Can You Cut Drywall With a Circular Saw?

Published on: June 7, 2022
Written by Eric Devin / Fact-checked by David Rowan

Drywall is essentially a gypsum rock sandwich wrapped in a recycled paper wrapper. Even though each component is particularly strong on its own, when combined, they create a surprisingly robust, fire-resistant wall sheathing. The crumbly gypsum breaks smoothly in line with the score when the paper is scored with a utility knife.

To begin, never cut drywall with a circular saw. A circular saw produces enormous clouds of dust that are completely unneeded. The working parts of the saw, as well as your lungs and those of anybody standing nearby, are subjected to premature wear as a result of this dust. Inhaling silica particles from fly ash is also not a good idea.

When working with drywall, it’s preferable to keep dust to a minimum to avoid contributing to or causing significant lung problems. Spinning saw blades are ideal for cutting wood since, for the most part, they produce harmless dust.

What Type of Saw is Used for Cutting Drywall?

Cutting drywall may be accomplished using a variety of equipment, such as:

Pipe Slicers 

Pipe slicers are enormous power equipment that cut drywall in straight lines, making them ideal for cutting big sheets of drywall.

Drywall Slicers

These are portable power instruments with a round blade for making precise drywall cuts.

Jigsaw

Cutting drywall with a jigsaw is another option. Jigsaws have a changeable base that may be used to cut drywall in a variety of ways.

Power Reciprocating Saws

These power instruments employ a saw-toothed blade to make precise lines out across drywall panels.

Utilizing either one of these tools will guarantee that the drywall is finished neatly, with no sharp lines, fractures, or other issues.

Can You Use the Circular Saw to Cut the Wall?

Drywall is a lightweight structural material that is often used to create internal partitions in houses, buildings, businesses, and other similar structures. It’s made out of two sheet metals of heavy paper sandwiching a thin layer of gypsum (known as lath). Typically, either polyester or paper is used to make the paper.

After that, the drywall panels are trimmed to fit a specific project. Depending on the application, drywall thickness can range from half an inch to five including a quarter inch. Fiberboard, constructed of wood, and paper-faced panels, which provide a gypsum base and a sheet front, are the two most popular varieties of drywall.

The most popular type is paper-faced panels, which are often utilized in home building projects. A strong circular saw can cut into drywall, but it will produce a lot of dust, which is not only unhealthy for you, but it may also ruin your instruments.

However, what are the drawbacks of cutting drywall using a circular saw? Sawing drywall with a circular saw produces a lot of dust, so your workplace will be inundated with dust clouds, particularly if you don’t have adequate ventilation.

Even a tiny quantity of drywall dust breathed can cause a variety of health issues, therefore you should always use protective dust masks or protective clothing. The circular saw blade may easily damage drywall and create rough edges and sharp cuts, necessitating additional finishing work and raising project expenses.

Although a circular saw might cut into drywall, it is not recommended. There are several alternatives to a circular saw that emit less dust and cut through drywall considerably faster.

What Is the Best Way to Cut Out Drywall?

Drywall is a gypsum-based panel used to construct internal ceilings and walls. Only amateur carpenters may finish the interior of a home by learning how to cut drywall. This article will show you how to cut drywall in two simple stages, as well as how to measure and install drywall. There are several examples of drywall projects that have gone wrong.

A circular saw, as well as a lot of sawdust, are unavoidable in the narrative. The paradox would be that drywall cutting is one of the most simple, clean, and silent renovation activities. Even a do-it-yourselfer with “all thumbs” can learn the basics about how to cut drywall without fear, and even a major, sheet-wrecking error can be fixed for a few dollars.

Cut, Score, and Snap

The three fundamental procedures in every drywall-hanging process are scoring the whole front paper, bending and flipping up the sheet, and slicing through the back paper.

Almost every cut will incorporate variants on that subject. Other cuts are performed with two types of drywall saws: a tiny keyhole saw for short cuts (mainly electrical box holes) and a bigger coarse-tooth saw for extended cuts (such as those around doors).

