What festools would you bring for a laminate floor job?

[Electric Trim]

You should think seriously about getting something like this...

Laminate floor cutter

No dust, put it right next to where you're working and eliminate tons of walking and up and down.

That might be OK for straight cuts, but a  to use for scribed cuts, so one would still need to use at least a jigsaw. 

[unsure]

What percentage of cuts would you say are straight cuts if you had to guess?

 

[speed]

all this talk about laminate, guess what i was doing today [wink]

jigsaw
vac
compressor and 23g gun is all to power tools i used,
i used a tennon saw for the scotia id couldent be arsed to drag the kapex upstairs for just a few cuts

 

[jhall]

sense we are talking laminate.  any one know if you need a vapor barrier under the "vapor barrier padding that the sell with the floor.  the manufacture states that you do to be covered under the warranty.  just wondering if any one has ran into this.

 

[score0matic]

laminate flooring has a working tolerance of 1/4"  the chopper is ok  the Cheap cordless Ryobi has proven to be the best install tool for us that is with a little over 100,000 sf in the last 4 years.  the cheap one has a plastic guards and doesn't scratch the floor  and with the money you save you can pick up a pair of ProKnees  which is in my opinion the most important tool you can have on any flooring job.

 

[Electric Trim]

laminate flooring has a working tolerance of 1/4"  the chopper is ok  the Cheap cordless Ryobi has proven to be the best install tool for us that is with a little over 100,000 sf in the last 4 years.  the cheap one has a plastic guards and doesn't scratch the floor   and with the money you save you can pick up a pair of ProKnees  which is in my opinion the most important tool you can have on any flooring job.

I'm amazed every time I see a guy installing flooring professionally and he doesn't have the absolute best knee protection money can buy.  It is profound to me that people are willing to be in the business of professional flooring and be so ignorant as to abuse their body in ways that are irreversible... especially when they know something like pro knees is available for only $250.  Expensive compared to the knee pads that you throw away after 2 months, but dirt cheap compared knee surgery(s) that could cost in the tens of thousands.

Next time I get a job where I'm installing a ton of baseboard, you'll see me wearing my brand new pro knees  [cool]

 

[Holzhacker]

Finishing up two apartments with lam floors this week and starting another two. I used to bring a chopsaw but once we got the Skil laminate floor saw, no more chopsaw or table saw needed. The tablesaw would come in handy sometimes. For the few times it would be really handy I don't want to carry it. Tired of carrying big heavy tools. If it doesn't fit in a Sys its very hard to justify bringing it.
CT 22 and 36
Trion and rail plate
T15
Guiderail and 75 for rips
Paslode to nail trims
The Y splitter works good, 1 hose hooked to the Skil lam saw, the other to the Trion. DC is still pretty good with both tools running. As far as additional vapor barrier I would think it depends on the specific application. Client in this case has specified Ecostep and Quietwalk as underlayments, not the garbage from the big box stores.

 

[Sparktrician]

You should think seriously about getting something like this...

Laminate floor cutter

No dust, put it right next to where you're working and eliminate tons of walking and up and down.

That might be OK for straight cuts, but a  to use for scribed cuts, so one would still need to use at least a jigsaw. 

[unsure]

What percentage of cuts would you say are straight cuts if you had to guess?

I wouldn't even dare to hypothesize on this.  It depends entirely on the room configuration. 

 

[Sparktrician]

I'm amazed every time I see a guy installing flooring professionally and he doesn't have the absolute best knee protection money can buy.  It is profound to me that people are willing to be in the business of professional flooring and be so ignorant as to abuse their body in ways that are irreversible... especially when they know something like pro knees is available for only $250.  Expensive compared to the knee pads that you throw away after 2 months, but dirt cheap compared knee surgery(s) that could cost in the tens of thousands.

Next time I get a job where I'm installing a ton of baseboard, you'll see me wearing my brand new pro knees  [cool]

 

I bought a set of Patella-T knee pads (http://www.fluidforms.com/patella_t/orthopedic/wedge.html) over ten years ago and love them.  I did have to replace the gel packs last year (after 12 years or so), but they have made on-knee work bearable for someone with trashed and knobby knees. 

[smile]

 

[jmbfestool]

I always buy and wear trousers with knee pads in.  I hate them knee pads you strap to your legs they restrict your knees from pending easily and they make your legs sweat on the straps. 

I dont like them one bit built in knee pads are far more comfortable just make sure you buy the correct trousers so when you bend down the knee pads align with your knees 

JMB

 

[speed]

im with you jmb, i always have work trousers with pads, i swap the pads every 6month too, save your knees and look proffesional at the same time

i went thru a few diffrent pairs until i found a comfy pair, i have some dewalt multi pocket atm and they are my 3rd pair and will get some next too

 

[Electric Trim]

I'm amazed every time I see a guy installing flooring professionally and he doesn't have the absolute best knee protection money can buy.  It is profound to me that people are willing to be in the business of professional flooring and be so ignorant as to abuse their body in ways that are irreversible... especially when they know something like pro knees is available for only $250.  Expensive compared to the knee pads that you throw away after 2 months, but dirt cheap compared knee surgery(s) that could cost in the tens of thousands.

Next time I get a job where I'm installing a ton of baseboard, you'll see me wearing my brand new pro knees  [cool]

 

I bought a set of Patella-T knee pads (http://www.fluidforms.com/patella_t/orthopedic/wedge.html) over ten years ago and love them.  I did have to replace the gel packs last year (after 12 years or so), but they have made on-knee work bearable for someone with trashed and knobby knees. 

[smile]

That's awesome.  Congrats on the length of life you've gotten out of them.  I bet you feel great about that  [cool]

 

[Electric Trim]

You should think seriously about getting something like this...

Laminate floor cutter

No dust, put it right next to where you're working and eliminate tons of walking and up and down.

That might be OK for straight cuts, but a  to use for scribed cuts, so one would still need to use at least a jigsaw. 

[unsure]

What percentage of cuts would you say are straight cuts if you had to guess?

I wouldn't even dare to hypothesize on this.  It depends entirely on the room configuration. 

You're exactly right... I guess one in a hundred people might have one room in their house that has a majority of cuts (maybe 55%) that couldn't be made on a straight laminate flooring cutter.  I guess only about 99% people could say that you could use a tool like that to install 95% of the cuts in their entire home.

I'm going to wager to say that you don't install flooring professionally, but I could be very wrong.  You're illusion of experience could be entirely accurate...

 

[Sparktrician]

You should think seriously about getting something like this...

Laminate floor cutter

No dust, put it right next to where you're working and eliminate tons of walking and up and down.

That might be OK for straight cuts, but a  to use for scribed cuts, so one would still need to use at least a jigsaw. 

[unsure]

What percentage of cuts would you say are straight cuts if you had to guess?

I wouldn't even dare to hypothesize on this.  It depends entirely on the room configuration. 

You're exactly right... I guess one in a hundred people might have one room in their house that has a majority of cuts (maybe 55%) that couldn't be made on a straight laminate flooring cutter.  I guess only about 99% people could say that you could use a tool like that to install 95% of the cuts in their entire home.

I'm going to wager to say that you don't install flooring professionally, but I could be very wrong.  You're illusion of experience could be entirely accurate...

 

You'd win that bet.  My knobby knees would not have lasted even this long if I had to spend my work life on them doing floors.  The Patella-Ts have certainly made a positive difference, no matter what I do.  My only fuss with them is that they get hot fairly quickly.  Breaktime means a breather for the knees.  BTW, the Skil flooring saw would get my attention very quickly if I did flooring regularly, and I'd keep a stock of well-sharpened blades handy, too. 

[tongue]