What to cut drywall at home

What is the best tool for cutting drywall

Those, who are new to the construction business, don’t know how and with what to cut drywall. After all, any work, whether it is the creation of a ceiling construction, a partition, or a complex element of decor, requires knowledge of the rules for drywall cutting and rigorous adherence to them in practice. Different tools are used for this purpose. Everything depends on a chosen cutting method. So, how to cut drywall at home, will prompt the following recommendations.

Familiarity with the tool kit

The obligatory list of tools for sawing gypsum fiberboard with your own hands includes three groups of items

Devices for the drawing of markings on the sheet of gypsum board. a simple pencil, a tape measure, a long ruler.

Actually cutting and sawing equipment.

• Knife. Cut gypsum fiberboard with a box cutter and a specialized construction knife with a double-sided interchangeable blade (suitable for denser materials).
• Jigsaw. It is better, if it will be a tool for working metal, rather than wood.
• Jigsaw. Ideal for sawing rounded elements. High-quality saws for metal with a fine tooth leave the least amount of chips on the ends of drywall.
• Electric drill. Needed for making holes. For large d openings, round drill bits (which are used to cut the core of door latch latches) and feather drill bits will be needed.

Edge tooling:

This list clearly shows what home craftsmen are cutting drywall with. Of course, it is far from complete. The arsenal of experienced craftsmen can include professional equipment, such as a special cutter for GFB. However, for those who work with the material for the first time, this set is enough. To understand better how to cut drywall, you need to clearly understand the structure of this material.

The structure and purpose of drywall

Plasterboard sheets are a layer-by-layer combination of two types of materials. plaster (inner content) and sheets of dense cardboard glued to it on both sides. It is clear that if the cardboard layers are damaged, it is not difficult to saw the rest.

That’s why to be able to quickly cut a sheet of drywall, is not enough to know how to cut drywall better. It is important to know the basic principle of this action: after a continuous straight cut of drywall immediately follows the second step. breaking the sheet.

Sawing drywall, like any solid porous material, is not difficult. It is also highly amenable to drilling.

The functions of the material allow dividing it into varieties: water-resistant, fire-resistant, standard, high-strength (such as gypsum board or gypsum board, manufactured according to KNAUF technology), acoustic drywall, etc.

Despite the large range of GC, the panels of any variety can be well divided into parts by means of available improvised material.

The choice of ways to cut gypsum board

Which method of cutting plasterboard is better suited to which method, is clear after examining the existing options for this purpose.

Standard cutting

Cutting a sheet in a straight line is the easiest way to cut. It boils down to the following:

GFB is placed on a rigid and even surface. After that perform the marking of the future line of the cut.

Whichever knife is chosen, it should be cut strictly, putting a ruler on the side. An uneven cut is guaranteed, if you decide to work without a ruler. Cutting begins from the back side (there is a denser cardboard layer). The front part of the GPB is somewhat different, since it is intended for finishing work. When cutting, the knife should be deepened as much as possible into the gypsum substance.

At the end of the process GC flip and bend in the direction of the whole (without the cutting line) side. The gypsum, not touched by the knife, will be broken in the required direction. Cardboard from the opposite side is cut along the formed fold line.

It is not particularly important which side to start cutting plasterboard from. However, it is much easier to do on a flat, firm surface than when holding the drywall by weight.

Before you cut drywall with improvised devices, you should familiarize yourself with two other types of simple cutting, feasible for independent implementation.

Double-sided cutting. Most often, this way performs a cut in the shape of any rectangle. Using a hacksaw, one side is sawn off and the other is simply trimmed with the blade. The material is then broken, and the opposite side of the cardboard is cut off (as with the simple cut). The finished trim is perfected by using a planer to trim the edge.

Cutting on an uneven line. To cut the material along irregular lines, you must first prepare a drawing.

Cutting according to a predefined geometry

Figured cutting drywall is used in the situation of creating unique shapes for a certain structural element. This procedure is more complicated, and without basic experience and a sufficient arsenal of tools is not a thing to do.

In shape cutting, the material is also first marked. If it is necessary to draw a circle, but there is no compass handy, they are armed with a needle with a thread and a bound pencil.

For the shape cutting of the HA in different situations one of the following methods can be used.

Variant one. Describes the process when a hacksaw is chosen as the tool of choice. Manipulation with the hacksaw is akin to working with a serrated knife and handle. With a drywall hacksaw you can cut out fragments with any non-trivial shapes (e.g. butterflies or flowers).

The second variant. An electric drill with a cylindrical nozzle allows you to create flat circles of small diameter in drywall. Circle is not marked here, but limited to marking in the desired area.

Option three. For sawing GFB with an electric jigsaw, a clear marking of the contour of the required shape is performed. Priority in the choice of jigsaw is given when the diameter of the circle to be cut should be greater than the diameter of the crown of the electric drill, and the rounded lines of the forms are not reduced to a circle only.

The structure of drywall

Construction of drywall

Gypsum plasterboard is a classic “sandwich”, consisting of two layers of dense board and a core made of pressed gypsum with various additives. The sides of gypsum board are rounded. Product ends are left free.

• Plasterboard (GFB) is a standard material without any additives. It is used in dry rooms with a high level of fire safety and normal temperature-humidity conditions.
• Fire-resistant gypsum plasterboard (GKLO) is suitable for rooms with a high level of fire hazard. Its sheets contain mineral fibers and various additives that increase the fire resistance level of the material. You can recognize it by its red cardboard. This option will be appropriate for cladding, such as telecommunications.
• Waterproof drywall (VGKL), thanks to the antifungal coating and water-resistant impregnation, significantly reduces the absorption of moisture, and therefore is suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, etc.п. It is distinguished by a greenish or blue color of the cardboard shell.
• Drywall is fireproof and moisture-resistant drywall.

Cut the drywall with a box cutter

How to cut drywall already attached to the wall. How to cut drywall at home

One of the often and widely used in the repair of apartments construction material is gypsum board, which is a sheet of rectangular shape of standard size. As a rule, building décor, suspended ceilings and interior partitions have individual parameters, therefore, such a sheet needs to be cut. To accurately and neatly cut into pieces of different sizes and shapes, you need a special tool. a drywall knife, which can easily cope with this task.

Tools for cutting

There are special tools for cutting drywall, but they are very expensive. Most often they are used in enterprises, where the work is carried out on a huge scale. For home use, you can use the means available in the household. The sheet should be placed on a flat surface so that the cut goes evenly. Take a simple pencil, a long ruler and a tape measure for trimming. It is better to cut drywall with the following tools:

If the room is very humid, it is better to use moisture-resistant drywall. It is different because it contains antiseptic additives. Drywall is very similar to standard drywall. It has a green color. And you can use the same tools to cut it.

Preparing and marking

Lay the sheet of drywall on a flat, horizontal surface and mark it with a pencil, tape measure or ruler. Suitable for this procedure marker and fountain pen, but their traces are visible under the putty.

Just before or during your work, select the tool that will be used for cutting. Depending on how you have the tools, there are many ways to do it. In fact, you can cut drywall with any sharp-edged object, but it requires certain skills. Let’s consider the basic tools that can be used.

What is the best way to cut drywall

The hacksaw comes in two types: for metal and for wood. A hacksaw for metal is used for drywall. It has a thinner blade. This makes it easy to cut it, and the edges of the material are smooth without jagged edges. Place the sheet on the support, and cut along the marked line.

For thin sheet you can use a regular office knife. If it is dense, however, this will not be enough. Use a construction knife with a double-edged blade. Such a knife can easily cut through it. To make sure the edges are straight, first draw a line for the trimmer to mark, and then apply a metal ruler. Cut the line for the trimmer with a knife.

Use an electric jigsaw for shaped cuts. The jigsaw is good for making curved cuts. When working with drywall, it is recommended to buy saws with fine teeth, which are used for metal.

Tools of hand

Sheet of plasterboard for the arch can easily be cut with a simple box cutter. Of course, this is quite a laborious job, t. к. thin blade is much harder to work than, say, a solid hacksaw, but everything can be done accurately and quickly enough. Step by step instructions:

On the inside, which will be turned to the wall, you need to pencil out an even line for the trimmer at your own discretion. Please note, if a wave is planned. you need to use a compass or other improvised object of suitable diameter, repeating the desired circle. If you need a line for the trimmer. then a level is put under the pencil;

But it is much easier to cut the sheets into a semicircle or any other shape with a special construction knife. It is almost an exact copy of a clerical drill, except for a thicker blade and a more convenient handle. The seam after it is smooth and neat, and there is much less roughness. The principle is the same. first you mark the desired shape, then make a test cut, and after that cut a certain shape.

It often happens that the drywall sheet needs to be cut after installation on the wall. For example, to cut a notch for a lamp, switch, socket or niche. Professional craftsmen use only knives and hacksaws for this. They provide an excellent result, without damaging the wall material. How to cut cardboard on the wall:

• Depending on the type of hole, you will probably need to work with a special tool. Builders recommend taking metal hacksaws for small jobs. They have thin ends that will easily make even the smallest hole in a plaster partition;
• Before you make a hole, you need to make sure that the profile will not be nicked in the process. Otherwise the entire support system will be damaged. To do this, you need to use the sheet installation plan, on which the places of uprights and guides are marked;
• Mark the spot on the wall for the future hole and carefully trim it with a knife to create a small notch. It will be needed so that the sharp hacksaw does not slip to the side during processing;
• Carefully enter the hacksaw into the cardboard and guide it along the given contour. Make sure that the nose of the hacksaw does not protrude to the side. If it turns out unevenly. it is necessary to increase diameter of an aperture.

