Whether you are a homeowner of a professional carpenter, when it comes to sawing laminate flooring, having the proper tools can really make the world of difference. When cutting laminate flooring you’ll want a saw that accomplishes the job with maximum efficiency and accuracy.
Investing in a hand saw that is up to the task of sawing through the resins, gloss and coat of a laminate floor will require you to rethink the elements of your traditional hand saw.
The higher quality of the saw, the more improved the cut - having a cheaper saw will certainly extend the completion time of your flooring by some margin.
There are many saws that you can use with laminate flooring, and it will certainly help if you have as many different types of saw at your disposal when it comes to tackling wood flooring.
A table saw will enable you to get those straight cuts through multiple strips of wood, however, if you need to cut shapes to get your wood to fit around an awkward pipe or corner, you’ll also want to use a jigsaw and a handsaw.
Versatility is key when approaching a flooring project, as there will be many different angles and cutting styles that you’ll need to master in order to get that professional finish.
You’ll have to consider which properties are going to be the most suitable for sawing this particular form of wood: how many teeth does your handsaw have? What is the strength of your blade? What material is it made from?
But where do you find the ideal hand saw for your particular wood cutting job? Which features are essential for a laminate floor hand saw and which features are just needless accessories?
How much will a decent hand saw set you back in terms of price?
Well, don’t worry amateur woodcutters, help is at hand… saw. We’ve compiled a list of the best hand saws for laminate flooring currently on the market, along with a buyer’s guide to help you out with what you should be looking for when purchasing a hand saw, and a frequently asked questions section.
Top 4 Best Hand Saw For Laminate Flooring
OUR TOP PICK
First up we have a very versatile hand saw that can be operated with both the left and the right hand, in case you need to get into those particularly tricky corners or around pipes.
This is a very stylish looking handle that will help you trim and refine your laminate floor, making it a perfect addition to your carpenter’s tool kit - introducing the Wolfcraft 6925000 Handsaw.
This is the perfect saw if you want to shorten a door frame, with an angular handle that will give you plenty of room for cutting. You can also use this one to trim the edges of a table if you’re having trouble getting it into your kitchen.
This saw has more teeth than an alligator, making it perfect for that close-quarters sawing that won’t split the wood or leave any excess splinters protruding from your edges.
With laminate wood, it’s important to have those super clean edges, so that you won’t be scratching yourself when you use it in the future.
The handle can be turned 90-degrees, which means that left and right-handed users can get in close into those hard to reach gaps, keeping their saw arm as flush to the surface as possible.
Pros
This saw can be used ambidextrously, which will help you when trying to navigate those awkward corners or exposed piping.
This saw has short-serrated teeth, meaning that your surfaces will be nice and smooth after cutting, which will reduce the risk of injury and make for an aesthetically-pleasing cut.
Great for amending doors, trimming skirting boards and edging tables with a professional standard finish.
This highly-rated product comes at an extremely reasonable price.
Cons
This simple saw might seem a little basic for anyone who wants to attempt more complicated woodworking.
EDITORS CHOICE
This next floor cutter is one that is capable of parallel and angled cuts on laminate wood flooring in a mere few seconds, depending on the length of your wood. With a professional finish, this product comes highly rated by industry professionals and users alike, it won’t let you down when it comes to tricky non-linear cutting and high-density resin surfaces - introducing the VonHaus Laminate Floor Cutter.
It has a long cutting blade will form deep and clean cuts in laminate flooring up to 210mm long and 10mm, allowing you to adjust the measurements of your wood for precision accuracy.
As this is a manual saw, you won’t find your workspace clogged with sawdust like a lot of electrical saws. There will be no noise or dust from this device, meaning that you won't disrupt your neighbours if working late into the night.
It comes with a bracket called V-Support, which ensures that your cuts are even to the millimetre. The base is stainless steel, which makes it a very durable saw that, if maintained with care, will last you for many, many years.
Pros
The long-life blade is essential in giving you high performance when it comes to cutting lengths of wood to a professional standard.
With built-in V-Support, you can measure your laminate wood with a degree of technical accuracy that you wouldn’t be able to with a lot of manual saws.
It will reduce dust, meaning that your workspace will remain clean, saving you additional hours of cleaning at the end of a long day’s work.
With a durable steel base, this device will last you for decades - although remember to oil and polish your cutter regularly, as well as getting the blade resharpened every six months.
Cons
A slightly pricier model of hand saw, more expensive than a lot of products on this list, although you will get a high standard of performance for the price you pay.
BEST VALUE
Next up is a saw that won’t cause you a lot of stress in your back and shoulders, as this is electrically powered. This is made by the renowned and popular brand Bosch, whose professionally designed tools have come out the top of the class amongst Amazon reviewers.
This hand-operated power saw is no different - introducing the Bosch PST 700 E Compact Jigsaw.
It has a 500w motor built-in, capable of cutting laminate wood up to 7 centimetres in thickness - it can also cut aluminium and steel, if necessary.
You can also switch out the blade by simply pressing a button, which makes it very easy to use for beginner carpenters. It also has an air blow feature housed within the body of the saw, which enables you to blow out sawdust and wood shavings, once again at the touch of a button.
Pros
This is a very powerful saw that can easily slice through laminate wood of varying thicknesses, providing you with a measured and clean cut with very little jagged edges - you will get a professional finish with this cutter every single time!
It has an attachable dust chamber in the rear that quickly sucks away all miscellaneous debris, so that it won’t interrupt your workflow, allowing you to concentrate on cutting rather than cleaning or unclogging.
The angle of the footplate can be adjusted by 45-degrees, which will allow you to perform intricate and angled cuts, although you will need a screwdriver to alter this.
