What is the best way to cut laminate and how to speed up installation at home. How to cut laminate flooring at home: tools and methods Cutting laminate flooring with a grinder

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When cutting laminated flooring The question often arises of how to cut laminate and what tools need to be used for this. There are two ways to solve this problem: production and manual. As a result of production cutting, the cut is obtained without chipping.

It is performed with special tools. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each in this article. Knowing about them, it will not be difficult to do right choice and choose a device for cutting laminate that is easy to operate.

Production cutting

You can make a production cut using the following tools:

Jigsaw.
Bulgarians.
Circulating saw.

Jigsaw

The main advantage of using a jigsaw for cutting lamellas is ease of operation. Even a beginner can use it. The cut turns out to be very smooth; chips or other damage to the material will not be visible on it, and all because the cutting element operates at high speeds.

They do not need to be refueled.
The motor part has a large working resource.
This tool can be used indoors.
Circulator saws do not produce much noise during operation.

Advice! Due to the fact that the disk in the circular spins from bottom to top, it is better to cut laminated lamellas from the front side. If you do everything the other way around, cut paper base will have an unattractive torn appearance.

There is only one drawback to using this tool - to work with it you need to have certain skills. This is important to consider when choosing a tool for cutting laminated panels.

Hand sawing

Hand cutting is done using a metal hacksaw with fine teeth. The cut is made from the “wrong” side of the lamellas. Working with the tool is as easy as shelling pears. But this choice has many disadvantages. They simply need to be identified.

Firstly, manual process cutting is very labor-intensive and takes a lot of time.
Secondly, working with a hand saw requires special care and caution.
Thirdly, cutting laminate flooring to length with a hacksaw without chipping will be very problematic.

Advice! For those who do not have a lot of time to lay laminate flooring, experienced craftsmen It is recommended to use not a hacksaw for cutting elements, but an ordinary construction knife. It will be much easier for them to work, the cut is made in the following way: A line is drawn on the top layer and a ruler is applied to it. A knife is placed under it and a deep line is made with it. One part of the lamella is held with the knee, and the second is broken with a blow of the hand. The cut is quite smooth.

Laminate cutter

A cutter operating on the guillotine principle will help to simplify manual cutting of laminate as much as possible. Cutting is done without noise and dust, very quickly, the cut is high-quality and neat. In this case, you do not need to have experience working with this tool, but cutting can only be done in the transverse direction. And this is the main disadvantage of choosing this tool.

When answering the question of how to cut laminate, experts recommend choosing the tool that is at hand, which device will be more convenient to work with. When selecting a tool, it is important to consider the volume of work. The use of industrial saws is justified when laying laminate flooring in a large house.

In order to correctly lay laminate flooring, you need to be able to not only connect laminate panels, but also cut them correctly. Otherwise, it will be impossible to “fit” into the area of the room, as well as to maintain the traditional checkerboard pattern of the coating. Since you can’t handle laminated boards with your bare hands, you can trust one of the hand or electric tools to cut them.

Selecting cutting tools for laminate flooring

The main characteristics that a tool for cutting laminate at home should have are:

Ease of use
compactness and light weight
possibility of obtaining an even cut, without cracks or chips

The last point, the meaning of which is not to spoil the appearance of the laminate board after cutting, is decisive for most home craftsmen. However, its significance is still exaggerated. In any case, chips up to 5 mm in size on finished coating will not be noticeable - defects along the edges of the panels will be hidden behind the baseboards.

So, what tools are best for cutting laminate?

Tool No. 1. Jigsaw

The best result in cutting laminate can be achieved by using a jigsaw for this purpose. This is a lightweight, very easy-to-use tool that any novice master will quickly find an approach to. Even a woman or a teenager. Cutting with a jigsaw is performed at high speeds, which avoids damage to the fiberboard structure. If you act quickly and confidently, the cut will be almost perfect.

