What is an insulation saw?

There only seems to be one saw on the market which is specifically designed for cutting insulation.

Application

As the name suggests, an insulation saw is most commonly used for cutting insulation to size.

Material

The insulation saw is designed for use on mineral wool, glass wool, EPS (expanded polystyrene), XPS (extruded polystyrene), stone wool and rock wool. 

Characteristics

Blade

The blade on the insulation saw is fairly large and tapers towards the end. It is not designed to be removed from the handle.

The blade is 550mm (21.6" approx.) in length. 

Teeth

This saw doesn't really have ‘teeth’ in the same way other saws do, but its blade can still be sharpened. Instead of teeth it has a wavy blade with sharpened edges for slicing through the material easily. As a result, this type of saw doesn't have a TPI count. For more information, see our section: What is saw TPI?.

Cutting stroke

The insulation saw cuts on both the push and the pull stroke.

For more information, see our section: Push stroke saws vs. pull stroke saws.

Handle

An insulation saw has what’s known as a ‘closed pistol grip handle’. This type of handle is often found on saws with larger or longer blades which are designed for faster more aggressive cutting. The large handle supports the blade, and because it’s closed, the user’s hand is less likely to slip out when sawing quickly.