I was cutting laminate planks wrong for years until a guy in Omaha showed me his trick

I always used to cut the planks face up with a standard blade, which left a pretty rough edge on the finished side. This older installer I met on a job last month saw me doing it and just said, 'Flip that board over, you're tearing the top layer.' I tried it on a piece of scrap, cutting face down, and the cut was clean as a whistle. No more chipped edges on the visible side. How many of you cut laminate face down versus face up?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviagrant1mo agoProlific Poster

Actually, I've always cut face up with a fine-tooth blade and get a perfect edge. The trick is a sharp blade and a slower feed rate. I'd be worried about chipping the backing cutting it face down.

skylerp311mo ago

Perfect edge" with a face-up cut? Sounds like you've got steadier hands than a brain surgeon.

lindaowens1mo ago

Wait you cut laminate face up? That's wild, I've only ever seen people do it face down to avoid chipping the top layer. How do you even keep the guide line clear with all the printed pattern facing you? I'd be so nervous about the saw jumping off track.