Working with Drywall 

Only use enough incentive to change the paper with a utility knife during scoring. Cutting too profoundly into the gypsum core would just leave your blades dull and your wrist twisted. As you score, the paper will start to rip behind the knife edge when the blade stops slicing neatly. It’s time to replace the blades at this point.

Cutting Drywall in the Most Effective Way

Simply mark each side of drywall with such a sharp razor knife to cut a perfect line while generating minimal airborne dust. Apply sufficient pressure to cut it through the sheet and into the gypsum core by about an inch. This line must be cut from edge to edge across the drywall.

After cutting the drywall, add pressure straightforwardly behind the boundary line on the opposite side. The drywall panel snaps along the cut line as well as completely bends over on itself as a result of the pressure. Simply cut through the drywall panel’s paper backing to complete the cut.

12-inch-thick drywall is standard. You can cut off parts as narrow as 112 inches wide using this method. When cutting narrow pieces from a sheet of drywall, make deeper cuts into the gypsum core with the razor knife. Make sure you just cut the drywall with the razor knife and not yourself.

Old drywall that is bolted or fastened to walls or ceilings can be hacked through using repeated cuts with an extremely sharp razor knife, but this takes a lot of time and is tough. Cutting is tough because the gypsum core causes a lot of friction.

You can cut through drywall with a hand-powered saw designed for the job. The blades have quite a rough point and are curved, making it reasonably easy to drive through the wall.

The biggest problem is that these knives are often 5 or 6 inches in length, making it much easier for either of them to grasp wires, cables, pipelines, and other materials that are concealed. behind the drywall. With one of these tools, even a novice like you can quickly create large and costly repair issues.

Special Blade

A recent animated metal blade for electric rotating saws has been specifically designed for cut slits in established drywall. The blade is just 114 inches long and the tip is dull. Instead of sharp teeth, it features square notched cutouts. It slices drywall brilliantly, but not deeply enough to destroy anything behind it, particularly when the blade is gliding across the top at a 45 ° angle.

Care should be used while cutting openings in the drywall ceiling. At all times, eye protection, not safety eyeglasses, should be used. Drywall dust and small gypsum core fragments in the eyes can result in a costly trip to the emergency room or the eye doctor.

A tiny rotary cutter fitted with it makes it look like a conventional drill. It is used by professional drywall hangers. The spiral shaft of this bit features special cutting edges that allow it to cut through drywall quickly. Every expert drywall hanger I’m aware of makes use of these tools. They improve productivity by a factor of 5 or more, but they also create dust clouds.

FAQs 

Can You Cut Drywall with A Wood Saw? 

Sure. You’re good to go if you’re only planning on doing a couple of straight cutoffs and won’t be cutting drywall again. You can use the cordless mini circular saws for woodwork too.  However, if you plan on making common drywall cuts, such as cutting out holes for outlets and junction boxes, a drywall saw may be worth the investment.

Is Lowe’s Willing to Cut Drywall to Your Specifications?

Lowe’s cuts drywall and plasterboard to clients’ specifications in-store, generally for free. Lowe’s also provides drywall and sheetrock cutting equipment and materials.

What Is the Best Drywall-cutting Tool?

A razor or scalpel blade is the most frequent instrument for cutting drywall. You score the panels, press down on there, and it snaps! You now have a fresh, new look.

What Is the Ideal Spacing Between Drywall Sheets?

Use a guide to ensure that the 1/8-inch gap between sheets is maintained throughout installation. A drywall square’s blade, which is about 1/8-inch thick, will suffice. As a spacing guide, thin strips of wood might be utilized.

When It Comes to Sheetrock and Drywall, What’s the Difference Between the Two?

A gypsum plasterboard panel is located between the two heavy laminated sheets to create dry drywall. It uses nails or screws to attach to metal or wood studs. Sheetrock is a different type of drywall sheet. It is manufactured by a single company. These words are sometimes confused 

Conclusion

We attempted to provide you with a basic understanding of how to cut drywall as efficiently and effectively in this article. Cutting drywall is a procedure for which professional help is rarely required.

You can hire professionals to cut, drape, wash, sand, and polish the drywall as part of a wider drywall setup process. But for a small project, you don’t need that. So, relax and bounce it your finest shot.