Principle and rules for cutting drywall
The principle and rules of cutting are based on an understanding of what you are dealing with, so you should first study the structure of the materials. But in this case, the name speaks for itself. The two outer layers are formed by the commodities that serve as the basis for the relative strength, and between them is enclosed gypsum with fillers. For different purposes, different types of drywall are used: standard, water-resistant, fire-resistant. The first is used in all cases, excluding wall and ceiling cladding (moisture-resistant plasterboard is used here) and structures located in the immediate vicinity of a fireplace or a second heat source (in this case, a fire-resistant material takes place).
How to cut with an assembly knife
The cutting knife is suitable for cutting drywall into large longitudinal pieces. First, take the necessary measurements with a tape measure and a pencil, attach a metal ruler to the drawn mowing line and begin to cut the material with a Point along the edge of this very ruler.
The core is broken with a light tap, then the plate is turned over, and the drywall is cut again at the broken place. At the end, the material should be processed with a plane so that the edge becomes even.
How to cut: tool selection
If you are going to cut drywall on a regular basis, or at least often enough, it is recommended to purchase a professional tool once and do not suffer from improvised means in the future. In any other case, you must have a stationery. Construction, reinforced. Or assembly knives. The types of stationery are hardly distinguishable among themselves, but the construction is stronger. However, in any case, the cut from this knife is such that after that it is necessary to eliminate the formed notches.
For the operation being done, a hacksaw for metal is quite applicable. Its blade is thinner than that of a hacksaw for wood, so it wins in the accuracy of the subsequent result.
Another useful tool. Electric jigsaw. Its advantage is that there is no need to think about how to cut drywall, because you just need to guide along the drawn mowing line. For processing the edges, additional tools are used, such as a roughing plane, the effect of which can well be reproduced with sandpaper.
When we figured out how drywall is cut, we can go directly to the methods of cutting it, the number of which is also large and varied. Let’s consider some of them.
Preparation and marking
Lay the plasterboard letter on a flat horizontal surface and mark using a simple pencil, tape measure or ruler. A marker and a fountain pen are suitable for this procedure, but their traces are visible under the putty.
Directly to or during work, select the tool that will be used for cutting. There are many ways to accomplish your plans, depending on the means at your disposal. In fact, you can cut drywall with any sharpened object, but this will require certain skills. Let’s consider the main tools that can be used.
How to cut with a hacksaw
It should be noted that most often a hacksaw is used to cut rectangular openings. In this case, you need to outline the drywall from the back side. In one of the corners of the drawing with a drill Make a hole of diameter so large that the hacksaw blade can easily enter there. You can also punch holes on all sides. After the end of the operation, the edge, as in the previous case, is processed with a plane or a file, depending on the size of the hole made. Important: it is advisable for the tool blade to be perpendicular to the plane of the drywall sheet. In this case, the edges come out smoother.
Shaped cuts as well as square and round cutouts
It is worth paying attention to the figured cutting mentioned above. To get the best dust, a jigsaw is certainly suitable. But if the figure is, for example, an ordinary circle, then it is acceptable to use an ordinary clerical or assembly knives. Initially, it is important to determine the center of the circle, and then draw it with a pencil and compass. Using the edge of a knife, cut the outline of the intended opening as much as possible. Then, place this parcel over the empty space. A two-stool design is again suitable here. Hit the cutout lightly with a hammer. Material will break through the center of the hole.
How to remove gypsum dust?
When cutting drywall, very fine dust is formed, which is then difficult to remove. On smooth surfaces, it leaves white stains even after you wash the floor for the third time, and clogs very tightly and reliably on porous or corrugated surfaces.
The easiest way. Prevent pollution. Use a jigsaw or a second power tool to connect the vacuum cleaner. As a rule, there is a special round connector on the back of the case.
Cover the floor with newspapers or oilcloth. If they are moistened, the dust will settle and retain better, but if moisture gets on the drywall, it can ruin it.
