Vent: Tried a drywall saw on an old drop ceiling and got a face full of dust

So I was working in a basement last week, had to run cable through a drop ceiling from 1985. I grabbed my drywall saw thinking it would be cleaner than scissors. Man, that tile just crumbled and dust went everywhere, took me 20 minutes to sweep up. Learned that old ceiling tiles are super brittle and you are better off using a utility knife to score them first. Next time I bring a shop vac right under the cut spot. Any of you guys got tips for dealing with ancient ceiling tiles?

2 comments

2 Comments

reeselewis15d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I feel your pain. I've totally been there with those old crumbly tiles. What worked for me was using a sharp utility knife to score a rectangle on the back side first (the face you see), then just push the piece out from above. Way less dust, and you don't get that nasty crumble situation (though I still held a shop vac nearby just in case).

jennifer_west5215d agoMost Upvoted

Is it really that serious though? lol