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Tips & Techniques

Drywall without the Dust

Use this nifty envelope trick to cut down on dust cleanup.

By Charles Miller Issue 261 - Aug/Sept 2016

Need to drill a hole in existing drywall or to cut an opening for an electrical box? Eliminate dust cleanup altogether by taking a business envelope, folding a dart in each end so that the envelope stays open, and using some masking tape to stick the envelope to the wall just below where you’ll be cutting. Any drywall dust that’s generated during drilling or cutting falls into the open envelope.

—Bernie Van Wormer, LaPorte, ind.

Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #261

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View Comments

  1. wxfield | Aug 29, 2016 02:14pm | #1

    Clever, but too much work. You should always have your shop vac on the job anyway. Holding a running shopvac hose under the location you're sanding or cutting will capture the dust that falls and draw-in the airborne dust the envelop will never catch.

  2. User avater
    SidhuMosewala | Nov 08, 2017 05:18am | #2

    Thanks For sharing

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