How To Cut Drywall Without Dust

Drywall is one of the most commonly used materials in home construction because of the ease of installation and affordability. Not only can you use them to make partitions in your home, but you can also install them to protect ceilings and walls.

The dust that the drywall cutting process generates can have harmful effects on your health. That’s why I have come up with this guide that will allow you to learn how to cut drywall without dust.   

How To Cut Drywall Without Dust

Our three preferred methods for cutting drywall with no dust involve using a multi-tool, a Sawzall, or a utility knife. Depending on which tool you prefer to use, I’ve outlined step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1: Take Measurements

Before you start cutting, you need to take accurate measurements using a tape measure. Measure your cut and mark a cut line on your drywall using a carpenter pencil or marker. 

Make sure you double-check your measurements before marking your drywall to avoid unwanted material wastage.

Step 2: Start Cutting

You can use different tools to start cutting your drywall without dust. Each technique that I have discussed below is easy to follow and doesn’t require much time to cut drywall.

Using an Oscillating Multi-Tool with Dust Extraction Kit

The best way to cut drywall without dust is to use an oscillating multipurpose tool with the dust extraction kit. 

The dust extraction kit is attached to the oscillating handheld tool to collect dust during the cutting process. Then it passes the dust to the vacuum through the shop vac hose to ensure a dust-free drywall cutting experience. 

Use the following steps to complete this process.

1. Secure your drywall on sawhorses using clamps to make sure it’s properly stable.
2. Equip your oscillating multipurpose tool with a sharp drywall blade. You can use a semicircle HSS blade for this purpose.
3. Add the dust attachment to your oscillating multitool’s dust port.
4. Attach the shop vac hose to the other end of the dust attachment. Make sure that the other end of the shop van hose is attached to the vacuum properly.
5. Turn your oscillating multitool on and start cutting your drywall along the cut line you marked and that’s about it.

The multitool will cut the drywall within seconds and all the dust particles will be transferred to the vacuum through the shop vac hose. Keep in mind that dust particles can damage your shop vacuum if they enter the machine’s motor in high quantities. That’s because the drywall dust particles are very smooth and fine and they can easily penetrate the filter.

This occurs when you’re using paper or foam filters and the best way to counter this problem is to use a pleated filter. If you need to cut a large amount of drywall, I recommend you clean the vacuum’s filter if it’s overwhelmed during the process. You can also keep multiple replacement filters to save time and effort.

Using a Sawzall

If you don’t have an oscillating multitool with the dust extraction kit, you can use a Sawzall and shaving cream hack. It’s a simple process that you can complete using the following steps.

1. Secure your drywall on sawhorses properly.
2. Take some shaving cream on your hand and rub it to make it foamy.
3. Apply the foam on both sides of the cut line or even on top of the line. Just make sure that you can see the cut line to ensure precision while cutting.
4. Make sure you are working with a sharp Sawzall blade.
5. Turn the Sawzall on and start cutting your drywall.
6. The foam of the shaving cream will encapsulate all the dust particles as you make the cut.
7. Once you have made the cut, use a dry cloth to clean the foam from the drywall immediately.

You can use this method with an oscillating multitool as well if you don’t have a dust extraction kit.

Using a Utility Knife

Using a utility knife is the cheapest way to cut drywall without dust. I recommend you use a knife with a sharp blade like an X-Acto precision knife and follow the steps listed below to complete the drywall cutting process.

1. Secure your drywall with the marked cut line using clamps on sawhorses.
2. Use the utility knife to score the front side of your drywall slowly. You won’t need to apply too much pressure to cut the first layer of the drywall.
3. (Optional): Use a ruler to guide your utility knife to make sure you score the drywall precisely.
4. After scoring the drywall, remove it from the sawhorses and hold it using your both hands in a way that the drywall’s backside is facing you.
5. Use your knee to apply pressure on the backside of the drywall gently. Make sure that you place your knee on the backside of the cut line where you made the score.
6. It’ll divide the drywall into two pieces. However, the paper on the backside will still be attached that you can easily cut using the same utility knife.

It’s a time-consuming process as compared to the other techniques. However, it’s the cleanest way to cut drywall because it doesn’t generate any drywall dust particles.

Step 3: Sanding Drywall without Dust

You’ll need to sand your drywall after cutting it without dust. Performing this step is important if you are planning to use Sawzall or an oscillating multipurpose tool. The best way to sand your drywall without dust is to use a sanding sponge. Follow the steps listed below to complete this process effectively.

1. Soak your sanding sponge in water by placing it under an open faucet.
2. Squeeze the sanding sponge if it’s dripping to make it semi-wet.
3. Start scrubbing the drywall with the semi-wet sanding sponge by applying gentle pressure to sand and smooth out the rough edges of the drywall.
4. The sanding sponge will get saturated with the drywall residue during this process. In such a case, place it under the open faucet to get rid of that residue. You’ll also need to use a dry cloth to clean the surface of the drywall.
5. Run your fingers across the seams of the drywall to make sure whether they’re smooth enough or need more sanding.
6. Continue the process until your drywall is perfectly smooth.

Step 4: Start Installing

After cutting and sanding your drywall, all there is left is to start installing it. You can use the same method to cut as many drywall pieces as you want without dust.

Why Do You Need to Cut Drywall Without Dust?

As mentioned earlier, the dust that the drywall cutting process creates can have harmful effects on your health. The drywall contains components such as silica, gypsum, mica, calcite, and talc.

All of these are toxic substances and they have no business being in your body and they can lead to several health problems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the harmful effects that drywall dust can cause include breathing difficulties, phlegm production, coughing, and persistent throat and airways irritation.

If you’re already suffering from any health problems or smoke cigarettes, the drywall dust will hit you even harder.

Conclusion

Cutting drywall and sheetrock can be a very messy process. Not only can it make your space dirty but it can also lead to several health issues if you don’t follow the right process to cut drywall without dust.

Use any of the techniques discussed in this guide to cut the drywall without worrying about the harmful drywall dust particles.