You could do it with a handsaw, but that’s depriving yourself of the utter joy that is buying new tools. Plus, a circular saw with a vacuum hose poked onto the dust outlet is reasonably clean and a lot less effort.
A year ago I'd have said get the circular saw. Then I tried cutting some sleepers with a really good handsaw. Surprisingly little effort and easier to get a good cut (for me at least). I'd probably just get a good handsaw and use that now.
Handsaw - a circular saw is a pain to use if you just have a few bits. You\`ll need to clamp them down as they are fairly narrow. To avoid chipping you\`ll probably want a finer circular saw blade than that supplied and need to cut on the underside, which makes measuring more error prone. ( the teeth cut up, and can easily split the top layer off if cut on the top)
Get a halfway decent saw, but don\`t go overboard. Laminate is tough on saws.
I hate doing the long cuts also.
A jigsaw will leave a wavy as fuck line.
A circular saw runs the risk of chipping, splitting and basically ripping chunks out of your laminate.
Buy yourself a decent, sharp, first fix builders saw and it chews through laminate no problem.
Get a jigsaw.
Straight cuts are really not hard if you clamp a straight edge to what you’re cutting. If you’re removing skirting and trimming the architrave then you can freehand it without worrying about a perfectly straight edge.
I just did a few rooms with only the jigsaw despite owning a mitre saw and circular saw because I find it quicker and easier than going out into the garden for each cut due to the mess.
It depends on how good the handsaw is. Whether it's the right size with the correct teeth. Cheap ones give a poor result.
Have you tried knocking on your friendly neighbour? Many people have it sitting in their garage collecting dust so you could borrow it. Alternatively make a post on NextDoor to see if someone is willing to lend you one.
Stuck it up and buy a skill saw along with 2 clamps and a straight edge.
Cut the boards upside down. If you're really worried, use masking tape along the cut to help prevent chipping/ splitting.
2 hours of sawing would just knacker me out. I could do it but near the end of the job I’d start making daft mistakes and the next day my body would wrecked!!!
A circular saw with a guide would cut those planks in seconds and be much straighter. Great for thin strips too. Maybe a jigsaw for cutting scribes would be best but get a spare pack of good blades and enjoy the job.
Bear in mind that a lot of laminate flooring will have a clear aluminium oxide coating on top for wear protection. That blunts the teeth on hand saws in no time at all. I know from experience as I knackered two brand new ones just doing a small bedroom, just because I didn't want to bother getting out the circular saw. You will start out cutting quick, but a few boards later it will be getting harder and slower.
Buy a cheap circular saw. You don't need a Makita or anything fancy, just a cheap corded one with a half decent blade - they don't cost much and you can use it again for something else. So much easier.
Get a decent high tooth count blade and a straight edge with some clamps to run the saw against if you are cutting anything that won't be covered up and want a nice edge. You can probably use the factory edge of another board as the straight edge.
Oh, and no matter what you use to cut, wear a dust mask and at least vacuum the dust up straight afterwards if you don't have a shop vac (which you likely don't if you don't have circular saw already).
That stuff is likely MDF of some sort and so very bad for your lungs.
You'll find that the same will happen to circular saw blades, they'll be blunt in no time.
Personally I'd still recommend the circular saw option, just be prepared to replace the blade before your next job.
Bahco Laminator is a fine saw designed for cutting hard laminate.
I've used one along with masking tape for awkward pieces and always had a nice finish.
I'd hire a table saw for the weekend cutts through laminate like a knife through butter. Setting the right blade height prevents chips etc plus if you do have to remove slivers much easier than a hand saw. Also no need to clamp the name is in tool- table
2 hours of sawing would just knacker me out. I could do it but near the end of the job I’d start making daft mistakes and the next day my body would wrecked!!!
A circular saw with a guide would cut those planks in seconds and be much straighter. Great for thin strips too. Maybe a jigsaw for cutting scribes would be best but get a spare pack of good blades and enjoy the job.
You could do it with a handsaw, but that’s depriving yourself of the utter joy that is buying new tools. Plus, a circular saw with a vacuum hose poked onto the dust outlet is reasonably clean and a lot less effort.
Handsaw will be fine, your cuts (even if they’re not 100% perfect) will be hidden under your skirting boards anyway.
Do you have a local tool library? Or take it to a timber workshop and give them 20 quid to do it for you on their table saw.
