How to Cut Laminate Flooring Lengthwise with a Miter Saw – Hands-on Guide

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Laminate flooring is gaining popularity in many homes, residential, and business flooring. Not only because it looks good but it is also very durable. Laminate floors are more scratch and impact resistant and they are also stronger.  They last longer than carpet, vinyl, and hardwood and they can resist high heels, cats, dogs, and kids.

If you choose to install laminate floors by yourself, then I will give you some tips on cutting laminate flooring with a miter saw. This will help you do the job professionally if you know the essential tips to follow.

Cutting Laminate Flooring with a Miter Saw

Cutting laminate flooring with a miter saw is a technique that requires attention and accuracy. Let’s get into details on how to cut laminate flooring lengthwise with a miter saw.

  • Items you need
  • Laminate floorboards
  • Spacers
  • Pull bar/C-clamps
  • Miter saw
  • Eye protection
  • Level
  • L-square and carpentry pencil

Steps On How To Cut Laminate Flooring Lengthwise – Cuttinging With A Miter Saw

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How do you cut a laminate board lengthwise? Cutting laminate flooring lengthwise is crucial when first and last laminate flooring rows along the walls. This is a simple process that can take you up to five minutes. For you to put the laminate plants in place, you need to use a pull-bar.

What miter saw blade for laminate flooring? You should select carbide-tipped bladed when work best when cutting laminate floors. If you invest in a quality blade, you can re-sharpen it several times when it loses its edge which saves you more money. Check handyman.guide for quality DIY tools to help you do the job.

Follow These Steps Below:

Step1: Put Spacers

Before you use a miter saw blade for laminate flooring, you need to put spacers along your wall. The spacers should leave a distance of about 1/3 inches around the wall. This is essential because the laminate can expand as a result of humidity changes.

Step 2: Lay Laminate Flooring Board

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Next, lay the board down and ensure the tongue is towards the wall. If you intend to use a laminate cutter blade with a downward teeth orientation, turn it with the finish facing up. If not, you can place it while the top is facing down.

Step 3: Getting Accurate Cuts

You can use a laminate flooring board or a straight edge to guide the flooring saw when cutting. a clamp also comes in handy to help you achieve accurate cuts. Ensure your laminate flooring saw is above the cut line at the two sides.

Step 4: Use the C-clamps

Put the laminate flooring board in a sturdy place and use the C-clamp to lock it in position. Start by cutting the laminate flooring plank while following the straight edge.

Next, use the pull bar to put the laminate flooring board in the right position so that it connects perfectly with the other rows. This is a task that requires patience and ensures you don’t leave any gaps behind between the laminate boards.

Step 5: Take Measurements

Repeat this process and take measurements when cutting every laminate board. Do your work carefully and always ensure you have the right protective and safety gear throughout the cutting process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How To Cut Laminate Flooring With A Utility Knife?

A: Cutting the tongues can be tough when using a saw. You need to use a utility knife to cut the tongues of the laminate flooring. By doing this, you will make the plank’s finish surface come near the wall while still maintaining the expansion gap needed.

Q: How To Cut Laminate Flooring With A Circular Saw?

A:  What is the best tool to cut laminate flooring? A circular saw the best tool for this job because it spins faster and makes straight cuts. It can help you cut laminate floor but you need a work surface and a square to do the job. If you use your circular saw and a workbench, the process will produce more dust on the new flooring. You can also have a broom or vacuum in handy to collect the dust.

Take measurements and mark the back of the board. The blade of the saw will get to the wood from below and it appears at the top. This method will lead to less chipping on the surface when you run the laminate board face up. This is because the tool’s blade will pass through that side of the cutting surface first.

If you also want to know how to cut laminate flooring already installed, a circular saw can do the work well. Simply set it to a depth of 1/32 inches which is thicker than the laminate flooring.

Q: How To Cut Laminate Flooring With A Jigsaw?

A: It is easy to cut laminate flooring with a jigsaw especially if the floor has an awkward shape. You can also use a jigsaw if you want to cover around pipes and poles. If you don’t want to invest in a laminate cutter, a jigsaw will do the job for you.

Use masking tape to cover the board you want to cut. Measure and then draw the required shape with a pencil. Keep the board stable by supporting both ends and then begin to cut slowly. Hold the board firm such that it doesn’t vibrate and remove the tape after cutting.

Q: How To Cut Laminate Flooring With A Table Saw?

A: For you to cut laminate flooring with a table saw, you need to select a carbide-tipped table saw blade with up to 60 fine teeth. Follow the table saw’s instruction on how to install the blade and then adjust the rip fence to suit the laminate flooring plank you want to cut.

Remember to wear safety glasses for protection before you start working with the table saw. Run the laminate flooring through the blade makes steady and even strokes to minimize splinters.

Q: How To Cut Laminate Flooring Without A Saw?

A: The most common way of cutting laminate flooring is using various types of saws. However, if you don’t have a saw, you can still cut your laminate flooring using other techniques. You can use a utility knife, scissors, cutters, or shears.

These alternative methods are great because they don’t produce much dust. To cut your laminate floor, take the measurements of the crosscut and draw a line you can see. Put a masking tape on the cut line and line the blade of your ideal cutter on the marked line. Press the handle down to cut the plant into two sections.

Final Words

At this point, I hope you can see that cutting laminate flooring with a miter saw is not a complicated task. At first, it can be tricky because you need to learn some skills. However, after some time, and with more practice, you can easily cut laminate flooring lengthwise with a miter.

Additionally, you are not only limited to using a miter saw. There are other several ways you can also use to cut laminate flooring.

You May Also Interested to Read:

1. How to Change the Blade on a Miter Saw: 4 Quick Steps Guide (2021)
2. How to Unlock a Miter Saw – Hands-on Step by Step Guide
3. How to Cut Baseboard Inside-Outside Corners with Miter Saw (2021)
To Learn More About Woodworking and Carpentry Visit at iSaw Guide Home.
Robert Terry

Robert Terry is a specialist author at isawguide.com. He is very enthusiastic about woodworking and carpentry. His writings have been published in the wood magazine before. His passion for working with wood and woodworking tools lets him explore many pieces of informative content and resources. Besides working as a creative writer, he loves to share his skills and experiences with the woodworking and carpentry community.

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