How to Cut Dry Wall for Electrical Outlets

Drywall if a fairly inexpensive material that is lightweight and straightforward to install. It is, however, quite brittle. Although drywall lacks durability, its structural weakness allows you to cut through it without much difficulty. When cutting an opening in drywall to accommodate an electrical outlet, you must take care to measure the location of the box accurately and then transfer those measurements to the drywall. You cut the drywall with a knife specifically designed for that purpose.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Pointed drywall knife

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure the distance from the side of the wall to the edge of the electrical box with a tape measure.

   • 2

     Measure the distance from the floor to the bottom edge of the electrical box.

   • 3

     Measure the height and width of the electrical box.

   • 4

     Transfer these measurements to the drywall by scribing an outline of the electrical box with a pencil.

   • 5

     Cut through the outline of the electrical box on the drywall with a pointed drywall knife. When cutting through the sides of the outline, begin at the top of the outline and work your way down.