How to Cut Slits in Laminate Floors

Kneel down, and apply painter’s tape to the laminate board in the approximate location of the slit.

Place a straight edge on top of the painter’s tape in the location where you want the slit. Draw a pencil line down the straight edge to designate the length of the slit. If you need a wider slit, draw an identical parallel line next to the first at the desired width, such an eighth inch.

Insert a three-sixteenth-inch drill bit into a power drill, and create a hole at both ends of the line or lines. Drill down until you feel the bit slide, or you hit the underlying concrete or plywood subfloor. Create two more holes along the center of the line or lines at equally spaced distances. These holes prevent the board from cracking as you cut it.

Put on safety glasses, and adjust the depth of a circular saw blade to the same depth as the laminate boards. To identify the proper depth, pry up the shoe molding or baseboard to reveal the expansion gap, and measure the side of the laminate boards down to the subfloor.

Plug in the saw, and place it on top of the painter's tape, aligning the end with the top hole in the pencil line. Squeeze the trigger to cut all the way down the line very slowly until you reach the other end. If you drew two parallel lines, repeat the cutting process on the other line, using the same method.

Remove the painter's tape from the laminate floor board to ensure that the slit is wide enough for your purposes. If needed, you may widen the slit, using a chisel and a hammer to gently cut away the sides of the slit.