The main thing in using a jigsaw is the choice of file. Modern instrument usually initially supplied with special saws for cutting laminate. They differ in their special shape, pitch and method of setting the teeth. However, ordinary metal files - narrow, with small teeth - can handle this job just as well.

In order not to damage decorative surface, the cutting line is drawn (with a pencil or chalk) on the underside of the laminate board. It is laid on a table (chair) with the wrong side up so that the part that is planned to be cut is suspended. With one hand they fix the laminate lying on the table, and with the other they quickly cut off the excess part.

A jigsaw allows you to cut laminate quickly and safely

Tool No. 2. A circular saw

A neat cut along the edge of the laminate can be obtained using a circular saw with a metal blade. To Work with circular saw more difficult than with a jigsaw, so it requires some skill. If you have them, then you can cut the laminate quickly, smoothly, and practically without chips.

The laminate board is laid on hard surface with the pattern facing up, secure. You need to cut carefully, moving the disk along the drawn line with slight pressure, trying not to slow down in one place.

A circular saw requires skill, but helps to cut efficiently a large number of laminate

Tool No. 3. Angle grinder (grinder)

Bulgarian – handy tool, irreplaceable in the drawer home handyman. It can cut almost anything, including laminate. For a beautiful edge, without cracks or chips, when cutting, you need to turn the laminate board with its front surface. In this case, discs are used for metal, concrete or ceramic tiles.

The disadvantage of using an angle grinder (and a circular saw too!) is the large amount of dust that will be generated when cutting laminate flooring. This action may also be accompanied by the smell of burnt wood. Therefore, you need to do cutting open balcony or on the street.

To avoid chipping, you need to cut the laminate with a grinder only from the front side

Tool No. 4. Hacksaw

Laminate can be successfully cut with a regular wood hacksaw. But this will require effort, because its teeth are quite large and will bite into the laminate rather than cut it. A hacksaw for metal has smaller teeth – this is what you should use for cutting.

A hacksaw is very often used for cutting small volumes of work. This method is not used in construction teams due to the increased time costs and labor intensity.

Tool No. 5. Laminate cutter

A laminate cutter, on the contrary, allows cutting at a professional level. Most often, this tool works like a guillotine - a knife that, with the help of a handle, is lowered onto the surface of the laminate and cuts it. The cutter operates easily, without chips or noise. To use it you do not need to use force or have skills. Perhaps this is the easiest tool to use, allowing you to get excellent results in any conditions.

The design of the cutter allows cutting laminate only in the transverse direction

Since this cutter is used exclusively for laminate flooring, it makes sense to buy it only for professional installation. For finishing several rooms in an apartment, this option is considered inappropriate.

Tool No. 6. Construction knife

A regular construction knife can also be used for cutting laminate flooring. For example, if you have almost finished installing the flooring, you only have one board left to cut, but the angle grinder suddenly breaks. There are no other tools at hand, and cutting needs to be done urgently. Then a construction knife will come to the rescue. Place a ruler on the front side of the laminate board and make a deep cut along it with a knife. While holding the board on one side of the cut, apply pressure to the other side. The laminate should break, just like ceramic tiles under the influence of a tile cutter.

In the absence of other tools, a construction knife is suitable for cutting a couple of laminate boards

As an epilogue

The choice of tools for cutting laminate is quite large. Indeed, if you have experience, you can cut laminate boards with high quality using almost anything. Only the amount of time and labor spent will be different. Therefore, when choosing one of the tools, be guided only by your own preferences and needs.

Laminate is a popular flooring because it has chic design and long service life. Products of this type consist of a wood base and a special decorative layer. Laminate production technology allows you to give it not only different colour, but also the structure of different types of wood. Laying this material is relatively simple, but almost always requires trimming the boards. Therefore, before you begin installation work, you should definitely find out what you need to use to cut laminate flooring.

Cutting methods

Installation of a laminate board involves fixing it to the floor using glue or special screws. But many novice craftsmen do not know how to cut laminate in order to get a high-quality and even joint.

