Cutting Drywall

One of the core skills I had to learn for setting up the media room was how to cut drywall.  Anytime you want to install anything into your wall, you'll have to cut drywall.  Here's the easy way to do it.

1.  Figure out where you want the installation to go and then trace/stencil the installation onto the wall with a pencil.  This will give you a general idea of the size and fit on the wall.  Make sure to level out the installation before stenciling.  In this post, I'm showing a rectangular cut, but the same process can be used for a circular cut.

 2.  Check the area behind the stencil to make sure you won't be cutting into any studs or hot wires.   You don't want to cut into any of these.  Most studfinders on the market today will check for studs and hot wires.  

3.  Take a 1/2 inch drill bit and drill two holes at opposite corners of the stenciled area.

4.  Use a drywall saw to cut the stencil.  Start at one of the drilled holes and cut towards the stencil line.  Then level out the saw at the stencil.  Cuts shown in red.

5.  Reverse the saw along the stencil to cut out any remaining portions.  Cuts shown in green.