What kind of power tools to help with laminate flooring install?

10 Responses to “What kind of power tools to help with laminate flooring install?”

1. mule0331 on January 10th, 2009 1:32 pm

   Well since laminate flooring is relatively easy to install, I wouldn’t figure you would need much more than a compound miter saw or at least a small circular saw. The only reason you may need a miter saw is to cut the corners in on your baseboards if installing them, if not a small circular saw should be all you need.

2. GedCarey on January 11th, 2009 3:26 am

   power tools?! not many

   jig saw diffenately, if your installing it around radiators or a bathroom suite. id avoid a Chop saw as the blades can be quite rough and a little too powerful causeing the laminate to split/chip. A standard hand saw would be sufficient….
   also try and get a thin blade for you jig saw, and have a spare piece of wood handy for knocking the wood panels into place.

3. DIY Doc on January 11th, 2009 5:41 am

   All 3 valid answers so far; and certainly dependant on the TYPE of laminate; and it’s designed install system/method.

   Obviously CUTTING; perhaps a power nailer; Perhaps NON powered….a rubber mallet; level; Measuring tape; Contured bevel gauge; Hand saw for door frame molding cuts; and peripherals such as knee pads; a first aid kit; adhesives, in such needed cases; HELP; etc.

   Steven Wolf

4. meyerhomeimp on January 13th, 2009 6:16 am

   I would use a compound miter saw with a finishing blade and a Jigsaw also with a finishing blade. These are the only two power tools you will need. Other tools you will need will be Tape measure, Pull bar and Tapping block, Rubber mallot. Never will you need a power nailer, laminate does not get nailed down, it is free floating.

5. Rawstuff 007 on January 14th, 2009 9:25 pm

   So far, all your ansswers are good one. What is your tool budget?? This will determine your choice of tools!!

   I have laid dozens of laminate floors! In some simple square room cases, a drill and forstner bits to cut round holes for piping, a jig saw with a laminate blade and a sliding mitre square doo the trick! The mitre square has both a 45 deg. and 90 deg. on the body. A 6″ speed square is also affective. You just set the square on the edge, and guide the jug saw along the square for 90 deg. square cuts! Easy.

   if you have different angles in the room, such as you would expect in older homes, I recommend a compound mitre saw, fitted with a laminate blade. you will be able to get nice clean cuts, and pick up some of the really strange angles, like 95 deg. or 42 deg. or even the really wierd 22 1/2 deg, you fnd on a slanted or angled wall.

6. oil field trash on January 15th, 2009 3:45 am

   Lots of good answers but I don’t think anyone said anything about the saw blades having carbide teeth. Most laminates are pretty hard on top and a regular blade will get dull very fast.

7. louiesiddog on January 18th, 2009 2:37 pm

   We have installed a few thousand square feet and I have found a table saw is the best tool for me. I have a cheap (less $100) one which is light to carry, easy to move around. You can respectively free hand cut your lengths, so I do not use a guide or fence, your lengths are on the end which is covered up by trim and should not be a tight fit. I will use one hand as a guide and use the other hand to run the board through. A table saw will also help for inside corners as well. On occassion I use a dremel/rotozip for cutting holes if in the middle area of a piece of laminate. A chop saw / miter saw isn’t bad but most laminate we have laid is too wide for a standard 10″ saw so you either have to cut it twice or have a slider style or a 12″ saw and you can’t do inside cutouts unless its real close to the end of the laminate piece.

8. dcrc93 on January 19th, 2009 12:19 am

   we had a saw to cut and that was about it
   i think the ends should be clued.my choice tho.it depends on what type of flooring are you laying down.wood,ect ect?
   i have fake wood laminated in my living room and dinning room now for about a year.i love it

9. ben j on January 21st, 2009 7:46 am

   a jamb saw or undercut saw is usefull as well so that the flooring slides under door jambs

10. lostinyonkers on January 24th, 2009 2:08 pm

    knife for the underlayment
    table saw tomake you cuts
    jamb saw to cut the jambs
    tapping block some times it doesn’t pop easily
    small pry bar for up against the wall
    rubber mallet to hit tapping block
    pencil to mark your cuts.

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