How to Cut Cement Board (Without Dust)

How to Cut Cement Board (Without Dust)

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Cement board is a fantastic building material to use for a variety of purposes. That said, it does suffer from one specific problem, which is that it creates a lot of harmful dust when cut. Today, we’re here to talk about all of the different ways to cut cement board, with as many methods that produce as little dust as possible.

7 Best Ways to Cut Cement Board

Below, we have seven different ways to cut cement boards. We have chosen the methods listed below due to the fact that they work really well for cutting this material, and most will produce little or no dust.

Some may produce more dust than others, but as you will see, there are ways to mitigate this.

1. With a Scoring Knife

Scoring Knife The number one best way to cut any kind of cement board is by using a scoring knife. A scoring knife is an extremely sharp and thin blade designed to score such materials.

When we say scoring, we are referring to the process of cutting a relatively deep line into the cement board, and then snapping it using physical force. Because you are using a very sharp blade, and essentially just making a thin cut, you aren’t going to be producing any dust.

This is especially the case because a scoring knife is not a power tool. You can easily make a cut by applying a decent amount of pressure, all without creating any dust whatsoever.

This is the number one preferred way to cut cement board. Of course, it may be a bit slower than the other methods, but it also produces less dust than any other method.

2. With a Utility Knife

Utility Knife The next best method to cut this material without creating any dust is by using a utility knife. A utility knife is somewhat similar to a scoring knife, although there are some differences. A utility knife features a very long and extendable blade that is divided into various sections that can snap off.

This way, when one section becomes dull, it can be snapped off and a new blade is ready to go underneath. This method is virtually the same as using a scoring knife.

You just press down onto the cement board, apply a bit of pressure, and move the knife along. It’s ideal for most types of cement board, and it doesn’t create any dust whatsoever. Of course, just like with a scoring knife, this method is quite slow.

For more details, read my detailed article about cutting cement board with a utility knife.

3. With a Dremel or Rotary Tool

Dremel The next good way to cut cement board, if you don’t have the scoring knife or utility knife, is to use a Dremel or rotary multi-tool. Keep in mind that a Dremel is the brand name version of the multi-tool. Dremel is a company that produces a really nice rotary multi-tool. Either way, if you plan on cutting cement board, you are going to need to get one of the compatible masonry cutting wheels.

If you are going to be using a Dremel, you’re actually going to use it somewhat like a scoring knife. You’re not going to cut all the way through the cement board with the Dremel or multi-tool, but in fact, will be scoring a line that you will then physically snap using your hands.

Due to the fact that the blade of the Dremel is so small, you can cut cement board while creating minimal dust. Yes, there will still be some dust created, but it should not be too severe.

For more details, read my detailed article about cutting cement board with a Dremel.

4. With a Circular Saw

Circular Saw The next best way to cut cement board is by using a circular saw. What needs to be said is that a circular saw is going to create a good deal of dust due to that large and very high-speed blade. However, it’s also one of the fastest ways to cut cement board. This is due to the fact that when you are using a circular saw, you are cutting all the way through the cement board, not scoring and snapping it.

This allows you to cut many pieces of cement board in a very limited amount of time. If you want to reduce the amount of dust created when cutting cement board with a circular saw, you want to use a blade that has as few teeth as possible.

The fewer teeth your circular saw blade has, the less dust will be created. If you are using a circular saw, for minimal dust, making sure that the saw is not running at a super high RPM is ideal as well. Of course, attaching a dust collection system to your circular saw is also going to help a lot.

For more details, read my detailed article about cutting cement board with a circular saw.

5. With a Jigsaw

Jigsaw Another way to cut cement board is by using a jigsaw. A jigsaw is a rather perfect tool to cut cement board, particularly if you need to cut various curves or shapes.

It’s certainly not going to be the fastest method, although it does work. In terms of dust production, a jigsaw will produce a moderate to small amount of dust.

However, due to the way in which the blade works, the dust should not be too bad. All of that said, most people would usually choose to use one of the other methods as opposed to using a jigsaw.

One of the reasons for this is that it might not always produce a very clean cut. However, the advantage is that you can cut through the whole cement board at once, instead of having to score and snap it.

For more details, read my detailed article about cutting cement board with a jigsaw.

6. With an Angle Grinder

Angle Grinder Yet another good way to cut cement board is by using an angle grinder. If you are using an angle grinder, you will need to attach a masonry cutting wheel to it. This is quite similar to using a Dremel or multi-tool with a masonry cutting wheel.

If you are using an angle grinder with a cutting wheel, you are actually not going to cut all the way through the cement board, but rather score a line into it and then physically snap it.

This is a good method to choose if you don’t have too many pieces of cement board to cut because it is a fairly time-consuming process.

Moreover, creating a straight line with an angle grinder, especially if it needs to be a long line, can be a challenge. In terms of dust production, an angle grinder will produce a decent amount of dust, so it may not be the number one option at your disposal.

For more details, read my detailed article about cutting cement board with an angle grinder.

7. With a Table Saw

Table Saw Another good method for cutting cement board is with a table saw. This is a special case if you need to make long and even cuts. Yes, you are going to want to use a masonry cutting blade with your table saw or just a very sharp carbide-tipped wood cutting blade.

Moreover, just like with a circular saw, make sure that the saw blade in question has as few teeth as possible.

What’s nice about using a table saw is that it makes very quick work of cement board. Moreover, you can also use your dust collection system to cut down on the dust produced.

What Is the Best Way to Cut Cement Board?

Undoubtedly, the preferred method of cutting cement boards is by using either a scoring knife or a utility knife. Although it’s not the fastest process in the world, it does not produce any dust whatsoever.

It also allows you to create a very clean and straight line that you can then cleanly snap for excellent results.

Lastly, in addition to the tools above, you can also cut a cement board with an oscillating multi-tool.

Summary

As you can see, there are many great ways to cut cement board. There are many methods that produce either no or minimal dust, and some that do produce a bit of dust. However, which of these methods you choose really comes down to what your main purposes are, and what tools you have at your disposal.