You can cut vinyl or cork laminate at home using several tools:

Cutter. This design resembles a guillotine. To cut a board, it must be placed under the knife along the cutting line. After this, the cutter is pressed in with a certain force, which produces a cutting sensation. If you have certain skills, you can use this tool to cut laminate even lengthwise.
Jigsaw. Cutting with this unit is one of the fastest and most affordable. But for laminate processing it is important to use only special saws. To cut the desired piece, you should measure the required dimensions and draw a straight line. After this, the board is moved a little away from the table so that the saw moves in the air and cutting begins.

Hacksaw. Cutting laminate flooring with its help can be performed both on the floor and at a certain elevation. To do this, you also need to mark the line and carefully start sawing. It is important to take into account the saw's spread here, as it can take up a lot of laminate. This in turn can lead to inconsistency.
Knife. The top layer of the laminate is a thin layer of film that can be easily damaged with a regular stationery knife. The technology for working with this tool is quite simple. You need to draw the edge of a knife along the marked line so as to cut through upper layer. If you need to get a straight line, then the board should be additionally fixed with high quality.

When you have cut through the top layer, you need to break off the extra piece. To do this, place the laminate on the edge of the table along the edge and sharply press on one of the sides. This approach is reminiscent of breaking ceramic tiles or glass after processing with a glass cutter.

A circular saw. Cutting with this tool is much faster. To cut a piece of laminate, you should also mark it. After this, the board is fixed on the frame along the plane of movement of the saw. Place the product on top with a laminated layer. In this case, the saw blades will enter the material, which will reduce the formation of chips and cracks. When everything is set, you need to slowly guide the board along the cutting line with the circular saw turned on.
Bulgarian. This tool operates similar to a circular saw. Similar types of cutting discs are also used here. But cutting can now be done almost anywhere. But in order to get an even cut, you need to train the hand that controls the grinder during processing.

Choosing a tool

As you already understand, there is no universal way to cut laminate. To do this, many tools are used, which have their own pros and cons. It is impossible to say which option is better as it all depends on the individual situation.

To choose a quality tool, you should consider several factors:

Required end quality. If you want minimal chipping, use a hand cutter or jigsaw. Otherwise, all the cutting methods discussed above will work perfectly. They will allow you to cut the board correctly with minimal effort.
Type of pain. The most simple option is when you need to cut the laminate crosswise. The length of the cut is relatively short, which minimizes the risk of getting a large curvature. When you need to cut along one of the sides, then it is better to use a milling cutter and a circular saw.

Please note that similar operations can be performed with other tools. It all depends on your capabilities.

Shape of pain. Almost all mechanisms allow you to cut the board only in a straight line. If you need to get a complex laminate shape, then a grinder or jigsaw will be the solution to this problem.

A circular saw

Circular cutting is one of the most popular options, as it has several advantages:

Possibility of using discs with different tooth sizes. This allows you to regulate the cutting process and the quality of the resulting surface.
The tool runs on electricity, which eliminates the use of fuel.
Processing laminate in a circle is not accompanied by significant noise, which makes it possible to process boards even in apartment buildings.
High speed. The efficiency of a circular saw is one of the best. Therefore, it is used by many specialists who are involved in laying such materials.

The only drawback of this mechanism is that to obtain high-quality cutting you need to have some practice and experience working with it.

Electric jigsaw

Working with a jigsaw is pleasant and fast. The tool is lightweight, which allows you to hold it well while cutting. At the same time, the mechanism produces virtually no dust, which makes it a unique option for private use.

The only drawback of a jigsaw can be an incorrectly selected file. Low-quality products will simply tear the laminate, forming unsightly ends that will have to be further cleaned. To get a quality cut, the jigsaw must operate at maximum speed.

Knives

Hand cutting of laminate is relatively rare. For such purposes, both stationery knives and hacksaws are used.

When using the latter type of tool, it is important that it has very fine teeth.

