How To Cut Floorboard With A Circular Saw

Although floorboards come with durability and are ideal for long-term use, cracks and splits can cause irreparable damages. A perfect solution to this is replacing your floorboard with a new one that fits your room size. If you’ve got the new piece but don’t know how to cut floorboard with a circular saw, this guide will make the process achievable.

How To Cut Floorboard With A Circular Saw

Step #1: Nail the Board Down to Secure its Position

Sawing a floorboard is easy if you have a circular saw blade. It cuts with such finesse that even amateur woodworking skills could yield satisfactory results.

But first, you must nail the board directly to the sawhorses before marking it.

Position the nails near the edge of the floorboard but ensure that they are away from the cutting area. Hammer the nails correctly, and you’re done with the preliminary step.

Make sure the board you are using is splinter-free. As your fingers are going to run very close to the edges, no wood chips must enter your skin. They could cause infections.

Step #2: Clamp a Straight Edge

The second step is to ensure that the cutting is straight and as per the markings done using the secured nails. For this, you need to clamp the straightedge to the lumber to allow the circular saw to go ripping through it.

Then, press the shoe quite tightly to the straightedge and saw the kerf into the scrap.

Lastly, measure and note down the accurate distance between the straightedge and the inner edge of your kerf.

The trick here is to fix your straightedge as per the alignment of the cut. In the end, keep the shoe on edge very tight for best results.

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Warning!

Always clamp your straightedge to the plywood you have as a spare. In any case, if the saw accidentally goes wayward from the device, the plywood won’t lead to a loss of the desired cut.

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Step#3: Use a Jig for Narrow Strips

The jig is meant to cut proper and parallel pieces of the floorboard base with equal sides and well-rounded square corners. For this, you have to keep the measure between the blade and the fence for setting the width. After that, fix the tight nut over the board.

Measure both the front and back edges of the saw blade. I will use this later to align the parallels of the floorboards ‘fence.

Lastly, clamp the board to sawhorses and let the saw slide and jig the entire length of your floorboard.

This completed fence of the floorboard could fit onto each other. Try opting for minor cuts as making more significant cuts can be hazardous.

Precautions To Be Taken While Cutting Floorboards

Cutting floorboards requires professional care as the equipment and the entire methodology can be potentially hazardous for beginners.

Before you try woodcutting on your own, go through these safety guidelines:

1. Wearing safety glasses is a must when you are cutting floorboards. You can also wear hearing protection or noise-canceling earphones as these saw blades running on power emit loud noise as well as splinters.
2. Set your blade only at the precision where it could cut only one-fourth of the wood’s thickness. The aim here is smooth, precise, and safe cutting. Going over the top with the blade could lead to unforeseen accidents.
3. Always secure your boards with a clamp or a six-inch nail before allowing the blade to go through them.
4. Wedging the saw open is very important if the blade starts to pinch the board and binds it.
5. Never block or raise the blade guard from its original position. The blade guard must be operating efficiently without your interference.

If it’s your first time working with this tool, please watch this video to learn its basics and safety guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Extra Small Fittings of the Floorboard Using a Circular Saw?

Extra minor cuts need extra care and precaution. But, yes, it is possible using a regular circular saw blade. All you need to do is fix the edges closely and mark the cuts as close as possible.

Is Using the Circular Saw Blade on Floorboards Without its Guard Possible?

The best way of using your circular saw blade on floorboards is using it with its blade guards. Sometimes, they also act as the protection you need for the more minor cuts and larger blunts. People also use these guards as a pivot to allow the smoothest cutting possible.

Conclusion

Replacing floorboards or installing new ones has never been easier now that you know how to cut them properly using a circular saw.

Ensure you calculate and re-check your measurements thoroughly before starting with the cutting part.

When choosing a circular saw blade, the carbide-tipped one is an ideal choice as it pierces through the floorboard smoothly without making the blade dull.

With this guide, you can plunge right through the desired area and make required cuts, saving hefty amounts that go into revamping your flooring professionally!