Heard a guy at the supply house say he trims all his seams with a 6-inch razor

I was picking up some tack strip at the local Flooring Plus in Tampa and overheard this old timer talking about using a 6-inch utility knife for seam trimming instead of the normal 4-inch. Said it gives him cleaner cuts and less fraying along the edge. Has anyone else tried a bigger blade for trimming seams, or is that just asking for trouble with control?

2 comments

2 Comments

milam428d ago

I actually read a blog post a while back from a carpet installer who swore by the 6-inch blade for seams... said it glides through the backing way smoother and reduces that little fuzzy edge you get with shorter blades. I can see how it might give you a straighter line since you're not stopping and restarting as much. But man, I'd be worried about losing control on a tight corner or around a doorway.

kellyj238d ago

Jumping off what @milam42 said about control issues, I tried a 6-inch blade on a tight bathroom remodel once and regretted it. The extra length makes it harder to pivot around curves like doorway transitions where you need a quick change in direction. I stick with the 4-inch for any spot where the seam runs close to a wall or baseboard because you get better fingertip control. Plus, with the longer blade, you have to keep a really steady hand on the pressure or the cut wanders off your line.