Hi All,
I’m new to this great forum and very happy to be here. I really enjoy the problem-solving that goes on here.
My question is about cutting a subfloor against a toe-kick box. What tool is best for getting the cut as close as possible to the box without having to pull all the kitchen base cabinets? I’ve got about 3.5 inches overhead clearance. My recip saw with a long blade is looking like my best choice right now, though it’ll be a bit neanderthal for my liking. Any better method?
Cheers!
Replies
Hiya, Good-
Actually, I've answered this before- try the archive search. But to make a long story long again.............I trust you mean the underlayment; the subfloor is the structural part (usually 3/4" sheet goods) that lies on top of the floor joists, then on top of that the underlayment for vinyl, tile, etc.. Anyway, you could buy or rent a specialized toe kick saw, works pretty good but not worth buying this expensive saw unless you're a floor installer. Really, the recip. saw is the way to go. I've done it a lot and it works just fine and goes pretty fast. Use a 12" blade, spring it flat against the kick and cut down as you pull it along, cutting SLIGHTLY into the subfloor. The end part of the blade will do all the cutting. I've sometimes marked the blade with a felt-tip as a guide to proper depth. A little work with a chisel and utility knife will get the spots you couldn't get to or that were missed. Usually I don't worry too much about marring the kick with the blade because most often there will be base molding installed up against the kick, also covering the gap between the kick and the finished flooring.
Hope this helps, good luck.
Ken Hill