Exactly the same can be done if you want to cut the wall in waves or create decorative patterns on the surface of the material. After hacksawing, you need to grind the seams with sandpaper and primer. Primer will eliminate nicks and small irregularities. Next, the seam is putty and can be subject to further processing.

How to cut drywall

How to properly cut drywall

Drywall is a very flexible material. To make it easy to cut, there are a few helpful tips. To avoid breaking it accidentally while working, it is necessary to place the sheet on a stable surface. You need to cut slowly and carefully, as well as choose a dry place to work. Moisture can cause the material to get wet, it will start to crumble and become unusable and it does not matter which side you start cutting from. However, it is necessary to saw from the side on which it will be attached to the wall. If the edges are not straight, that’s alright. After installation, they will be covered by another sheet.

During processing and installation a lot of dust and debris is formed. It is therefore very important to protect your eyes and respiratory system. Use special goggles and respirators.

What to cut with: the choice of tool

If you intend to cut drywall on a regular basis or at least often enough, it is recommended to buy a professional tool once and not to suffer with improvised means in the future. In any other case you should have a box cutter. a box cutter, a reinforced box cutter. or an assembly knife. The types of stationery are barely distinguishable from each other, but the building one is stronger. However, in any case, the cut of this knife is such that after you need to eliminate the resulting jagged edges.

For the operation is quite applicable hacksaw for metal. its blade is thinner than that of a hacksaw for wood, so it wins in the neatness of the subsequent result.

Another useful tool is an electric jigsaw. Its advantage is that there is no need to think how to cut drywall, because you just need to guide along the drawn line. For edge treatment additional tools are used, like the planer, the effect of which can be well reproduced by the sandpaper.

When we figured out what to cut drywall with, you can go directly to the ways to cut it, the number of which is also large and varied. Let’s look at some of them.

How to cut with a utility knife

A box cutter is good for cutting drywall into longitudinal pieces. First make the necessary measurements with a tape measure and a pencil, attach a metal ruler to the outlined line and begin to cut the material with the tip along the edge of this very ruler.

Be careful and take your time, so the cut is straight and exact and coincides with the line from the lead of the pencil.

The core is broken by light tapping, then the board is turned over, and the drywall is again cut at the broken point. Finally, the material should be roughened with a planer so that the edge is even.

How to saw with a hacksaw

It is worth noting that most often the hacksaw is used to cut rectangular openings. In this case, you need to cross out the drywall from the opposite side. In one of the corners of the drawing with a drill, make a hole with a diameter that is big enough for a hacksaw blade to easily fit in. You can also make holes on all sides. After finishing the operation, the edge, as in the previous case, is processed with a planer or file, depending on the size of the hole made. Important: it is desirable for the tool blade to be perpendicular to the plane of the drywall sheet. That way the edges are smoother.

Cutting with the jigsaw

The jigsaw is a tool that helps save time and energy. Using it, you can saw and cut not only straight, but also smooth, curved lines and various shapes. If you use it, lay the sheet of gypsum plasterboard on two stools so that the previously traced out trimmer line of the shape of the required cutout runs in the distance between the surfaces of the stools. Proceed smoothly and unhurriedly, cutting strictly along the intended line. The jigsaw has another significant advantage: it minimizes the processing of the resulting edges because it is held perpendicular to the surface of the sheet, which is the key to this result. This is facilitated by a special soleplate installed in it. The disadvantages include the fact that it does have to spend money on it, but this tool is worth it. Also, when working with it raises a lot of dust, you should take care in advance of eye and respiratory protection.

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Edge machining

When the plasterboard is cut, its edges should be slightly smoothed, so that there is no

nicks and chips. This can be done with sandpaper. Carefully go over all edges with it until they are smooth.

The final step in the preparation of the material includes fascias. To do this, a few millimeters of gypsum must be cut from each edge (about two-thirds of the thickness of the sheet). Chamfer is removed with a planer or knife at an angle of about 45 degrees.

After installing gypsum board, all the gaps between the cloths of the material should be putty. Once the seams are dry, you can paint or wallpaper the surface.

What and how to cut drywall

Gypsum plasterboard is the most popular and affordable material in the repair. It is used when installing partitions, for aligning walls and ceilings, finishing work. The material is convenient to use, but craftsmen have questions about how and with what to cut it, so as not to spoil the sheet.

If you make repairs in an apartment or private house once, there is no point in buying specialized equipment for cutting. It is easier to order services from masters, and get a sheet of the required parameters.

Briefly about the basics

Before proceeding to the installation of drywall, you should familiarize yourself with the methods of its processing. It is not difficult to cut drywall, but not knowing the technology will lead to spoiling (and, therefore, overspending) of raw materials.

Like any versatile building material, drywall undergoes various transformations, it is bent, straight and curved cuts are made, and holes are made for sockets and pipes. Different tools are used for different kinds of work, but first make a marking. If the neatness of the joint is important for finishing, the edges of the sheets are deburred; to make the angle was accurate, use edge planer and chamfer, and the joint is sealed with putty.