How To Cut Drywall
Cutting drywall is very easy. With a few simple tools and a piece of drywall this article will teach you how to cut drywall.
brief how to
In this article, you will find information about:
- Measure The Piece Of Drywall To Cut
- Mark The Cut Line On The Drywall Panel
- Cut The Paper Backing On One Side Of The Panel
- Snap The Cut Back
- Cut Through The Remaining Paper Face
tools and materials
- Utility knife
- 4' T-Square for Drywall
- Pencil
- Measuring tape
- Drywall panel
step 1 Measure The Piece Of Drywall To Cut
Use the measuring tape to figure out the size of the piece of dryall needed. This article describes a straight cut from edge to edge on a drywall panel. If you are cutting an odd shape then you will need to use the utility knife to score one of the cuts all the way through both faces of the drywall panel. You can then use the remaining steps described here to cut the other line.
step 2 Mark The Cut Line On The Drywall Panel
Place the 4' T-square on the panel and make the edge parallel to the cut line. Mark the cut line on the drywall with a pencil by running the pencil along the edge of the T-square.
step 3 Cut The Paper Backing On One Side Of The Panel
You can cut along the T-square or remove the T-square and cut along the pencil line. Use the utility knife to cut along the cut line. Cut through the paper facing, 1/8" or less is all that is needed. You do not need to cut through any of the center of the drywall.
step 4 Snap The Cut Back
The second step in cutting drywall is actually breaking the panel along the score line you just made.
- Stand on the opposite side of the board, away from the cut.
- While holding the sheet about 2 feet to each side of the cut push on the back side of the board directly behind the cut to open up the cut. The board should easily break along the cut line.
step 5 Cut Through The Remaining Paper Face
Now all that is holding the two boards together is the remaining paper face. Use the utility knife to cut through the remaining paper face. It is easiest to cut from the same side you stood on when snapping the cut away from you because the close angle of the two sides of the cut drywall hold the knife in the center of the cut line.
