Drywall is one of the most common materials in construction, which is nevertheless very fragile. With the help of it, they not only sheathe ceilings and walls, but also create a wide variety of decorative elements of the home interior. However, its inaccurate cutting leads to overspending of material, and the inability to produce it leads to unnecessary costs for the help of a specialist. But do not be upset, because it is not at all difficult to cut drywall correctly with your own hands, if you follow the instructions exactly.
Principle and rules for cutting drywall
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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 material. But in this case, the name speaks for itself - the two outer layers are formed by cardboard, which serves as the basis for relative strength, and between them there is 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 drywall is used here) and structures, located in the immediate vicinity of a fireplace or other heat source (in this case, a fire-resistant material takes place).
Preparation and marking
Lay the plasterboard sheet 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.
Just before or during work, select the tool that will be used to cut. 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 take a look at the main tools that can be used.
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 not to suffer with improvised means in further. In any other case, you should have clerical - construction, reinforced - or assembly knives. The types of stationery are barely distinguishable from each other, but the construction is stronger. However, in any case, the cut from this knife is obtained in such a way that after that it is necessary to remove the formed notches.
For the operation being performed, 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 is a jigsaw. Its advantage is that there is no need to think about how to cut drywall, because you just need to lead along the drawn line. For processing the edges, additional tools are used, such as a roughing plane, the effect of which can easily 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 take a look at some of them.
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 line and start cutting the material with a tip along the edge of this very ruler.
Be careful and take your time to make sure the cut is straight and precise and line up with the line from the pencil lead.
The core is cracked by light tapping, then the plate is turned over, and the drywall is cut again at the fractured place. At the end, the material should be processed with a plane so that the edge becomes even.
How to cut with a hacksaw
It is worth noting that a hacksaw is most often used to cut rectangular openings. In this case, you need to outline the drywall from the back. In one of the corners of the drawing, use a drill to make a hole with a 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.
Jigsaw cutting
The jigsaw is the tool that will save you 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, put a sheet of gypsum board on two stools so that the previously drawn line of the shape of the desired cutout passes in the distance between the surfaces of the stools. Act smoothly and unhurriedly, cut strictly along the marked line. The jigsaw has another significant advantage: with it, the processing of the resulting edges is reduced to minimum, because it is held perpendicular to the surface of the sheet, which is the key to such result. This is facilitated by the special sole installed in it. The disadvantages include the fact that you still have to spend money on it, but this tool is worth it. Also, when working with it, a lot of dust rises, you should take care of eye and respiratory protection in advance.
Shaped cuts as well as square and round cutouts
It is worth paying attention to the aforementioned figured cutting. The best way to cut is a jigsaw, of course. 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 area above the empty space - a two-stool design will work again. Hit the cutout lightly with a hammer and the material will break through the center of the hole.
Edging
The cut is processed with a roughing plane, since the edges never come out smooth and neat enough - this is already a property of any instrument, the experience and skills of the performer play a lesser role here. You can also chamfer with a regular knife, but this will take more time and requires professional skills.
In conclusion, it should be noted that cutting drywall is one of the most common operations in a list of those that can be easily done independently at home without resorting to help specialist. It is enough just to approach any work with intelligence and patience and carefully familiarize yourself with the sequence of the task, based on its features. Then the result will be appropriate.
Good luck and successful renovation.
Video: how to properly saw (cut) drywall with your own hands at home
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