As with any project the right tool for the job can take it from being work to being fun! When selecting a circular saw blade, there are several factors to take into consideration. The first is the type of cuts that you will be doing. With either of these projects a majority of the cuts will be "cross cuts" which means you will be cutting accost the grain of the wood verses rip cuts where you cut with the grain. For a regular 7-1/2" circular saw, 24 tooth carbide tipped blade will be the right choice. The number of teeth is important because, if you have too many teeth, it will make your cuts slow. Normally the more teeth in a saw blade will equal a finer, more precise and slower cut.