What is a floorboard saw?

29th February 2020


	What is a floorboard saw?


	Shop for Floorboard Saws


			A floorboard saw looks very similar to a plastic saw but has a curved ‘nose’ at the end. Most models have two sets of cutting teeth, one running along the bottom edge of the blade, like a regular saw, and another along the curved nose.

			Application
			Floorboard saws, as the name suggests, are designed for cutting various types of floorboards either before they have been laid or afterwards.

			Material
			There are models available which can cut into laminate, veneer and solid wood floorboards. Laminate and veneer flooring consists of a thin top sheet mounted on top of a backing board, usually made from plywood.

			Please note Generally, you shouldn’t use a floorboard saw to cut veneer sheets before they have been mounted, as they are very thin and delicate and can be easily torn by a large blade. For this material, consider a traditional or double-sided veneer saw.

			Characteristics
			Blade Most modern floorboard saws have a short blade with a curved nose. Usually, the blade is not designed to be removed from the handle.

			Curved nose On most models, the curved nose also has a set of teeth running along it. This is so that if you turn the saw upside down, you can use it for plunge-cutting. A plunge cut is a cut made by entering the material from above, rather than the side The curved nose allows you to cut already laid floorboards, when there is no edge from which to start.

			Teeth Floorboard saw blades tend to have small teeth with relatively shallow gullets, so they cut and remove less material with each stroke. This means the cutting process usually takes longer but a neat finish is produced and the user has more control over the depth and direction of the cut.

			Cutting stroke Most floorboard saws cut on the push stroke only. Some can cut on both the push and pull stroke, which means you can apply pressure on either stroke, or both for a faster more aggressive cutting action. For more information, see our section: Push stroke saws vs. pull stroke saws

			Teeth Per Inch (TPI) Floorboard saws usually have between 11 and 13 teeth per inch. Their relatively high TPI allows them to cut through the tough surface of floorboards, which usually have a layer of glue holding the laminate or veneer sheet to the board beneath.

			Using a general purpose saw (which usually has fewer TPI) to cut laminate or veneer could result in the teeth tearing the material’s fibres or becoming blunt quickly due to the tough layer of glue.

			The floorboard saw’s high TPI means it can produce a neat finish. Compared to other applications, where the material may not be seen, floorboards are typically on show, and so a neat finish is usually considered important.

			Handle Floorboard saws usually have what’s known as a closed pistol grip handle. The large handle supports the blade, and because it’s closed, the user’s hand is less likely to slip out when sawing quickly.