Help with a laminate floor installation

Wheety

Just looking for some advice here. Some novice errors I think.

I started laying some laminate and I've come to a part of the floor where I'd need to cut a very narrow strip. You can see in the attached pic that there is fixture and when the next row meets this, a small strip of around 2" or slightly smaller will be needed. Is it ok to use a strip this small?

The other option would be to start a new row against this fixture and work back towards the wall to the left in the pic and cut the narrow strip off there?



I will also have to check the measurements to the wall on the right of the pic as I don't want to end up with another very narrow strip.

Also. I haven't been able to cut very straight lines in the laminate. I'm hoping the skirting will cover this. Does anyone know the thickness of standard skirting?

Any tips for cutting straight lines, especially on the long side? I'm using a jigsaw with a laminate blade.

sky6

Skirting usually comes in 15mm and 18 mm. But you also need to leave roughly 8 to 10 mm clearance all around the room to allow for expansion.
I wouldn't worry too much about the small piece, especially as it's out of the way. when it's all done you won't even notice it.

Boards are usually laid end to end facing the light and go with the direction of the longest Wall.

the_pen_turner

small strip like that wont matter. not ideal but you have to compromise, it cant be full boards everywhere

J.R.

Wheety wrote: »

Any tips for cutting straight lines, especially on the long side?

Use a hand saw

Wheety

I used a handsaw and still didn't get it straight.

The wall is not straight there either. Might need put a small piece of scotia there to hide a gap I think may be there after skirting goes on. I left a 10mm gap at the door frame too not taking into account that the old frame will be removed and the new one in the same place. Will need to glue in a small piece after the new frame and architrave are installed.

Also, discovered that the blade in the jigsaw was not straight on. That's what I get by buying an own brand from a big DIY place. Should have just went with the Bosch i had in my hand.

My first time doing this too. Looks so easy on YouTube for people to get straight lines too. :mad:

TheChizler

If you can clamp a piece of wood or another board to the one you're cutting that will act as a very good guide. If you don't have clamps you could screw them together on the waste piece.

Wheety

TheChizler wrote: »

If you can clamp a piece of wood or another board to the one you're cutting that will act as a very good guide. If you don't have clamps you could screw them together on the waste piece.

Is this for the jigsaw? To my eye the blade doesn't look straight in the guide. Even a brand new one. I'll bring it back tonight but I reckon they'll only offer a repair.

I saw a Bosch one and a Stanley Fatmax and they both looked better but I went for the cheap option as I though I've only got a couple of floors to do. The blade pulls to one side and even jumped under the clamped piece I was using. It was then I noticed it's crooked.

TheChizler

Jigsaw preferably but handsaw if you're careful.

Have you tried a different type of blade? Are they both bent? Can you adjust the angle of the jigsaw shoe?

Wheety

TheChizler wrote: »

Jigsaw preferably but handsaw if you're careful.

Have you tried a different type of blade? Are they both bent? Can you adjust the angle of the jigsaw shoe?

I bought special laminate blades. Even a brand new one is not looking straight on. Nothing in the instructions about being able to straighten this. It's like the holder is looking every so slightly to one side. I though I was bad at cutting a straight line but I reckon this must have been crooked since I bought but not being used to it I didn't know to check that.

TheChizler

When you say it doesn't look straight do you mean that the cut goes off to either side if you're trying to follow a line, or the cut isn't at right angles to the surface? You should be able to adjust the angle of either, with screws/knobs on the jigsaw. You might need an allen key.

Wheety

When you look head on at the blade, it seems to be turned ever so slightly to the left. Not a bent blade but not facing straight on. Then when trying to cut a straight line, it would drag to the side.