How to Cut Laminate Flooring with Circular Saw

Dennis Bauman

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Using a circular saw to cut laminate flooring is not a difficult task but following the right steps is really important. Otherwise, you’ll end up with chipped and rough cuts that can ruin the look of your laminate flooring.

In this article, I’ll discuss the right step-by-step method that you can use to cut laminate flooring with a circular saw. Make sure that you follow the entire procedure carefully to achieve the best results.

How to Cut Laminate Flooring with Circular Saw

Most people use a laminate flooring cutter or a jigsaw to cut laminate flooring. You can also cut laminate flooring without a saw, but that is a very time consuming process.

Eeven just a basic, small circular saw will allow you to make cuts faster, and is often used when cutting a large amount of laminate floorboards.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Circular Saw
  • Laminate Flooring
  • Two Sawhorses
  • Measuring Tape
  • Marker
  • Ruler

Step 1: Choose Correct Circular Saw Blade

The first step is to choose the right circular saw blade to cut laminate. There are different types of blades available in the market used to cut different materials. You should go with a circular saw blade that comes with fine teeth.

  • Choosing a blade with finer teeth will mean that there are more teeth on the blade. This is good because the higher the number of teeth, the lower the chances of chipping and kickbacks.We recommend you use a blade that has more than 80 teeth.
  • However, if you’re a professional or have a lot of laminate flooring to cut, consider using a polycrystalline diamond blade as it’s specially designed for laminate flooring.

Although this blade type comes with fewer teeth, it minimizes chipping because of its specialized material and can run about 50 to 100 times longer than a standard carbide blade.

Whatever blade you choose to use, make sure that it is clean and free of any sawdust before use.

Step 2: Take Measurements and Mark Laminate

Once you have selected the circular saw blade, start measuring the area using a measuring tape where you need to install your flooring board.

Make sure that you leave at least an 1/8″ inch of space across the perimeter of the area to account for the expansion of the flooring board.

After taking your measurements, start marking your flooring using a marker and ruler where you need to make cuts.

Double-check the measurements and mark the cut line on the backside of the flooring. That’s because you’ll be cutting it from the backside in order to minimize chipping and make straight and precise cuts.

Step 3: Adjust Circular Saw Blade

It’s important to adjust your circular saw’s blade to the right depth before you start the cutting process. Circular saws come with an adjustment lever that you can use to change the depth of the blade.

Pull the level to loosen the saw’s base and adjust its depth so that it’s slightly lower than the thickness of your laminate flooring. 

The goal here is to set the depth of the blade as shallow as possible, which doesn’t allow the blade to protrude more than just a little bit below the flooring board. After that, fix the base of your circular saw by tightening the lever.

Step 4: Start Cutting

Once you have marked cut lines and adjusted the depth of the blade of your circular saw, place your laminate flooring on the sawhorses. Make sure your sawhorses are properly balanced so that they don’t move during the cutting process. It’ll also prevent the risks of unwanted kickbacks and injuries.

Before you start cutting, make sure that you take the circular saw blade thickness into account as you line up the blade.

Turn your circular saw on and start cutting the flooring board by following the cut lines you previously made. If you’re a beginner, consider using a circular saw guide to ensure straight, clean, and precise cuts.

You can make a DIY circular saw guide if you don’t own one.

Step 4: Check For Accuracy

Place the flooring board piece you just cut into the space where you plan to install it to check if it fits. Make the necessary adjustments if required and start the installation process.

You can use these simple steps to cut as many laminate flooring boards as needed using a circular saw.

Tips to Use Circular Saw to Cut Laminate Flooring

Use the following tips and tricks while cutting laminate flooring using a circular saw to make the process easy. 

  • Always wear a dust mask and safety goggles while using a circular saw.
  • Avoid wearing jewelry and loose clothes because they can be pulled into the saw accidentally and lead to serious injuries.
  • Always check the condition and sharpness of your blade and replace it if it’s not satisfactory before starting the cutting process.
  • If you need to stop the cutting process for any reason, don’t place the machine on any surface until you have made sure that the blade has stopped moving.
  • Never overextend your arm and feet while cutting to make sure you don’t lose your balance.
  • Stand on the side of your circular saw to avoid unwanted kickbacks from binding.
  • Hold the flooring board using your free hand while cutting so that it doesn’t drop on the ground which can cause it to splinter or tear.
  • Keep a dustpan and a broom or vacuum cleaner handy to clean up dust periodically, especially if you’re planning to cut laminate flooring in bulk. 

Advantages of Using a Circular Saw

A circular saw is a powerful handheld tool that comes with a flat blade to easily cut different materials such as metal, PVC pipe, wood, plywood, and laminate. 

It’s an ideal tool for DIY woodworking projects that offers reliable performance and has low maintenance requirements. You should make space in your toolbox for a circular saw to enjoy the following advantages.

Highly Portable

One of the biggest benefits of using a thisr saw is that it’s highly portable. Unlike a table saw, a circular saw is not confined to a single place and you can easily carry it around whenever needed because of its light weight.

Cordless circular saws are also available that keep you from the hassle of worrying about the power source.

Versatility

Versatility is yet another great advantage of using a circular saw. Not only does it make clean through-and-through cuts, but you can also use it to make different types of decorative punches.

A single blade of a circular saw can make different types of cuts such as cross cuts, angle cuts, and rough cuts. 

Another feature that increases the versatility of this tool is that it’s available in both right and left-handed models. It allows you to go for a circular saw depending upon your dominant hand. There are not many tools out there that offer such a level of versatility.

Added Features

Most modern circular saws come with some additional features that make them even easier to use.

For example, some circular saws come with an LED light that allows you to make straight and precise cuts even in poorly lit areas.

Some products are also equipped with fast charging functionality that can potentially save a lot of time.

Long Life

The high-quality blades of a circular saw can easily last for thousands of cuts. The powerful motor of the machine also comes with a long lifespan. Not only does it cut quickly to save time but you also won’t need to change blades frequently which saves money as well.

Track Saw vs Circular Saw: Which is Best for Accurate Woodworking Cuts

Final Words

Using a circular saw to cut laminate flooring is not a difficult task. But because of the delicacy of the material, you need to make sure that you follow the right steps to make straight and neat cuts without chipping. 

Wear protective equipment because safety comes first and follow each step carefully to achieve the best results and avoid unwanted scenarios.

An expert at home repair, remodel, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons.