How do I cut the door trim to lay laminate flooring neatly underneath?

Question

I removed all the baseboard of course, but don't want to remove the door moldings. I can't use a saw as it will cut "into" the trim but then there is no way to cut "down" to get the piece out. How do I get a nice clean, neat cut off the bottom of the trim so I can slide the laminate flooring slightly underneath?

Answer 1

I've done this by using a small tool called a back saw. This is a hand saw with a thin blade and small teeth having a stiffener on the blade opposite the teeth. You can lay this on the floor and cut the molding parallel to the floor. Of course you need to be careful not to damage anything else with the saw and you would have to cut completly through the molding to remove the cutoff.
Good Luck

Answer 2

The answers above are headed in the right direction.

When I have done this I use a scrap of the laminate to set the height above the floor that the cut will be made.

I use a cheap dove tail saw rather than an expensive back saw. The cheap dove tail saw has a handle like a screw driver and can be bent at an angle so you are not banging your knuckles against the floor when you make the cut.

Lay the scrap of laminate flat on the floor and lay the saw flat on the laminate then just under cut the door molding and door jamb to the depth you need.

This method can also be used when tiling a floor or installing conventional wood floors.

Answer 3

Jamb saw. You can buy one for about 10 bucks. Or you can rent an electric one for under 20 bucks/ day, maybe. A hand jamb saw is just a fine toothed saw with an offset blade. Usually, the blade can be reversed so you can cut from the left or the right. Take a scrap piece of material (in this case laminate flooring) and a thin piece of cardboard, 1/16", and use it for a guide to cut the casing and jamb. If you are stopping the flooring under the door, stop cutting where you want to end the flooring and use a small chisel to notch the jamb. An electric jamb saw is basically a circular saw with a base parallel to the blade. You can adjust the base up or down depending on the thickness of the flooring. I'd recommend renting one if you you are cutting more than three or four doors. I once cut maybe ten jambs in about 45 minutes. I mean both sides so it was 20 cuts, I believe. It was well worth the price. You can rent one at most rental stores or Home Depot or Lowe's, the saw you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe's.

Answer 4

like someone else said, take a piece of the laminate and use it to measure and mark the door jam accurately, then use either a hack saw (hand powered) or a jig saw to cut the small piece out. When you cut in far enough it will fall away. Then take a small piece of sand paper and smooth out the rough edges. If the trim is painted, you may need to touch it up before laying the laminate floor down.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do I cut the door trim to lay laminate flooring neatly underneath?
I removed all the baseboard of course, but don't want to remove the door moldings. I can't use a saw as it will cut "into" the trim but then there is no way to cut "down" to get the piece out. How do I get a nice clean, neat cut off the bottom of the trim so I can slide...

Answer 6

There are loads of sites giving helpful tips, but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy. The first one I did was in a room which is really an odd shape. I did it on my own and I had no problems. The most difficult bit was the last line which was against a wall which was at an angle. As long as you leave a gap around the wall, and it is straight, it will be OK. You will then need to put trim down over the gap, which will need to be fixed to the skirting. The recommend trim is really expensive. I used a few lengths of the cheaper decorative angle beading. Worked just as good!!

Answer 7

How To Cut Door Trim

Answer 8

Use an offset dovetail saw resting on a piece of the flooring for the right height. Make sure it's OFFSET type or the handle will be in the way. About $20, worth not scraping knuckles. Buy a sharp chisel too for casings in corners.

Answer 9

the saw you are looking for is called a jamb saw. you can find at any Lowe's / home depot in the flooring dept. like all the rest have said lay scrap laminate on the floor next to you "jamb" or molding the saw will lay flat on the scrap and cut.

Answer 10

Use a scrap laminate as rest/support for the saw. Go to Home Depot or your local hardware and ask about the saw used dor doing this kind of job. I have seen this done on This Old HOuse.