How to cut Formica laminate

Video: How to Mark and Cut Formica Laminate Sheets

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 1: Cutting the laminate with a router bit
Tips
What do you need

Formica laminate is a flexible plastic laminate that comes in a wide variety of colors, textures and surface finishes. By using this laminate in your own home, you get a surface that is durable and easy to maintain. Learning how to properly cut laminate flooring can save you a lot of time and money as sometimes the laminate flooring can crack or delaminate. A few simple preliminary steps taken before cutting the laminate will help you achieve a result yourself that will be no worse than the work done by a professional. You can use an electric jigsaw or a special plastic cutter to cut laminate flooring. Study the steps below and you will master both of these cutting methods.

Steps

1 Buy a Formica laminate sheet that is sized to suit your application. Formica laminate is 0.15 or 0.08 centimeters thick.Sheets are produced in widths of 0.9, 1.22 and 1.52 meters and lengths of 2.44, 3.05 and 3.66 meters. The smallest laminate sheet is 0.9x2.44 meters, however some home improvement stores have the option to buy large sheets that are fine if you are doing something small.
2 Measure the surface you want to cover with the laminate with a tape measure.
3 Mark the cutting lines on the laminate sheet with a pencil or pen.
4 Apply masking tape along the cut lines. An additional layer of duct tape should be applied around the edges of the laminate sheet where the initial cuts will be made. If the lines are not visible through the tape, repeat the measurements and mark the lines over the masking tape.
5 Place the laminate sheet on a stable, level surface.
- You can use an unwanted piece of plywood or oriented strand board as a surface to cut your laminate flooring. The surface the laminate is on is likely to be scratched when cutting, so make sure the material you choose can be cut safely and you don't mind if it gets damaged.
- A concrete surface will not work.
6 Use a circular saw or laminate scissors to cut the laminate sheet into large pieces. Do not attempt to make curved cuts with a circular saw. Make the basic cuts, and the finer work and cornering and leave for other tools.
7 Place the laminate sheet on a countertop or other surface.
8 Use a jigsaw with a sharp blade to flatten the edges of the laminate and make curly cuts.
9 With a 100-grit belt sander, you can sand the edges of your laminate flooring. Not everyone knows how to work with this tool, so you can sand the edges of the cut with a small metal file.

Method 1 of 1: Cutting the laminate with a router bit

1 Cut a piece of laminate flooring 0.32 centimeters more than you need.
2 Remove any remaining masking tape after cutting the laminate with a circular saw.
3 Place the laminate on the desired surface.
4 Cut the laminate to the size you want. Use a cutter to get the dimensions you want.
5 Use a metal file to smooth out any unevenness or roughness that may have appeared when cutting the laminate.

Tips

Use larger pieces of laminate whenever possible. Then there will be no joints on your surface that will allow water to pass through and accumulate dirt.