is an award-winning multi-tool blade designed to cut timber, hardwoods and laminate flooring. This blade will cut faster, neater and deeper than any other wood blade.

A regular utility knife blade can be used to cut flexible, self-adhering laminate strip material. The caveat is that you must change the blades frequently so the knife cuts properly -- a dull blade will not cut effectively.

Attach 120-grit carbide sandpaper to an orbital sander. Hold the sander at a 45-degree angle pointing down toward the ground. The downward angle will prevent the laminate from lifting from the counter. Sand the laminate to smooth the edges.

We recommend starting in the left corner of the longest wall in the room and to install the planks in the same direction as the main light source (e.g. the main window). Planks are always installed from left to right.

Tools for Vinyl Flooring

If you're trying to figure out how to cut vinyl flooring planks, experts recommend scoring the plank with a utility knife and snapping it. Vinyl cutters are a good solution too. For more complicated cuts, consider a jigsaw or miter saw.

Thicker laminate flooring doesn't mean it's more durable. It will, however, be more resistant to warping and other conditions. A thickness of 8 to 12 mm is one of the most advised thickness levels for laminate flooring.

Generally, the thicker the board, the greater the advantages. Thicker laminate flooring feels closer to a solid wood floor underfoot. It is easier to install and this makes it ideal for DIY projects.

Is Thicker laminate better than thinner laminate? ›

Thicker laminate will definitely offer more stability and strength, so if a little extra cost is not an issue, thicker laminate is definitely worth it. It's also the better option if your subfloor isn't as sturdy, such as an old creaking wood subfloor.

When laying laminate flooring it is essential that you leave at least a 10-12mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the floor. There are important reasons to do so, and we will cover them in this article. However, you won't need to worry about any spaces around the perimeter of your installation.

Since laminate flooring is a floating floor, it is not meant to be attached to the subfloor by nails or glue. The floor needs to be able to expand and contract with temperature changes and therefore must freely lay on the underlayment or subfloor.

What's the best saw for laminate flooring? Handsaw, jigsaw, crosscut saw (also called a plunge saw). For simple straight cuts, you can easily use a handsaw to cut laminate flooring if that's all you have, but for the most professional finish, you should choose a crosscut saw or table saw.

In order to keep the floor straight and square, start laying the laminate away from the wall because the wall may not be straight. Measure away from the wall the width of one piece of flooring and add 1/4 inch (for example, if flooring is 5 inches wide, measure out 5 1/4 inches) and snap a chalk line across the room.

The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.

You see, laminate flooring will destroy a wood cutting blade with alternating top bevel (ATB) teeth in no time at all. The sharp points on this type of blade can't handle anything that hard – they dull quickly and those tips are what the blade uses to cut cleanly through wood.

You should never use a circular saw or miter/chop saw to cut laminate flooring unless you have a very expensive, specifically designed carbide tipped laminate cutting blade fitted to your saw.

The best blades for cutting laminate flooring are carbide-tipped ones. Because you can use them in a miter saw or circular saw. And they achieve a fine cut without much waste. They are also the most durable.

Use a carbide-tipped blade rated for use with laminate material; wood blades will not work with laminate material and will only cut a few pieces before they dull out completely. Most laminate planks normally have a top layer consisting of aluminum oxide impregnated melamine.

What is the best circular saw blade to cut laminate? ›

What blade should I use to cut laminate countertop? If you use a circular saw, it's best to use a fine-toothed narrow blade with at least 40 teeth. When it comes to cutting laminate countertop, blades with carbide tips usually last longer than regular steel.

Use a circular saw or a handsaw with at least 18 teeth per inch to avoid chipping it. Mark the line on the laminate flooring. Make a small mark on the edge of the laminate, so you know where to cut or use a chalk pencil to draw your measurement line across the face of the laminate.

The two best types of saws for cutting hardwood flooring are a miter saw and a circular saw.