Although vinyl plank flooring typically comes in pre-cut sections, you’ll probably need to cut some of it yourself to fit the exact dimensions of your room. Below will tell you how to cut vinyl plank flooring and what can you use to cut vinyl plank flooring.

It is simple to work with and install vinyl plank flooring. Cutting the material to size doesn’t require any special equipment. You can use a Dremel, a hand saw, a table saw, a circular saw, a miter saw, a jigsaw, or a laminate tile cutter as cutting tools. The most popular tool is a utility knife.

Keep reading.

Things You Should Know

• Before beginning, double-check your measurements using a framing square or a tape measure to measure your cut.
• Simply flip the flooring while making your cut with a utility knife, then use the leverage of your knee to snap off the small piece.
• Making sure your jigsaw’s teeth are pointed away from you, secure your flooring in place using a clamp before making a slow, accurate cut.

How to Cut Vinyl Plank Flooring?

It’s time to learn how to cut vinyl flooring using specific procedures now that you’ve selected a tool.

Create Guidelines on the Vinyl Plank for the Cut

The initial step in this process is to map out your vinyl plank flooring. Do some measurements and mark out the guideline on the vinyl plank. Seeing the type of cut you will have will be made easier by this.

Choose the Suitable Method for the Cut

See what kind of tool is most appropriate for the cut by looking at the guide. The short cut and the long cut are the two primary varieties. Below are the tools and instruction for making these cuts. But sometimes you will have to make a curve or a round cut. A handsaw is the ideal tool for the job. The secret is to precisely glide the blade along the curve with patience.

Score the Vinyl Plank (for Short Cut Only)

To cut down on time, score the line with a utility knife and stainless steel ruler. Continue doing that up until you notice a groove on the vinyl plank surface. This is the time to clamp the plank down with your hand or secure it with something substantial.

Snap Off the Cut Section (for Short Cut Only)

Turn the vinyl plank over after you’ve created a groove, then weigh down the larger portion. When you want to remove a part, hold the end and bend it by pulling it up. It ought to be simple to snap off. In the event that it doesn’t, you’ll need to score the groove a few more times in order to make it deep enough for the snap.

Secure the Vinyl Plank before Cutting (for Long Cut)

With a long cut, it’s important to secure the vinyl plank in place to make sure it won’t move while you make the cut. For better support, use a clamp or something else that will weigh the vinyl plank down. The edge that will be cut off should be placed as far away from the table as possible. Place the guideline against the edge of the table and clamp it.

Cut the Vinyl Plank With a Suitable Tool

In order to avoid splitters, put on safety gear such as goggles and a facemask. To cut along the line, you can either use a handsaw, jigsaw, or miter saw. Place the cutting tool at the start of the cut with the blade facing away from you. You should push the blade away from your body while cutting because that is the safest position.

Do Some Trimming (if Necessary)

Check the cut to see if any pieces need to be trimmed off. incearca incearcaurmatoareleurmatoareleambulambulambulambul Straight cuts usually don’t have these unwanted parts, but it happens to a curve cut quite often, especially if you are not familiar with the task and don’t know how to control the blade smoothly.

What Can You Use to Cut Vinyl Plank Flooring?

Installing and working with vinyl plank flooring is simple. To cut the material to size, no specialized equipment is required. You can use a Dremel, a hand saw, a table saw, a circular saw, a miter saw, a jigsaw, or a laminate tile cutter as cutting tools. A utility knife is the most widely used tool.

Tile Cutter

Vinyl plank flooring requires a deeper cut than can be achieved with this kind of tile cutter, and the diamond edge on a ceramic tile cutter is not the right cutting edge for vinyl.

Saw

A handsaw with fine enough teeth, like a finish cut saw or even a hacksaw, can cut through the material and leave a smooth edge behind.

Because the saw’s teeth are made to make this kind of cut on wood as well, a flush cut pull saw will also leave a clean, smooth edge on the vinyl after it has been cut.

