What kind of blade do you need to cut laminate flooring? A sharp jigsaw blade with a fine-tooth pattern is best. Jigsaw blades come in various shapes and sizes, so it’s important to select the right one for the project at hand. In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of jigsaw blades available and recommend the best one for cutting laminate flooring.
Preparation for cutting laminate flooring
The first step in installing your new laminate floor is to prepare the subfloor. If you are covering an existing vinyl or other hard surface, chances are the underlayment has seen better days and should be replaced. Underlayment is available as a roll and can be cut to size with a utility knife or shears. Alternatively, it can be purchased as a pre-sized drop-in piece that will fit under the new laminate flooring. The choice of underlayment material is up to you carpet pad, felt paper, and foam insulation are all good options for cushioning and insulating noise between rooms.
Be sure to use a drop-in underlayment with grooves on the underside for grip with your new laminate flooring. If you are installing over tile, stone, or another hard surface, existing nails/screws will have to be removed before you can lay down your new flooring. Use special blades designed for cutting around corners and removing fasteners without damaging wood surfaces.
Sharpening jigsaw blade
If you’re using a standard jigsaw blade, one pass of the blade over an oil-covered sharpening stone is usually sufficient before each cut is made. Assuming this step has not been completed already by the manufacturer, some user manuals also specify that two passes of the saw blade across a diamond file will improve performance. A single pass of a diamond file along the edge of each tooth will do the trick.
Sharp jigsaw blade for laminate flooring
The first type of jigsaw blade we recommend is the standard bi-metal blade, as pictured to your left. The teeth on these blades are designed to cut through wood and other soft materials easily with less chance of splintering or chipping laminate flooring material. You won’t have to exert too much pressure on your saw handle while cutting with a high-quality bi-metal blade. Be aware that a low-quality jigsaw blade can tear at your laminate flooring, ruining the product and potentially putting you out of work until a replacement can be found.
Fine-tooth jigsaw blade
Next, we recommend a fine-tooth (15 or 20 teeth per inch) jigsaw blade. These blades provide the best results for cutting laminate flooring. They produce smooth cuts and avoid tearing up your product even higher quality blades may tear at times, but it will be less noticeable than if you use wider blades.
If you have a long run of straight cutting to do, using a fine tooth blade is usually sufficient. If you are cutting multiple angles in hard-to-reach corners, however, consider using a scroll saw to save time and energy. When making inside or outside corners with your jigsaw, don’t forget to use a special corner chisel designed for this job! This angled tool allows you to make smooth cuts that will leave an otherwise-impossible edge looking great. Check out our blog for more detail on how to use a jigsaw .
What type of blade to buy?
Now that you know the qualities you should look for in a jigsaw blade, it’s time to make your final purchase. When it comes down to it, there are only two things that matter when buying a jigsaw blade: whether or not they are bi-metal and their size. The size of the blade determines how much material can be cut at one time, so keep this fact in mind if you will need more than one pass with your saw. If laminate flooring is being installed over subfloors other than tile/stone/hardwood, go for a thicker bi-metal jigsaw blade (13 or 18 teeth per inch) to prevent tearing up your product.
How long does a Jigsaw Blade last?
Jigsaw blades are meant to be used on a single task before being discarded. Once they have worn down, the teeth on the blade will no longer properly cut laminate flooring without causing damage or splintering. If you’ve invested in high-quality jigsaw blades, this shouldn’t happen very often. Even if your woodworking results are not perfect, keep experimenting with different blades until you find one that can do the job for you!
Sharpening Jigsaw Blade
If you’re using a standard jigsaw blade, one pass of the blade over an oil-covered sharpening stone is usually sufficient before each cut is made. Assuming this step has not been completed already by the manufacturer, some user manuals also specify that two passes of the saw blade across a diamond file will improve performance. A single pass of a diamond file along the edge of each tooth will do the trick.
Finishing Jigsaw Blade
Next, we recommend a fine-tooth (15 or 20 teeth per inch) jigsaw blade. These blades provide the best results for cutting laminate flooring. They produce smooth cuts and avoid tearing up your product even higher quality blades may tear at times, but it will be less noticeable than if you use wider blades.
If you have a long run of straight cutting to do, using a fine-tooth blade is usually sufficient. If you are cutting multiple angles in hard-to-reach corners, however, consider using a scroll saw to save time and energy. When making inside or outside corners with your jigsaw, don’t forget to use a special corner chisel designed for this job! This angled tool allows you to make smooth cuts that will leave an otherwise-impossible edge looking great.
How to use the blade?
Now that you know the qualities you should look for in a jigsaw blade, it’s time to make your final purchase. When it comes down to it, there are only two things that matter when buying a jigsaw blade: whether or not they are bi-metal and their size. The size of the blade determines how much material can be cut at one time, so keep this fact in mind if you will need more than one pass with your saw. If laminate flooring is being installed over subfloors other than tile/stone/hardwood, go for a thicker bi-metal jigsaw blade (13 or 18 teeth per inch) to prevent tearing up your product.
When to replace the blade?
Jigsaw blades are meant to be used on a single task before being discarded. Once they have worn down, the teeth on the blade will no longer properly cut laminate flooring without causing damage or splintering. If you’ve invested in high-quality jigsaw blades, this shouldn’t happen very often. Even if your woodworking results are not perfect, keep experimenting with different blades until you find one that can do the job for you!
How to store the blade?
The best way to store jigsaw blades is inside a small, lidded jar. This will prevent the cutting edges from becoming dull and also protect your fingers from accidentally coming in contact with them if you drop or knock over the container.
If you’re using a standard jigsaw blade, one pass of the blade over an oil-covered sharpening stone is usually sufficient before each cut is made. Assuming this step has not been completed already by the manufacturer, some user manuals also specify that two passes of the saw blade across a diamond file will improve performance. A single pass of a diamond file along the edge of each tooth will do the trick.
Next, we recommend a fine-tooth (15 or 20 teeth per inch) jigsaw blade. These blades provide the best results for cutting laminate flooring. They produce smooth cuts and avoid tearing up your product even higher quality blades may tear at times, but it will be less noticeable than if you use wider blades.
If you have a long run of straight cutting to do, using a fine-tooth blade is usually sufficient. If you are cutting multiple angles in hard-to-reach corners, however, consider using a scroll saw to save time and energy. When making inside or outside corners with your jigsaw, don’t forget to use a special corner chisel designed for this job! This angled tool allows you to make smooth cuts that will leave an otherwise-impossible edge looking great.
Conclusion
It is important to select the right jigsaw blade for laminate flooring in order to achieve the best results. A sharp and durable blade will make quick work of the job and produce a smooth finish. We hope this article has helped you choose the right tool for the task at hand and provided some useful tips for completing your project successfully.
