Knife for cutting drywall sheets. Why You Shouldn't Use a Regular Knife for Cutting GVL Tools You Need to Work with GVL

One of the building materials often and widely used in apartment renovation is drywall, which is a rectangular sheet of standard size. As a rule, building decor, suspended ceilings and interior partitions have individual parameters, therefore, such a sheet needs to be cut. For accurate and accurate cutting into pieces of different sizes and shapes, you will need a special tool - a drywall knife that can easily cope with this task.

Types of knives for cutting drywall

For some types of work, for example, for cutting a small number of even strips, an ordinary clerical or wallpaper knife may be suitable, but since the edge in this case will not be perfect, each element will have to be fine-tuned and processed. The blades of such a device are thin and fragile, so they bend and break during operation, which affects the quality of the workpieces.

In all other cases, it is preferable to use special tools, such as:

1. Special knife.
2. Utility knife.
3. Knife with a disk blade.

Special knife

Outwardly, a special drywall knife is almost the same as a clerical one, it also consists of a collapsible handle, a double-sided blade, a spring retainer and a connecting bolt. The blades in such a tool are also interchangeable and sectional, but have a greater margin of safety, a width of 18 mm and a thickness of 0.4–0.7 mm, which allows you to cut a straight line even with strong pressure.

A sign of the quality of a special knife is a metal body with precise fixation of the cutting element and a rubberized handle.

utility knife

A universal or mounting knife is well-deservedly popular, since, along with the possibility of its use at any stage of repair, it contains a number of advantages in:

• The convenient ergonomic design of the handle, made of light metal or strong plastic and covered with multi-component rubber, makes cutting more comfortable and reduces the load on the hands.

• The blades, made of high carbon steel, are trapezoidal and do not contain sections, which increases their strength and rigidity. Spare blades are usually included in the kit and are replaced with new ones as needed. This combination of the cutting part and the handle allows cutting the sheet into elements of any shape and complexity with high accuracy.
• The design of a utility knife may include details such as a belt clip or a box with spare blades in the handle. These options make this device even more convenient to use.

Important! The blade of the knife should be sharp, and its length adjusted to the thickness of the drywall sheet.

Disc blade knife

This type of tool has also become widespread in the processing of drywall, for the following reasons:

• The circular cutter is ideal for high-precision cutting of straight, broken and curved lines with a large radius, as it runs rigidly along the guides, and the constantly rotating blade cuts through the material without gaps.

• The cutting blade withstands high loads and high forces, thanks to which it has a long service life.

Bladerunner - not so long ago appeared on the market and so far a little-known drywall cutter of a new generation (from the English blade runner - a running blade). This unusual interesting tool is gaining more and more popularity, as it is easy to use and durable.

Such a knife is a system of two equivalent cutting devices, which are held by strong magnetic clamps during operation. Inside, in special blocks, there are blades, which are very easy to replace: just press the button to open the tool case, remove the used cartridge and replace it with a new one. The cutting process is also as simple as possible: the marking of the sheet is combined with the line on the body and the cutter is guided, while the line and edge of the workpiece are perfectly even.

The advantages of this tool include the following features:

• With a bladerunner, the cutting process is almost doubled, since its blade system is designed in such a way that the sheet of drywall is cut immediately from both sides and falls apart on its own.
• This cutter is used to receive elements of any configuration. Straight, curved and broken lines, as well as figures and corners, are cut in the same way: having brought the tool to the desired point, you must press the button on the top of the body and turn the device in the appropriate direction.
• With the help of such a knife it is convenient to cut drywall, located vertically.
• There is no possibility of injury during the operation of the blendrunner, since the cutting surfaces are hidden in the body.

• This tool is ideal for working with 12.5-15mm thick fire and moisture resistant drywall.
• The blendrunner comes with a waist bag for greater ease of use.

Note! With such a cutter it is convenient to cut bends of a large radius, with small details there is a risk of not getting into the markup.

Since the choice of drywall knives is quite large, the decision should be made based on the type and scope of work.

When finishing work, the main thing to remember is to use only safe and moisture-resistant materials. Gypsum fiber sheet just refers to this kind of material. So what are the main advantages in working with GVL, and, most importantly, how to cut it? Let's figure it out.

Gypsum fiber is great for finishing work on walls, floors and even ceilings. Unfortunately, gypsum fiber cannot be bent, unlike drywall, which means that it is impossible to use it in creating rounded structures.

The use of GVL for flooring provides such advantages as:

• warming. GVL does not let cold air through;
• due to the strength of the material, you can not worry that the gypsum fiber will break;
• perfectly flat floor surface;
• GVL perfectly absorbs moisture.

But when working with hypofiber at home, you must always have specialized tools for cutting gypsum fiber with you.

Tools for working with gypsum fiber

1. Construction knife for working with gypsum fiber sheet. Blade thickness must be at least 12 mm. It is worth remembering that the blades will dull quickly enough when cutting, so you will have to change them quite often.
2. Special hacksaw for working with GVL. The advantage, of course, will be that when cutting with a special hacksaw, the amount of dust and debris from it is minimal. But the process will take quite a long time.
3. Another option is a circular saw. This method is possible when cutting GVL, but do not forget that there will be a lot of dust and debris during operation. It is necessary to protect the respiratory tract and work in a well-ventilated area or, preferably, outdoors.
4. Bulgarian. It is worth noting that the method is also quite convenient, but, as in the case of a circular saw, care must be taken that the room has good air circulation.

Note that the method, in comparison with a hacksaw or a knife, is quite fast.

• Electric jigsaw with built-in vacuum cleaner. Many argue that this method is the most optimal. The amount of dust and debris, due to the vacuum cleaner, is minimal, and the time spent on cutting the sheet will be as short as possible.

First of all, it is worth noting that everyone chooses how to cut the gypsum sheet. First of all, it is necessary to proceed from the fact for which work GVL is needed and in which room the work is carried out.

After all, if the work will take place in a private house, then you can also use a grinder, you just have to go out into the fresh air and not worry that the whole room will be littered with garbage, and dust will fly in the air for more than one day.

A completely different alignment should be when working in an apartment in a multi-storey building. It is extremely inconvenient to carry sheets of gypsum fiber, for example, from the 14th floor to the first and saw it in the courtyard of a residential building.

Accordingly, based on the above, it is necessary to choose the most optimal method for cutting GVL.

A gypsum fiber board is generally stronger than drywall, so it is used where GKL or GKLV cannot withstand the load - for example, when creating floors in a dry way. However, it is more difficult to cut GVL, moreover, such a sheet is more fragile and, if handled carelessly, it can burst anywhere.

So technology. Marking is done in the same way as in the case of drywall, but only here it makes sense to connect the risks with a pencil or a chopping paint cord, and here's why. The fact is that using a knife for cutting GVL is not the most productive way. Most often, power tools are used here - either a circular saw or a jigsaw. In the first case, you need a tool with a tooth on a tree (whether there is a hard-alloy soldering is not so important), a toothless disk gives good results - coated with diamond grain. In the second case, you will need a file with a universal tooth configuration. With small amounts of work, you can use a hand saw for wood.

If you still decide to use a knife, then you need to cut according to the steel rule. The blade for gypsum fiber itself has a more complex shape than that of a general construction knife. It is made in the form of a hook / claw, choosing a deeper, rather wide groove. Several passes may be needed, it all depends on the thickness of the plate and its actual density.

Important! GVL does not break like drywall. The notched sheet should not be lifted, due to the danger of its uncontrolled fracture, it is more correct to simply put some long, even object under the cut line, for example, a wooden block 40X50 mm, attach a rule along the slot from above, and then gently break the plate.

If it is necessary to trim the cutting edge, then the peeling planer will not cope with the task, you need to use a regular carpentry planer.

You can read more about the methods and techniques of working with building materials, as well as other articles on the site elka-palka.ru, they set out a lot of important things in a very simple and accessible way. For example, you can find out:

• How to fix a wooden lining
• Technology of sheathing a freshly cut house
• Formwork from aspen boards - characteristics and features
• How to get rid of squeaky wood floors
• Exterior decoration of the house with a blockhouse
• Construction of a gazebo at their summer cottage with their own hands
• Features of the lathing for various roofing
• Proper fire protection of wooden structures

Gypsum fiber sheet is moisture resistant, fireproof. And of course, it is quite strong and solid. It has many properties similar to drywall. But due to the better composition, it has much more advantages for leveling the surface.

GVL is an absolutely environmentally friendly material. Almost completely gypsum fiber consists of natural ingredients. And thanks to this, the ceiling will be safe and the room immediately becomes a favorable microclimate. This greatly affects the general of everyone who is in the room. If the moisture level is high, then the gypsum fiber will absorb it completely, and if necessary, it will give it back.

It is laid on the floor, on the walls and ceiling. Since it retains excellent heat, and does not allow excess noise from the outside to penetrate into your room. Also, craftsmen mount window slopes with it, it perfectly levels the floor. Its main advantage is a dry screed. And thanks to this, the time of repair work is reduced several times, and the amount of construction waste is reduced.

Even if it was decided to do all the repair work at home on your own, this material is the best suited for beginners. It is easy to install, the laying technology is quickly mastered, it can be combined with additional layers of floor insulation.

The similarity of GVL with drywall lies in the name, the main material is building gypsum. And that is all. It has many features that define its qualities:

• when it is created, it is reinforced with loose cellulose. This makes the material strong enough to withstand extreme conditions. And only if you try very hard, cracks will appear on it. But in domestic conditions it is practically impossible;
• gypsum fiber sheets are absolutely homogeneous. As a result, it has a high density. Which increases its strength. At the same time, it perfectly retains heat transfer without additional layers of other materials. Also, this density guarantees complete sound insulation;
• its composition and uniformity make it possible not to cover it from above with a tightening or fixing element, as with drywall. This property allows you not to cover it with numerous layers of finishes;
• due to its unique composition, it is almost impossible to burn it.

Considering that any box is easily made of gypsum fiber, the walls become stronger and not able to ignite, it is impossible to bend it. While drywall is typical. And therefore, if the design has well-fed forms, it will not work.

But if high moisture resistance is required, for example, for floors, GVL will do just fine. To do this, use a special type - moisture resistant. It is laid on the floor in two layers. And then it cannot be broken and the cold will not penetrate into the room. During installation, an absolutely flat ideal surface is created. And the humidity in a room with such a floor can reach as much as 70%. And you need to know exactly how to cut GVL.

Differences between GVL and GKL:

• it is customary to use gypsum fiber sheets in those rooms where high impact protection is required, it is much harder than drywall;
• due to the homogeneous composition of GVL, it is easy to saw, regardless of direction;
• drywall is a flexible material, which is absolutely not characteristic of gypsum fiber;
• the environmental friendliness of GVL is much higher than that of drywall. And everything is achieved with its high density. It practically does not break down. While GKL loses its properties over time, dust is formed that can enter the respiratory tract;
• drywall is absolutely not suitable for laying on the floor, while GVL is capable of absorbing moisture and retaining heat with such use;
• fire resistance is inherent in absolutely all types of gypsum fiber sheets. While drywall does not have this, there is only a special marking with this characteristic;
• GVL is absolutely not suitable for wall decoration, if the finish layer is wallpaper, oil paint.

The difference between the materials is such that despite the same basis - building gypsum, their scope is different. When working with GVL, you need to know exactly how to cut it.

Tools for installing GVL at home

For beginners in repair, you should be prepared for the fact that gypsum fiber is still a fragile material. And we must initially figure out the better to cut GVL. And this despite its strength qualities. Therefore, it is better to buy GVL with a margin and after the completion of work, simply return the unused one to the store and return the money for it.

Also, in addition to great patience and a desire to work, you need to find out how to cut GVL sheets. It is worth stocking up on the following special tools. And also it is worth getting ready for a large amount of manual work. They are sold at any hardware store:

• sharp construction knife. Required blade thickness 12 mm. They will need to be changed quite often, because they are quickly flooded, so it is better to buy with a margin;
• hacksaw for work with plasterboard, special tool. And according to the assurances of experts, he saws GVL almost climbing dust;
• grinder, circular saw. They can be used only when it is possible to easily ventilate the room. At home, this option is unlikely to work. However, with it, sawing sheets is much faster. But if, nevertheless, the choice fell on these tools, do not forget to buy special face protection. Since when it enters the respiratory tract, the dust causes suffocation, settles on the lungs. And then the person will cough it up for a very long time;
• jigsaw with vacuum cleaner. This is the ideal option. To cut GVL, you will need a special saw blade for cutting wood with 4 mm teeth. That's just the dust will also fly in all directions. And with him, too, face protection will be required;
• construction pencil and a rule for straight cut lines.

Now that everything is ready to start work, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the process of cutting gypsum fiber.

How to cut GVL at home in stages

Before starting work, remember to be careful, because sharp objects are used and look on the Internet for detailed instructions on how to cut GVL sheets. If a dust-free sawing option is chosen, then the technology is as follows:

1. marking is applied to the sheet with a construction pencil;
2. any perfectly even rail or rule connects the markup;
3. now you need to gently draw the knife several times so that an incision appears, but do not cut to the end!
4. a rail is placed in this place;
5. with a sharp upward movement, it is necessary to gently break the sheet.

Elements for installation are ready. If for some reason the edges at the cut point turned out to be uneven, you can use a carpenter's planer.

Power tools are recommended for cutting sheets when a perfect even cut is needed. For example, in places of slope. However, if a jigsaw is selected, then a rather small consumption of files is obtained. On 10 m², on average, one piece will go. But from a circular saw, in addition to a huge layer of dust on all surfaces, there is also noise that will not please the neighbors.

Having many advantages, GVL is still a relatively heavy material. Its weight is higher than that of drywall. And therefore, for example, when used for finishing the ceiling, an additional load on the profiles will be created. The base must be strong enough and then there will be no problems.

The price category of gypsum fiber is quite high. Especially if you need specialists moisture resistant or fireproof sheets. When working with it, some difficulties may arise, for example, due to the lack of bending characteristics. It is not suitable for curved and curved surfaces. And it is worth remembering this if such work is supposed to be done in the room.

Gypsum fiber sheets (GVL) are used for finishing work. Of course, in popularity they are significantly inferior to drywall, if only because they were put into mass production much later. In terms of strength and fire safety, GVL is significantly superior to drywall. Primary finishing of walls and ceilings, arrangement of bulk floors, construction of protective boxes - these are the main areas of use of this material. Today we will figure out how and how to cut GVL.

Gypsum fiber properties

Gypsum fiber sheets and drywall, which has already become familiar, are united by the fact that both materials are based on building gypsum. GVL features include:

• The use of fluff pulp as a reinforcing material.
• Homogeneous structure.
• No outer cover.
• Absolute incombustibility.
• Higher density than drywall sheets.

Important! Many companies are engaged in the production of this building material, but the products of the Knauf company are most in demand. If we compare the properties of gypsum plasterboard and gypsum fiber coatings from Knauf, we can see that they serve as an excellent complement to each other. Their use in finishing work guarantees a consistently positive effect.

An important distinguishing feature of gypsum fiber is that it cannot be bent, like drywall. Therefore, it cannot be used, for example, for arched structures and other structures of complex configuration.

Gypsum fiber sheets are ideal for arranging a dry floor screed using expanded clay. Here they show their qualities perfectly:

• The floor is able to withstand significant loads.
• Good thermal insulation.
• Perfectly smooth surface.
• Ability to withstand up to 70% humidity.

Tools for the job

Sometimes not very experienced home craftsmen believe that gypsum fiber can be cut with the same tools as a drywall sheet. However, with this approach, the masters expect unpleasant surprises. Gypsum fiber building material is too fragile when broken, it does not bend. Therefore, willy-nilly, you have to select specific tools:

• Construction knife for GVL with a blade thickness of 12 mm. Cutting is not easy, the blades dull quickly enough, so they will have to be changed quite often.
• GVL can be cut with a special hacksaw. Using it will help to avoid large dust formation.
• Many people ask: is it possible to use a circular saw or a grinder? In principle, this is not forbidden, but on condition that the room is well ventilated. This produces a lot of noise and dust, but there is a chance to get the job done quickly. If you have chosen these particular tools, then you cannot do without a respirator and goggles.
• The ideal option for sawing is an electric jigsaw with a built-in vacuum cleaner. However, dust formation cannot be avoided here either, so a respirator and special glasses will also be needed.

Action algorithm

If you decide to cut GVL sheets with a cutter or a hacksaw, the procedure will be as follows:

1. Mark the sheet, put cut lines on it. Marking lines are useful in order to apply a rule or ruler to them.
2. Pass several times with a sharp knife along the cut line so as to obtain a furrow from ⅔ of the thickness of the material.
3. Place a piece of wood under the cut line.
4. Break the sheet with a sharp but gentle upward motion.

If you did everything right, then the edge edges are smooth, and there are no problems with joining.

Important! For minor adjustments, a peeling planer can be used. For a fold, a shoe cutter or chisel is best suited. With a significant amount of work, you can use a milling cutter.

footage

As you can see, there are many different tools that are suitable for cutting GVL. And you don’t even have to purchase many of them if you have your own arsenal and periodically do some kind of repair work. The main thing, as in any other construction process, is to observe carefully and take into account the properties of the material.