Several disadvantages of this approach should be highlighted:

Cutting process using hand tools take a lot of time. This in turn affects the efficiency of laminate installation.
To get a quality cut, you need to act very carefully and slowly. To do this you need to have relatively great experience working with similar materials and tools.
It is almost impossible to get a cut without chipping using a hacksaw. Therefore, the cutting area is often additionally cleaned.

Bulgarian

The grinding machine is universal mechanism, with which you can cut not only wood, but also concrete. To process the laminate, special discs are used, on which teeth are applied, like a circular saw.

Using an angle grinder has several advantages:

With its help, you can create both straight and curly cuts.
The ends obtained after cutting are of high quality.
Operation of the grinder is possible even without preliminary preparation material.

But this tool has several bad sides:

The weight of the structure is significant, which does not always allow high-quality control of the cutting process.
During operation, the grinder produces a lot of fine dust. This is not always effective in residential areas.
When cutting, the ends of the laminate begin to heat up, which leads to the formation of burning, which, together with dust, is very harmful to the human body.

Guillotine

The cutter is perfect for manual cutting. Among the advantages of this tool are noiselessness, ease of operation and high-quality cut. Operating such mechanisms is relatively simple; the main thing is to take precautions, since the knife is very sharp. Cutting with a guillotine does not generate dust, which makes it a professional tool.

The peculiarity of this material is that it is recommended to cut laminate flooring only in the transverse direction.

But if you practice a little, you can process boards lengthwise. The cost of such a tool is quite high, so it is not economically profitable to buy it for a one-time installation of laminate flooring.

Other options

An alternative option for processing laminate are special machines that can be used to obtain a high-quality cut. They are intended only for working with such a substance. Cutting laminate flooring with their help is very simple, as they are equipped with special clamps and several types of knives for different layers. It is almost impossible to find them in everyday life, since the structures are very expensive.

One of the popular types of residential flooring is laminate. This material consists of several layers, each of which performs a specific functional purpose. When laying such a covering, it is necessary to adjust and trim the panels in order to perform the installation efficiently and technologically.

What can you use to cut laminate flooring at home?

When completely covering the floor, regardless of size, it is necessary to adjust the panels to the required area. To cut a workpiece to the required length at home, use various cutting tools:

hacksaw for metal or wood;
jigsaw;
angle grinder (grinder);
construction knife;
guillotine;
circular saw or cutting machine.

Any of these devices is used in work, but you need to know the specifics of using each of them.

Hacksaw or wood saw

The most affordable tool that can be found in any, even the smallest household, is a hacksaw. It will easily cut the component layers of the panel. The quality of the cut will depend, to a large extent, on how well the saw is sharpened. In order for the cut edge to be straight, the hacksaw must be held at an acute angle to the lamella, in contact with the marking line.

ATTENTION! If, after cutting the workpiece, undesirable defects remain on the sawn end - fraying and increased roughness, then the surface is treated with a needle file or a fine-grained file.

A hacksaw can also be used to cut laminate, but you need to be aware that a blade intended for iron will quickly become clogged with wood chip waste. Further use of the tool for working with metal will require replacement of the blade. The use of a saw for wood or iron is possible when cutting a small number of workpieces, for example, when laying covering in one of the living rooms. The complexity of using this equipment will make itself felt after the 3rd cut. And even in a small room you will have to make at least a dozen of them.

IMPORTANT! When making a cut with a hacksaw, it is difficult to get into the marking line, because the tool constantly moves to the side. For accuracy, use a small block, which is placed along the marking line, then rest on this block with a saw blade to fit evenly into the drawn line!

Cut with a jigsaw

The use of such a power tool will facilitate the complexity of the work. Its advantage is considered high speed and the ability to perform non-linear cuts. When working with a jigsaw, markings are made on the back side of the panels and the laminate is laid face down on the work table when cutting, since the support foot of the jigsaw leaves a mark in the form of a scratch. Such damage will not be noticeable if it remains on the wrong side.

