How to cut or saw laminate flooring

Laminate flooring unfortunately never comes in the size of your room. So some sawing is required. Don't be discouraged however. It's remarkably smooth. These three ways are most common to shorten your boards.

Tools you can use to saw your planks:

• A handsaw
• An electric jigsaw
• A crosscut saw, plunger saw or table saw

You can perfectly well saw your laminate floorboards with a regular hand saw. First make a short incision and then continue to saw. Put the saw line as close as possible to the bearing surface and clamp the loose piece down. Cut with the decorative side of the panel up to avoid damaging the decor.

A jigsaw is even easier and can basically be used for everything. It's the perfect tool to cut out a shape from a board, for example if you want to place boards around a toilet. Always use a fine tooth and have the saw rolling before you touch the boards.

Professional tip: test the direction of the teeth on your saw blade. This way you know if you have to saw up or down with the decor to obtain a nice saw-cut.

Sawing out slanted walls or corners? Then the crosscut saw, plunger saw or table saw will come in handy. Set the angle you're trying to create, secure the board and let the saw do its work.

Find out more:

• More about laminate flooring
• How to lay a laminate floor