Before cleaning the floor Vacuum up the bulk of the plaster.
To clean porous or matte finish. Porcelain stoneware, textured linoleum. Prepare a mixture of vegetable oil and water. The ratio is 1: 100, that is, for a 10-liter bucket, 100 ml of oil. Having washed the floor with such a solution, you pull out the particles of the floor from the pores and depressions: they will all gather in an oil film on the surface. You can finally clean the floor with a vinegar solution.
A glossy floor, for example a tiled floor, will relieve white stains with a warm light pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Hand dusting and cutting tool
Stationery or construction knife. The simplest, most affordable and popular drywall cutting tool. It is used by both beginners and professionals. The knife cuts the cardboard and the plaster layer breaks.
The method is simple, it creates a minimum of dust, the edges of the cardboard are smooth. Of the shortcomings. The uneven edge of the gypsum layer sometimes requires improvement, but it will not be possible to make a round hole or cut a sheet, fixed on the wall.
An even cut is usually made with a knife, that is, the letter can be reduced or dissolved into strips. It will be problematic to perform more complex shapes with this tool, but it is possible.
Hacksaw. A universal option, it cuts through the letter, can be used for holes and lines of any shape, in or after installation of drywall. At the same time, it is inexpensive and is available in almost every home. Better to choose a hacksaw for metal. Its small teeth DO NOT tear the cardboard, and the thin sheet bends in a rounding.
The specialized drywall hacksaw “Lysaya” has a pointed nose for driving into a sheet or teeth on both sides of the blade.
Cutters with a circular knife are able to cut through cardboard from both sides of the sheet at once absolutely symmetrically, in one pass. It is quick and convenient, but not everyone has such a tool. They are used for cutting only for the stage of material installation. U-shaped models with a parallel stop will help to cut the strip, but its width is limited by the maximum length of the tool.
Magnetic cutters consist of two SEPARATE soles, which are attracted by magnets to each other through the letter. Training or additional tools will be required to guide the magnetic disc cutter across drywall exactly along the mowing line.
You will need a hammer if you need to make a hole in the drywall, and there is nothing other than a knife. The result is not very neat, but sometimes this is enough.
Method number 4. Cut without tools
When you need to make a cut, and there is a special hacksaw or a second tool, you can get by with a knife and a hammer. The scheme is simple: you need to cut through the cardboard and the top layer of gypsum on one side of the sheet, tap with a hammer along the edge of the figure, squeezing it out. Then cut a bulge on the back of the cardboard along the contour, finally squeeze out the figure, freeing the hole.
With this processing, the gypsum layer along the contour of the cutout crumbles, so the edge turns out to be sloppy, soft. It is easy to fix with putty.
Method number 5. Curly cutting
From drywall, you can create shapes of any intricate shapes.
Bends of a large radius are cut with a jigsaw or a hand saw. For this, the letter must be conveniently placed on a hill: 2 chairs, piles of second sheets or something similar. Make sure that the support area is sufficient and the sheet does not break under its own weight.
Apply markings on the sheet, for example, tied a pencil on a thread, Fix the other end of the thread in the center and draw a circle. Complex shapes are drawn by hand or from a template.
Move your jigsaw or hacksaw along the markings slowly and with minimal pressure to avoid breaking the letter. At first, go around sharp corners smoothly: finish them already on the finished figure with a hacksaw, file or knife.
Some figures, especially angular ones, are more convenient to cut with a knife according to a pattern. Procedure:
- Make a mold. The layout is the shape to be cut. Better to use wooden planks;
- Measure the location and circle the pattern with a pencil on one side of the drywall;
- Drill a through hole in several corners of the figure;
- Focusing on the holes, attach and draw a pencil around the figure on the other side of the sheet. For asymmetrical shapes, do not forget to flip the workpiece, mirroring the image;
- Check if the drawings on both sides of the sheet match;
- Attach the template again and cut the letter with a knife exactly along the contour as deep as possible;
- Repeat on the other side of the sheet;
- Gently give out or knock out the carved figure with a hammer;
- Finish cutting lines, corners with a knife or file.