The advantage of using a power tool is the ability to cut several workpieces at once without increasing the applied effort. When making such cuts, the panels are rigidly fastened with clamps and the compliance of the dimensions of each of them is checked.

ATTENTION! When working with a jigsaw, it is recommended to use a blade with a fine tooth. This will improve the quality of the cut end surface.

The disadvantage of using such a power tool is considered to be slight unevenness in the cutting line, because... handmade It is always distinguished from a machine by its lack of straightness.

Using a grinder

Availability of corner grinder will make it easier to cut blanks when laying laminate. But if you have not had to perform such work, then it is better to first make test cuts on the rough material. Grinder power and specifics of use cutting discs woodworking requires certain skills.

The versatility of the sanding machine allows you to quickly and efficiently cut the required number of panels. If it is necessary to make non-linear cuts, a grinder will be relevant. When cutting, the panels are placed face up; you can process several workpieces at once, but you must remember that the laminate is firmly fixed, since the power of the grinding machine creates vibration.

ATTENTION! The use of cutting discs for metal is a violation fire safety. In this case, it is possible that unpleasant odor and smoke.

How to cut laminate flooring with a guillotine

A professional tool includes a guillotine-type panel cutter. It has large dimensions and is designed for cutting workpieces to the required length. When performing work, the laminate is placed under the guillotine knife with its face up, after which the lever is pressed and a workpiece of the desired size is obtained.

The advantages of such a device are accuracy and good quality end surface. Disadvantages include: large dimensions of the tool and limited size of the cut performed. For example, it is not possible to cut a wide panel at an acute angle due to the short length of the working space. To make long cuts, use a special blade cutter with larger size blades.

REFERENCE! The cost of a guillotine cutter is very high. There is no point in purchasing it for laying laminate flooring in one or more rooms!

Use of a construction knife

With absence metalworking tools, you can cut the workpiece using a stationery knife. It would be better to use a construction knife, since it has greater rigidity and ease of holding.

To cut a panel, lay a metal corner or strip along the marking line and, leaning on the device, make a cut with a knife. In this case, the workpiece is placed with its front side up and a lot of force is applied when moving the tool along the cutting line. Place cardboard or plywood under the panel and repeat the passage of the knife along the cut line until destruction upper layers laminate After passing through most of the thickness of the material, the workpiece is broken off.

Cutting with a circular saw

The use of a portable machine for cutting panels will allow you to quickly and efficiently make the required amount of laminate of the required length. Having the skills to work with a portable circular saw will help with longitudinal processing of workpieces. If you are faced with such a professional tool for the first time, then you need to make several rough cuts, even with ordinary cross-cutting of panels.

To cut the workpiece, it is marked on the front side. Then a disk with fine teeth is installed, the equipment is started and, pressing the panel against the horizontal frame, the laminate is pushed along the intended line.

ATTENTION! Making a longitudinal cut requires setting the width on a circular saw!

A circular saw is a convenient tool for cutting, but its dimensions and weight will require special transportation of the device to the work site. The installer independently determines the advisability of using such equipment.

Features of cutting vinyl laminate

High abrasion resistance of the top layer, similar to commercial panels, makes vinyl covering in demand. In addition, such material creates an original decorative effect. Structure vinyl panels differs from ordinary ones in softness and viscosity.

To cut such material, it is best to use a construction or stationery knife. This tool will allow you to cut all layers of vinyl laminate that are subject to mechanical destruction.

After learning all the cutting techniques and possible application of one or another tool, everyone independently chooses the required device, depending on the task and availability.

Laminate flooring is laid using the same method as brickwork - in a staggered manner. Thus, the integrity of the coating is achieved. But, in order to do everything correctly, it is necessary to resort to cutting the material more than once.

Laminate planks must be cut with special responsibility and understanding, and therefore at least minimal knowledge of tools and cutting methods is required.