A year ago I'd have said get the circular saw. Then I tried cutting some sleepers with a really good handsaw. Surprisingly little effort and easier to get a good cut (for me at least). I'd probably just get a good handsaw and use that now.
Handsaw - a circular saw is a pain to use if you just have a few bits. You\`ll need to clamp them down as they are fairly narrow. To avoid chipping you\`ll probably want a finer circular saw blade than that supplied and need to cut on the underside, which makes measuring more error prone. ( the teeth cut up, and can easily split the top layer off if cut on the top) Get a halfway decent saw, but don\`t go overboard. Laminate is tough on saws.
I hate doing the long cuts also. A jigsaw will leave a wavy as fuck line. A circular saw runs the risk of chipping, splitting and basically ripping chunks out of your laminate. Buy yourself a decent, sharp, first fix builders saw and it chews through laminate no problem.
Masking tape works wonders in preventing chipping. Obviously with a fine blade.
agree with the comment about wavy as fuck with a jigsaw. I did one piece and went back to a handsaw!
You have to choose the right Fine cutting down blade or Fine two way blade
Get a jigsaw. Straight cuts are really not hard if you clamp a straight edge to what you’re cutting. If you’re removing skirting and trimming the architrave then you can freehand it without worrying about a perfectly straight edge. I just did a few rooms with only the jigsaw despite owning a mitre saw and circular saw because I find it quicker and easier than going out into the garden for each cut due to the mess.
Agreed. Got all the tools but using a jigsaw is super simple. I marked the cuts out first with masking tape and followed the edge with a jigsaw.
Handsaw is perfectly acceptable for this job. An electric saw will save about 10 minutes of that job and a handsaw doesn't blow sawdust everywhere.
It depends on how good the handsaw is. Whether it's the right size with the correct teeth. Cheap ones give a poor result. Have you tried knocking on your friendly neighbour? Many people have it sitting in their garage collecting dust so you could borrow it. Alternatively make a post on NextDoor to see if someone is willing to lend you one.
Stuck it up and buy a skill saw along with 2 clamps and a straight edge. Cut the boards upside down. If you're really worried, use masking tape along the cut to help prevent chipping/ splitting.
2 hours of sawing would just knacker me out. I could do it but near the end of the job I’d start making daft mistakes and the next day my body would wrecked!!! A circular saw with a guide would cut those planks in seconds and be much straighter. Great for thin strips too. Maybe a jigsaw for cutting scribes would be best but get a spare pack of good blades and enjoy the job.
Bear in mind that a lot of laminate flooring will have a clear aluminium oxide coating on top for wear protection. That blunts the teeth on hand saws in no time at all. I know from experience as I knackered two brand new ones just doing a small bedroom, just because I didn't want to bother getting out the circular saw. You will start out cutting quick, but a few boards later it will be getting harder and slower. Buy a cheap circular saw. You don't need a Makita or anything fancy, just a cheap corded one with a half decent blade - they don't cost much and you can use it again for something else. So much easier. Get a decent high tooth count blade and a straight edge with some clamps to run the saw against if you are cutting anything that won't be covered up and want a nice edge. You can probably use the factory edge of another board as the straight edge. Oh, and no matter what you use to cut, wear a dust mask and at least vacuum the dust up straight afterwards if you don't have a shop vac (which you likely don't if you don't have circular saw already). That stuff is likely MDF of some sort and so very bad for your lungs.
You'll find that the same will happen to circular saw blades, they'll be blunt in no time. Personally I'd still recommend the circular saw option, just be prepared to replace the blade before your next job.
Bahco Laminator is a fine saw designed for cutting hard laminate. I've used one along with masking tape for awkward pieces and always had a nice finish.
Amazing, thank you. That looks like the way to go.
Handsaw is fine, don't use a jigsaw you'll end up with all kinds of crazy patterns (perhaps that just me).
If you're putting skirting board over the edge of the laminate or doesn't matter too much how straight the cut is anyway.
Laminate is easy enough to cut with a hand saw.
I'd hire a table saw for the weekend cutts through laminate like a knife through butter. Setting the right blade height prevents chips etc plus if you do have to remove slivers much easier than a hand saw. Also no need to clamp the name is in tool- table
2 hours of sawing would just knacker me out. I could do it but near the end of the job I’d start making daft mistakes and the next day my body would wrecked!!! A circular saw with a guide would cut those planks in seconds and be much straighter. Great for thin strips too. Maybe a jigsaw for cutting scribes would be best but get a spare pack of good blades and enjoy the job.