Sometimes it makes sense to cut a complex shape after the letter is fixed. The perfect tool for this job. Reciprocating saw.
The location of the cut should be foreseen in the fastening of the drywall to the wall or ceiling, so that later the canvas does not fall on the metal profile.
How to align the cut?
The edge of the gypsum plasterboard, mounted end-to-end or forming a corner, is usually covered with putty through a reinforcing mesh or corner. This means that any irregularities in the cut and gaps will be hidden, additional processing is not necessary.
If a bulge remains on the cut, interfering with installation, or for some reason the protrusion will be covered with putty without using a corner, the edge of the sheet is leveled with such a tool:
- Rough planer, rasp;
- Sandpaper;
- Stationery or construction knife;
- File.
Choose a tool depending on the shape of the cut and what is at hand.
Method number 2. Rectangular and square holes
The easiest way is to cut out a rectangle or square for communications or an inspection hatch at the edge of the sheet.
- Apply the markup.
- I saw through with a hand hacksaw or jigsaw the edges, perpendicular edges.
- Cut the cardboard along the remaining edge with a knife.
- Hit the resulting door, breaking it.
- Cut through the second layer of cardboard.
If the hatch falls in the middle of the sheet, it is convenient to cut it out after the letter is fixed on the wall. To immerse an ordinary hacksaw in a sheet, drill one or more holes in a row.
It is convenient to use a drywall hacksaw. Fox. Its sharp nose is driven into a leaf until it passes through, and then sawn through the mowing line marking. For each facet, the dust is driven into the sheet again, with a new direction of the canvas.
Will do an excellent job of cutting drywall already on the wall and a reciprocating saw if you have one.
An angle grinder cut such holes if they fall on a metal profile. Each cut is longer than the edge of the hole. It’s not scary. Extra gaps will be hidden with putty.
How to cut a circle in drywall
If you have a drill with a special attachment at hand, then small round holes can be drilled very easily. The cutter is pressed against the letter strictly perpendicularly, then the drill is turned on and slowly pressed from above. In total, it turns out a little dusty, but perfectly even.
Do NOT drill round holes or mowing lines of complex configuration (waves, patterns). Here you will have to act with a hacksaw on the principle of cutting out an inner piece. Drill out the fishing line, insert the canvas. Then they saw on the drawn.
Naturally, it is inconvenient to do such work on the floor. You can put drywall on the table so that the cut protrudes beyond the edge of the tabletop.
Some craftsmen cut a round hole in the cardboard with a knife, and then knock it out using the usual method. Beginners are NOT advised to try to repeat this procedure. Without proper skills in drywall, an ugly gap with torn edges turns out instead of a perfect circle.
Council. DO NOT attempt to cut openwork mesh or intricate patterns with thin lines in drywall. The material may simply not stand up. The letter is strong only with a large pattern of wide lines.
Description of the cutting process
Use a tape measure to measure the desired distance. Draw a mark with a simple pencil. Once again, they will double-check everything, because there will be no possibility to fix the work.
Then they take a clerical knife and cut the cardboard along the mowing line of the marking. If there is any doubt about the hardness of the hand, then you can cut along the guide. It is very convenient for this to use the rest of the profile for fastening to the wall or a long building level. Sometimes one effort is not enough, after all, drywall is a fairly durable material. Then cut through several times.
DO NOT strive to immediately cut drywall with a knife. It’s impossible. There is a hammer for such work. All you need is that several times it will lightly hit the cut on the back of the sheet. The plaster base will crack safely exactly along the cut line.
All that remains is to turn the letter upside down and cut the second layer of cardboard with a knife. All is ready.