Cons
This hand saw is one of the more expensive on this list, although you can expect a high calibre of saw for your money.
RUNNER UP
Next up we have a saw that is specifically designed for laminate flooring, although it has been proven to work well at sawing various types of wood, making it a popular choice in a carpenter’s tool bag.
It has a sturdy steel blade and plenty of teeth for close-to-the-wood sawing, so it’ll surely be a top choice for anyone who wants that professional finish - it’s the Bahco PC-20-Lam Laminator Saw.
The blade on this is 500mm in length, which makes it much thicker, more rigid and gives a much deeper cut than a traditional hardpoint saw.
It also has Bahco’s 11 tpi XT toothing, which means it will make short shrift of most man-made hardwoods and heavy-duty timber. It also has a grip handle so comfortable that users have described it as practically moulding to your hand, which is very important when it comes to harder manual sawing.
Pros
This blade is heavy-duty, allowing you to saw through laminate wood with ease. It has a sturdy solid steel body and a handle that is securely attached with three screws.
The close-knit teeth will provide close-quarters sawing and a professional finish that will ensure that there won’t be any jagged edges that might ruin your table or doorframe.
This product comes very highly rated amongst both DIY experts and amateurs, the solid construction giving starting carpenters that extra confidence when cutting through resin covers.
Considering the sheer range of features that this saw has to offer, it comes at a reasonable price.
Cons
With a steel body and handle, this might be a little too heavy-duty for some users. If you’re only planning on edging off the base of your door, you might want to consider a more affordable model.
Best Hand Saw For Laminate Flooring Buying Guide
So now you’ve had a look at some of the best blades adapted for laminate wood cutting currently available on the market. However, what are the features that you should be looking for when it comes to slicing through resin-covered hardwood?
How Many Teeth Does Your Saw Blade Have?
The number of teeth will certainly affect the efficiency of your cutting. The more teeth your blade has, then the easier it will be to slice through the wood’s augmented exterior.
Depending on the length of your saw blade, you should be having something over 100 teeth in order to have that rounded edge to your cut. Saws such as these will give you a cleaner cut and avoid those jagged edges that will look unsightly and cause damage to your furniture further down the line.
How Strong Is Your Blade?
You will need to make sure that your blade is sturdy enough to push its way through the thick wood. If you grasp your current saw by the handle and shake it side to side and it wobbles, then it probably isn’t suitable for the task of sawing through laminate wood.
Ideally, you’ll want a blade that has carbide-tipped teeth. Carbide-tipped saws simply last longer, as they are a chemical compound of carbon and metal, making it super durable for harsher materials.
Bear in mind: you will need to keep polishing and sharpening even carbide-tipped blades, as they will dull after repeated use. Before attempting to saw your laminate wood, you should already have replacement teeth, otherwise, you might find yourself stuck halfway through a job.
You can buy replacement teeth at your local DIY or hardware store.
Which Type Of Saw Works Best On Laminate Wood?
The type of saw that is best for the job will all depend on the type of cuts you are making. A table saw or a circular saw is ideal for making precise, straight cuts, as they have a measuring slide and footplates.
However, if you want to cut around something complicated like an exposed metal pipe or a door jamb, you’ll probably need a jigsaw or a hand saw like the ones listed above.
What Other Tools Can Be Used On Laminate Wood?
You can find specially-designed cutting tools for laminate flooring, such as floor cutters, which save a lot of time and effort when cutting up large areas of wood, although they might not be so useful for attempting smaller-scale projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Laminate Wood Floor?
This type of wood floor is when a resin or melamine layer is pressed into the wood at high pressures and temperatures. This top layer makes your floor, door or living room furniture resistant to stains, wear, impact, scratches, burns and corroding by household chemicals.
What Are The Main Saws I Need To Use For Cutting Laminate Wood?
There are basically three types of saw you can use for effectively cutting laminate wood flooring or furniture.
Handsaw
As we have seen above, you can simply cut your laminate flooring with a regular hand saw, first by making a smaller cut to gauge the angle of it before committing to a deeper incision. Make your saw line as close to the bearing surface as possible and make sure the wood is held firmly by a clamp.
Jigsaw
This is a very versatile type of saw that works really well on laminate flooring, especially if you want to cut out shapes in your board to be used as decoration on a bathroom or dining room wall, for example.
Make sure that you have a fine, multi-toothed blade for your jigsaw and have the blade spinning before it comes into contact with the wood to avoid injury.
Remember: always check the direction that the teeth are spinning first. Make sure you saw with the teeth facing away from you to get that nice clean cut through the wood.
Crosscut, plunger and table saws
These types of saws are perfect for getting clean angled cuts on the edge of your furniture.
Just make sure that the wood is firmly clamped before setting the saw to the wood and ensure that you are wearing protective equipment such as gloves and a visor.
What Size Of Hand Saw Should I Buy?
With a hand saw the most important thing is control of the blade and precision cutting. To achieve this you’ll want to get a short panel hand saw that measures between 12 and 20-inches.
However, if power and faster cutting speed is what you are looking for, you’ll want to pick up a saw that measures around 24 and 30-inches
Our Final Say
Laminate wood is the toughest to cut and will require a very sturdy blade and durable teeth to slice through the resin or melamine coated surface. As we have seen from our list above, the more teeth, the better, ideally constructed from a tough compound material such as carbide, which will cut through this tougher wood a lot easier.
A handsaw will simply be one of the more useful tools in a DIY enthusiast’s tool bag, they can cut many different materials such as wood, aluminium and even steel. Ideally, if you’re attempting complex woodwork on a regular basis, you should be using an electrical saw with a footplate that will be better adapted for straight lines along with a jigsaw, which will help you for sawing around those corners and uneven surfaces.
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