The most common ways to cut laminate

The laminate is cut in such a way that no torn or protruding parts are formed on the cut plane; naturally, there should be no damage to the material either.

In order to achieve this result it is necessary to use special various instruments, which will be discussed further.

Cutting with saws

Let's look at how and with what saws a laminate is cut at home:

Unlike materials similar to chipboard, laminate can be cut well with ordinary hand hacksaw.
There should be no rough nicks or other noticeable deformations on the edges of the laminate. In this regard, the saw teeth must be small, and the saw itself can be anything.
If you somehow manage to damage the end edge, it’s okay, it can be easily hidden under the baseboard, and it won’t be noticeable.
The rule “measure twice, cut once” also applies when cutting laminate flooring. Before cutting off a part, it is necessary to accurately measure everything and apply markings along which the cut will be made.
In order to obtain a high-quality edge located on the front side, it is necessary to cut the laminate while holding it with the front side up. In this case, the laminate should be kept horizontal.
There is no need to apply much force when pressing on the saw. This may cause the edge of the laminate to break.

Cutting with a jigsaw

Cutting laminate fabric using a jigsaw is the most convenient, fastest and “cleanest” way. If you don't have a jigsaw, you can use hand saw, but this process is more labor-intensive. Therefore, due to the low price, it is recommended to purchase a jigsaw, because it can provide effective assistance not only when cutting laminate, but also in many other works.

Let's consider a method by which you can cut laminate with a jigsaw:

Before cutting laminate, you need to install a blade with a reverse fine tooth on the jigsaw. This is a standard blade, which generally always comes with the tool. If you don’t have one, you need to purchase one, otherwise the coating may be damaged.
After the jigsaw is equipped with a suitable blade, it is necessary to mark the strip to be shortened. Markings are applied to reverse side laminate (not on the front).
Then you can proceed directly to cutting. The laminate must be fixed and turned face down so that the marking line is visible. The cut is made strictly along the intended lines.

Cutting with a circular saw

Using a circular cutter to trim laminate flooring will make the process much easier. Therefore, if among the tools there is such a saw, you can safely get down to business.

Consider the instructions for cutting laminate using a circular saw:

As in other cases, the saw teeth should be fine.
Markings are applied to the front side of the coating, along which the cutting process will be carried out.
The bar must be placed horizontally on the machine table, face up. Then, grasping the edge of the plank, carefully and without sudden movements push the laminate away from you onto the rotating saw blade.

When working with a circular saw, you must follow safety rules: the rotating blade must be under a special protective casing, the sleeves of the outer clothing of the person working at the machine are buttoned.

It is also necessary to remove all things that may accidentally fall into the action zone of the circular plate, such as bracelets, chains, etc.

What else to use at work

What else do experienced professionals use to cut laminate? They use a machine designed for this purpose. The machine is a rigid structure with a movable sharp blade, which is driven by a handle.

This tool works as follows:

The laminate strip is placed horizontally on the machine support;
The marking line is aligned with the horizontal projection line of the knife;
The handle of the machine, connected to the knife, is lowered all the way, cutting the laminate. The result is an even, neat cut.

Helpful information! This type of machine can help with cutting a large volume of material in a short period of time. And due to the fact that it does not work for electrical energy, it can be used in places where there is no power source.

If you decide to cut and lay laminate professionally, and the job will not be limited to just one time, you can safely buy such a machine for yourself.

Whatever tool you use when cutting laminate plinths, you need to remember that a lot depends not only on the tool, but also on the person who uses it. Do not use too much force when cutting, be careful when making calculations and markings and, of course, follow safety rules.

Correct calculation and applied markings are the key to quality work.

In this article we looked at several methods and tools that can be used to cut laminate flooring. Among the described tools, it is impossible to definitely name the best one - they are all good in their own way, and in the end, their choice comes down to individual preferences.

Some people prefer mechanics, others prefer electrics, etc. To obtain more visual information on cutting methods for laminate flooring, it is recommended to watch the training video.

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