For a better joint of the pieces, the cut must be cleaned. Sometimes quite large notches remain there. Aesthetically, they DO NOT interfere, because all the same, the seam will be putty. But connection accuracy can be affected.
Chamfering. This is the name of this procedure. It can be easily done with sandpaper or a large file. But we recommend purchasing a special plane for such purposes. over, it stands very democratically.
Cleaning the incisions is performed with smooth movements, without strong pressure. Don’t try to achieve perfect smoothness. It is enough to remove large rags.
Someone will ask: why was a hacksaw needed? For cutting through holes. You can’t just knock them out with a hammer. Practice shows that drywall writing breaks anywhere, but not on the markup. For through holes, the execution technique is slightly different.
A hole is drilled in the sheet along the mowing line of the marking so that the hacksaw blade fits. Then, with the same hacksaw, cut out three sides of a square or rectangle. The fourth side cannot but get dusty. It is enough to cut through the cardboard on one side with a knife, and then knock out the Unnecessary piece with a hammer. The cardboard on the other side is also cut with a knife.
In the same way, corner squares and rectangles are cut out in drywall. One side is cut with a hacksaw, the other. With a knife and a hammer.
Council. There will be very few jagged edges at the cut if you hold a knife or hacksaw perpendicular to a drywall sheet. The lower the blade tilts, the larger the rags will turn out later.
Training
Preparatory work is happening very quickly. First, the tools are selected so as not to run in search. You will need:
- Tape measure, building meter or ruler.
- Simple pencil, nail, screw. Any object that leaves a visible mark.
- Knife. Stationery or construction (it is more reliable).
- Hacksaw. Preferably narrow, but with a stiff blade. You can take the one intended for cutting knots.
- A hammer. The most common.
- Special plane. Easily replaced with a file or medium grit sandpaper.
- Drill. If there is a special nozzle-cutter for it, it will be great.
Then the drywall lettering is laid on a flat surface. For example, on the floor. Experts can cut drywall by weight, I do not recommend this technique for beginners. Fraught with damage to material.
If there is no space on the floor (this happens during repairs), then the letter is placed on two stools. Strictly the same height. And they start.
How to cut drywall at home
Many people align the walls and ceiling with drywall at home. Fast, convenient, perfectly straight. But the sheets are large and do not always fit exactly the size. Or you have to make a hole for an outlet, a lamp, attach a small piece.
Cutting professionals have special power tools, but they are always obscenely expensive. What should ordinary people do? How to cut drywall at home? In fact, it’s not as scary as you think. If desired, everything is quite doable in a few minutes. And the most popular tools will be needed.
Helpful hints
- Some people manage to cut drywall at home with an angle grinder. We do NOT recommend doing this. There will be a lot of noise and plaster dust. With a simple knife and hammer, it turns out much cleaner and more accurate. And you will NOT need somewhere to get personal protective equipment and the ability to work with a power tool.
- Glasses, plates and saucepan lids serve as excellent templates for marking circles. Just pick the right size and draw the line of the circle. This is in case there is no compass at hand.
How to cut drywall at home? Very simple. Precise measurement and firm hand. These are the main components of a known success. And everything will work out with a bang.
Work progress when using other tools
The task is not much more complicated if a hacksaw is used to cut drywall. When you have solved the problem of how to cut a profile for drywall, this tool may seem more convenient for cutting the plasterboard itself.
If you need to make a rectangular cutout on the side, follow this procedure:
- Prepare your work surface. This will be very important for a hacksaw;
- Make a markup;
- Cut a cutout on one side, starting at the edge;
- Cut off the notch on the other side;
- With a knife, make a cut in the paper of the inner section;
- Use a knife to cut through the plaster layer and simply break the cut;
- Finally, use a knife to free the paper layer on the other side.
Electric jigsaw. An indispensable tool when you need to cut an internal hole, although it requires skill in use
It is great to solve the problem of how to cut drywall, maybe a jigsaw. But there is a significant “BUT” here. The jigsaw will provide perfect cutting line, no effort is required from you, but unfortunately, from an environmental point of view, using a jigsaw leaves much to be desired.
