How to Cut Laminate That's Already on the Floor

Laminate flooring looks much like hardwood flooring and has a similar installation process. However, laminate flooring is not solid wood. The flooring planks are manufactured out of a composite of several materials pressed together to look like wood. This composite is then covered with a protective coating that gives laminate flooring its glossy appearance. If you would like to cut laminate that's already on the floor, the method will depend on your type of laminate flooring.

Set the blade of a circular saw so that it is the same depth as the laminate flooring planks. If you are in doubt about the depth of the planks, it is better to set the depth of the blade too shallow instead of too deep, so choose a depth of one-half inch or lower.

Cut into the laminate at the seams. Lower the saw blade so that it cuts through both of the long sides of the laminate plank from end to end. That way, you have two parallel cuts on either side of the plank.

Make several small cuts into the wood at each end of the laminate plank between the two long cuts you made with a utility knife. Do not try to cut all the way through the laminate with the utility knife. Just create a large enough valley across each end that you can get the tip of a chisel in.

Place the tip of a chisel into the cut at one end of the plank. Tap gently with a hammer to cut through the composite. Repeat the process at the other end and along the edges that you cut with the circular saw, if the saw did not cut all the way through.

Remove the laminate plank that you cut by sliding a putty knife or another thin, flat object beneath one of the short ends of the planks and lifting. Try not to put pressure on the surrounding planks to prevent damage to the surface of the flooring.