Cutting Drywall

A necessary skill for patching holes in walls or putting up new pieces of drywall is how to cut it.  It is a very straight forward process and, if you don't cut yourself with the utility knife, relatively painless. 

Cutting Drywall
Items needed:
Drywall
Utility knife
Pencil
Straight-edge or chalk line
Ruler or tape measure
Safety Suggestions and Tips
Use sharp utility knife
Keep blade clean
Level of difficulty


Time Required:
 1 hour

Steps

Mark cut line
Chalk line to mark the cut

Step 1:

Measure the opening you intend to cover with drywall. Mark the sheet of drywall where you want to cut it.  If the distance is small, you can use a straight-edge, otherwise you will have to mark the sheet on either side and snap a line using the chalk line.

Score with knife
Score through the paper on front face

Step 2:

Using the utility knife, cut the drywall along the line.  Note that it is not necessary to try to cut all the way through the sheet.  All you need to do is cut the paper.

Break drywall
Bend and break drywall

Step 3:

Putting one hand on either side of the cut and, with the cut still facing you,  snap the drywall away from you like you are closing a book.  This will snap the white material in the middle of the sheet.

Cut from backside
From the backside, cut the paper

Step 4:

If the piece you are cutting is a small piece, it may be necessary to fold the pieces perpendicular to each other and then cut the paper on the other side with a utility knife.  If the pieces are large you can simply snap the pieces the other way and snap the paper on the other side.