I have strip hardwood in my house and there is a room that I want to remove some hardwood to replace it with tile. What is the best way to cut the hardwood straight on the floor? The cut will be about 12 feet across.

Thanks

 

I'd tape the line to be cut, set up a fence and cut it with a fine tooth blade. Scoring the cut line with a utility knife first will help minimize splintering.

 

What kind of saw do you recommend? I'm not very experienced with saw's.

 

I'd use a skil saw with a plywood blade. You want to nail a fence [straight piece of wood] to the cut off side of the floor to guide the saw so you can cut a straight line. Is there anyone experienced with saws that could make the cut for you?

 

Thank you marksr. I could probably find someone who can use a skill saw better then I can.

 

I have to ask.....why tile in this small of an area? Especially since you have tile and a transition strip already in place. How do you plan on trimming against the wood and tile? Curious.

 

Sorry the picture I added was just to show the type of strip hardwood I have. It's actually a 12x12 room. But one side I have to cut the hardwood.

Anyone know if a RotoZip saw will cut this straight? Say if I lay down a fence as marksr suggested.

 

A roto zip saw will do nothing other than set off all the smoke detectors in your house. It has a carbide tipped blade and doesn't cut much more than trim. I even question the previous suggestion of use of a plywood blade. I have never been successful using that type of blade. They burn up during the first use. I say, invest in a good blade for a skill saw that is used for cross cutting. They have general purpose and fine cutting blades based on the number of teeth. Diablo, Irwin, or Dewalt should do fine. You can get to within a couple of inches from the wall and then finish with an oscillating tool.

 

Thanks czizzi. My hardwood is only 1/2" thick, so I guess I will go with a skill saw.

 

Additionally, I would look for a 60+ tooth blade with a thin kerf. That way you won't be heating up too much and the cut will be smooth. Of course you have to deal with the beginning and ending cut areas which a circle saw won't handle well. Do you have a plan for that?

 

If you are not experienced with using a skill saw, I wouldn't try this cut. You will have to make a plunge cut, and if not done correctly, you can get kickback. Not only risking ruining a large strip of flooring, but maybe a finger or toe.

 

I don't have a plan for end cut. Would a multi-tool work for that?

 

Yes, but it takes a little experience to be able to cut a nice straight line if you are trying to do it freehand. One trick that may help is to screw or brad nail a guide board onto the floor (on the side that is being removed) and use that board as a guide for the multi-tool.

I've found that fine toothed blades will just heat up which dulls the blade and burns the sawdust... so the type of blade you choose for this needs to specifically be a blade for wood. IMO wider blades (like 2 2/3" / 2 3/4" blades) are better than the usual ones since they will cut straighter. And a Japanese tooth is preferable for any wood without nails. Faster cut, stays cooler, bigger teeth provide space for sawdust to go. Hit a nail, though, and you're blade is often pretty much done.

Moving the tool and blade across the length of the cut and making many shallow passes over the wood keeps the blade cooler by cleaning out the sawdust from the saw kerf and is often better than just sitting in one spot, pushing down hard and making one cut that plunges all the way through the wood in a spot that is only as wide as the blade is. That's usually a sure fire way of toasting your blade in short order.