After all, there will be so much dust that you cannot do without a respirator. Therefore, whenever possible, we work with a jigsaw outdoors. If the work is carried out indoors, then provide it with good ventilation and DO NOT acutely perceive too much dust in the room. This is a fee for using a jigsaw.
How to cut drywall is better: instructions
Of course, if your task is to close the wall with a drywall letter, if your fantasy of using this material does NOT go further than straight lines from the “cubists”, then perhaps you can avoid the need to cut a drywall sheet. But, if you want to create something more artistic, if an idea suggests organizing a new outlet or a convenient opening for inserting the second level of the ceiling, then you cannot do without cutting.
Many of the techniques used in this, as a rule, are familiar to everyone for a long time. But there are some nuances that often determine the success of all work.
Drywall cutting. One of the most frequently performed operations, and the richer your imagination, the more often you will have to turn to cutting
GKL processing tools
You will NOT need any unique fixtures to give the plasterboard sheets the desired configuration. You can use a variety of cutting tools to cut it, except, perhaps, a circular saw, which creates too much dust.
Drywall Cutting Tools
Often and most successfully, a jigsaw is used in work, but there are also simple tools for processing gypsum boards, which any beginner can easily master. Among them:
- Construction knife;
- Plasterboard hacksaw;
- Rough planer;
- Circular (hole) saw or drill with crown.
With a knife, you can cut through the sheets or to a certain depth. The hacksaw is designed for cutting the gypsum board along a straight mowing line. A roughing plane is used to finish the edges before the panels are installed. Hole saws are designed to cut holes for switches, sockets, lights, etc.
With an electric jigsaw equipped with a fine-toothed file (for metal), you can perform any operation, except for the final cleaning of the edge. Instead of a construction knife, you can also use a clerical knife, but the latter is less durable, since it is NOT designed to work with materials that are denser than cardboard and paper. You can replace the drywall hacksaw with a wood tool, but it is better to use a metal hacksaw, since its blade is much thinner and the teeth are much smaller, which ensures more accurate and accurate sawing of the material. For cutting gypsum board, it is better to use a tool without a frame. Instead of a roughing planer, you can use a wooden block wrapped with sandpaper.
Hole saw
In the work, it is imperative to use a tape measure, a ruler (building level), a simple pencil (its rod leaves a thin and clearly visible line on the drywall). You may also need a compass to mark various technological openings.
How and how to cut drywall correctly
HL is a truly versatile material when it comes to indoor work. With its help, you can erect partitions, sheathed the walls and ceiling. In addition, drywall lends itself well to processing, bending and is quite affordable. But in the manufacture of any structure, you will have to divide the whole sheet into separate parts or make holes in it. Want to know how to cut drywall and which tool to use? The answers to these questions can be found in our article.
Cutting holes and curly cutting of gypsum board
To cut a round hole with a hole saw, just locate the center. Before you cut a circle with a jigsaw, you need to draw a circle of the required diameter with a compass (instead of a compass, you can use a pencil with a thread and a button or a nail). Then the drill makes a hole for the saw. It can also be cut with a knife. In the same way, 4-angle openings are cut (for hoods, etc.). Only saw holes are made at each corner of the opening.
You can cut a round hole for the socket with a knife and a hammer. First, the contour of the opening is cut as deeply as possible with a knife. Then this section of the GCR must be placed over some void. A hammer should be lightly hit to break the material in the center of the future hole.
Figured cutting of drywall is best done with a jigsaw
Curly contours are best cut with a jigsaw.
Cutting holes, curly cutting and bending drywall, photos and instructions for work
Although gypsum plasterboard is a fairly easy material to process, many are interested in how to cut drywall. Beginners think that special tools are needed to cut panels, which must be used in the work, otherwise all the sheets will be damaged.