Table Saw

Table saws can be used to cut this material in addition to rip cuts. You can also perform crosscuts of your vinyl planks on the table saw. When you want to shorten the length of the plank, a crosscut is required.

Miter Saw

The types of cuts you can make on a vinyl plank are restricted by the miter saw’s construction. It will work well for cutting angles into the ends of boards to shorten vinyl planks and lay them around obstacles.

Thus, a miter saw will perform admirably as a crosscut saw on your vinyl planks, but if you need to make longitudinal rip cuts, you will need to use one of the other cutting techniques that can make these kinds of cuts.

Jigsaw

You require a jigsaw blade with finer teeth and less aggression for cutting vinyl planks. The smooth cut provided by the fine teeth will prevent damage to the edges of the plank being cut.

The most useful aspect of using a jigsaw is when you have to make cutouts in the vinyl planks to fit around obstacles such as door jams, pillars, basin pedestals, and the base of toilets.

Circular Saw

If you don’t have access to a table saw or another tool that can make these cuts, a circular saw will make the job of ripping these planks longitudinally much simpler. A circular saw will make these cuts a lot faster than a jigsaw as well.

A simple, inexpensive circular saw is more than adequate for the task and will perform well. To safely cut the vinyl planks, you only need to make sure that it is firmly clamped to a workbench or other solid surface.

Dremel

The Dremel Trio is excellent for making cutouts so that the planks can be shaped to fit around obstacles, but this will be the only time you use it in your flowing job. Rip cuts and crosscuts, which are going to be the most typical types of cuts during the project, cannot be made with it.

Utility Knife

The score-and-snap method is the name for this technique for cutting vinyl planks. This method works well and is commonly used, but if you do not do it correctly, the break line after the snap is sometimes not as clean as if the plank was cut.

Use of utility knives with plastic handles or blades that snap off is not advised. These types of utility knives may break if you apply the pressure required to score the planks, which could result in a cut.

Tips and Tricks to Effortlessly Cut Vinyl Plank Floor Even When You Are An Amateur

• Remember to take into account the expansion gap required for yourvinyl plank flooring when cutting it to size. The space between the planks and the walls enables the floor to swell and shrink in response to temperature changes. The recommended size can be found by consulting the manufacturer.
• You can mark your cutting line with any type of carpenter’s square. If you don’t have a framing square, a combination square, speed square, or try square will do the trick.
• Once you’ve drawn your cutting line, measure it again. Now compare it to the floor area you need to cover. Double checking in this way means you can be confident you’re cutting the correct amount off your vinyl plank.
• Make sure the blade is the right way around in the jigsaw before you start to cut! If it isn’t facing away from you, it’s a simple task to release and reposition it. There’s usually a button that will unlock the blade and allow you to turn it around.
• Jigsaws typically produce very smooth cuts, but occasionally you might notice some vinyl sticking up. If that occurs, just cut them off with your utility knife to create a sharp edge.
• Use a metal tape measure to measure the position of your cutting lines. That will have a metal clip on the end, which you can place over the plank’s end. It will guarantee that the tape doesn’t move and enable you to obtain a more precise measurement.
• Another great option is a folding wooden ruler. Additionally, it will provide you with a straight line on which to draw your line. However, if you take this route, make at least two marks and measure the distance twice. To ensure a straight cut, make sure your line passes through both marks.
• Use a pair of pliers if you need to cut off only a very small piece of plank.

FAQs

Summary: How to Cut Vinyl Plank Flooring?

You should select your method based on the portion of the vinyl plank that you want to cut. There are two basic methods. When cutting lengthwise, a jigsaw will come in handy, but scoring and snapping is preferred for smaller pieces. Remember, always wear protective eyewear when cutting materials, and make sure that you handle power tools carefully.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment. My Prime Home tries to give you the best home improvement information. Don’t forget to share the post. Thank you for reading.

See also:

• How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring?
• Is Vinyl Plank Flooring Waterproof?
• How Much Does It Cost to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring?