gypsum/plaster walls
#1
gypsum/plaster walls
I'm trying to repair my walls after having some electrical work done in the kitchen. The electrician had to open some areas of the walls and the walls are composed of 1/2 inch perforated gypsum with about 1/2 inch of plaster over them. I need to find out if there is any special technique to make a clean, straight cut through this material without the gypsum tearing out or the plaster crumbling. Using a standard gypsum board knife is ineffective, since the plaster just tears out in chunks. Would a reciprocating saw work? Any ideas appreciated.
#2
Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Taylors, SC
Posts: 9,261
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
I successfully used a jig saw with a carbide concrete cutting blade to cut about a dozen outlet box holes in the walls in my house which are the very same plaster over gypsum ones you have. The shorter blade may cause fewer problems with objects in the wall.
#4
Well, i tried using an 8 tooth/inch jigsaw blade that was allegedly designed for cutting gypsum board and plaster, and all the teeth wore off in about 5 minutes of use! I ended up putting masking tape over the areas to be cut, then using a small wallboard knife after drilling starter holes, and it worked surprisingly well. Only a few chunks cracked out (mostly where I cut through plaster keys). I also got a good upper arm tricep/deltoid workout!
Thanks for the advice. Hope the rest of the project runs smooth.
Thanks for the advice. Hope the rest of the project runs smooth.