How to cut linoleum and carpet using a lino knife?

29th February 2020


	How to cut linoleum and carpet using a lino knife


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			When cutting linoleum you only require the knife and no other tools. However, when you are cutting carpet you will also need a knee kicker and a bolster chisel (carpet fitting chisel). Also for for carpet, you might need to lay underlay first – but not all carpet requires underlay. Your carpet supplier will advise.

			A knee kicker or carpet stretcher is a metal tool which varies in length. At one end it contains teeth which grip to the carpet and the other end is padded. The toothed end is placed a few inches from the wall and the padded end is forcefully driven using your knee.

			This will stretch the carpet over the gripper nailed around the edge of the floor, making sure the carpet is grabbed and held in place, giving the edges of the carpet a professional finish. For carpet gripper, again consult your carpet supplier.

			A bolster or carpet fitting chisel is a hand tool with a short but wide blade and a flat-headed handle. The flat head of the chisel is hit with a hammer, pressing the newly cut edge of the carpet down behind the gripper.

			Step 1 – Place linoleum Push the linoleum flooring or carpet being fitted into the corners where the floor meets the wall. This will form corners in the lino or carpet for you to use as a guide to cut.

			Step 2 – Hold lino knife Hold the lino knife with your dominant hand. Wrap your palm around the handle with your thumb or index finger resting on top of the handle.

			Step 3 – Place knife Position the tip of the blade at the beginning of the line you want to cut.

			Step 4 – Cut material Run the blade carefully along the material using the corners formed as a guide to cut.

			Lino knives can make different cuts, including long and tip cuts (scoring). When producing these different types of cuts, angle the knife in a horizontal or vertical position to give you the correct positioning of the blade.

			For long cuts, use the curve of the blade and run it along the guide in your material. You can hold the knife horizontally or vertically when producing a long cut. Pulling the knife horizontally will give you a more controlled grip and allow you to produce a more aggressive cut suitable for cutting thick carpet.

			Holding the knife vertically gives you the visibility to see where you are cutting and allows the tip of the blade to point away from the floor surface to prevent any damage. This is suitable for cutting linoleum or thin carpet.

			To score, make an incision by pushing the tip of the blade into the material. Lightly and carefully run the tip of the blade all the way along the surface of the material, keeping to the guide.

			If you are laying carpet, after cutting it to size, use the knee kicker to stretch the edges over the gripper, and the bolster chisel to push the carpet down between the gripper and the wall, making a smooth, professional finish.