How to cut cardboard at home

How to cut drywall at home

Posted on 11.08.2017 in the category Building materials // 0 comments // By Admin

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cardboard, home

Many who independently made repairs in their house or apartment know firsthand what drywall is and how sometimes it is not easy to work with it. Those who are just planning to start repairs have to find out. Drywall is a rectangular sheet, the core of which is gypsum, and both sides are building board. It is suitable for decorating walls, room ceilings, partitions, and various decorative elements. This material has a perfectly smooth surface, thanks to which wallpaper and paint fit well on it. But any use of it requires cutting out. Drywall is a very fragile material; care must be taken when transporting and working with it. Therefore, we will figure out how to cut drywall and how to cut drywall at home.

Tools play an important role in cutting plasterboard. If chosen incorrectly, drywall can be irretrievably damaged.

General recommendations

  • Drywall is flexible, so lay it on a flat and stable surface while working
  • Cut a large sheet of plasterboard gradually
  • Make sure that the workplace is not damp. the sheet will get wet and it will no longer be possible to use it
  • Which side to cut drywall from? Best of all with the one that will be on the side of the wall
  • Protect eyes and respiratory system from generated dust

How to properly cut drywall in a straight mowing line with a mounting knife

The tool for cutting drywall must be chosen, taking into account what shape you want to give it. If you need to cut it along a straight longitudinal mowing line, a cutting knife will do, but working with this tool takes time and effort. If there is not much such work, the knife will cope with it, but if you need to cut drywall in large quantities, then you will have to spend a lot of time.

  • Lay drywall on a flat, stable surface, apply markings on it;
  • Press a metal ruler or level against the drawn mowing line, guide the knife alongside, going deeper into the core.
  • Turn the sheet over, fold it to the notch towards the uncut side, so the plaster middle will break to the end;
  • Cut the uncut cardboard with a knife.

The better to cut drywall

How can you cut drywall? The following tools may come in handy for work:

  • Construction knife
  • Hacksaw
  • Jigsaw
  • Electric drill, milling cutter
  • Plasterboard planers

Also, before work, prepare a simple pencil, tape measure or thread for taking measurements, a long metal ruler or level for an even cut.

Important! GCR cannot be cut with a circular saw, it creates a huge amount of unnecessary and harmful dust.

How to cut a hole in drywall. round or rectangular. Curly cutting

How to cut a square in drywall? You can cut a square or rectangular opening with a hacksaw. this is a good tool for cutting drywall. The thinner it is, the better. To do this, you need to draw a future opening, make holes in its corners with a drill so that a hacksaw can enter. Cut from one corner to another. It is better to choose a hacksaw for metal, it has more teeth, which means that the cut will be more accurate. The hacksaw should be held perpendicular to the drywall sheet. This will cut the edges smoother with less chipping.

If you have a jigsaw, using it will make your job easier. This cutting method is considered the fastest and easiest. It can be used to cut curly mowing lines, not just straight ones. This is the best way to cut drywall. To do this, draw a sheet, put it on two stools, leaving a space between them so that the jigsaw teeth pass in this space. If you use the jigsaw carefully, the edges of the cut sheet will be the most even and neat. Choose a jigsaw file for metal. You need to be prepared for the fact that when working with this tool there will be a lot of dust, prepare protective goggles, a respirator in advance, if there is furniture, cover it.

For any curly cutting, an electric drill with a crown is suitable. Draw, drill a hole, then saw through the drawn mowing line with a hacksaw. Here’s how and how you can cut a hole in drywall.

To level and sand cut edges, use a plane or medium abrasive paper.

How and with what to cut moisture-resistant drywall, fire-resistant or any other? Cutting any other type of drywall is no different from cutting ordinary.

Sometimes it is necessary to make a cut not in a straight line of the mowing line, to cut the doorway (with the letter “G”), for example.

First, as always, we apply the markup. From the tools you will need a hacksaw and a mounting knife. Use a hacksaw to cut the shorter side. Cut the larger side with a knife along the intended mowing line. We break the sheet in the opposite direction. Cut the whole cardboard from the back side with a knife.

In general, when thinking about how to cut a drywall wall, it is worth remembering that cutting drywall installed on a wall or ceiling is not very convenient. Cutting the plaster core with a knife produces friction, which makes the process more inconvenient and laborious.

It often happens that beginners spoil more than one sheet before “filling their hand”. Therefore, when getting down to work, be sure to also have remarkable patience.

Knauf superpol. How to cut a superfloor knauf

Specifications

The mass of one Knauf superpol element is approximately 18kg. That allows you to hold it with one hand at the time of installation. The useful area of ​​the element is 0.75 m 2. in combination with convenient dimensions, this allows installation in hard-to-reach places, while not losing the speed of laying in open areas. The low coefficient of thermal conductivity from 0.22 to 0.36 W / m will not allow the feet to freeze and will maintain room temperature all the time. Front surface hardness, not less than 20 MPa, or more than 200 kilograms per square centimeter.

Tools required for work with GVL

Many who were engaged in self-preparation for installation and direct installation of drywall mistakenly believe that it is possible to work with gypsum plasterboard in the same way. But here an unpleasant surprise awaits them. Gypsum-fiber sheets, with all their strength properties, when you take them for a break, turn out to be very fragile and easily break. By the way, that is why it is impossible to bend them like drywall.

Tools that can be used to cut gypsum fiber sheets:

  • Sharp construction knife with a thickness of at least 12 mm. Blades will need to be changed frequently as they dull quickly.
  • A special hacksaw for gypsum board, which can be used to cut this material with almost no dust.

Some craftsmen claim that it is convenient to cut GVL with a special cutter, which is used by shoemakers.

Tips and tricks 11: How I cut cleanly

  • An angle grinder or circular saw should only be used in a well-ventilated area and provided that the end justifies the means. This is the fastest way and also very dusty. If you decide to choose this tool, be sure to stock up on respiratory and eye protection.
  • A jigsaw with a built-in vacuum cleaner is ideal if you install a file on wood with a 4 mm tooth pitch in it. But there will still be a lot of dust, so you need to work in goggles and a respirator.

how to cut gypsum fiber at home

When finishing work, gypsum fiber sheet, or gypsum fiber board, is often used. This material was created much later than drywall, so it did not gain such wide popularity as gypsum plasterboard. However, due to the special composition, these boards have outstanding strength and fire-fighting characteristics with indicators much higher than that of drywall. Therefore, GVL is indispensable for the construction of bulk floors, rough finishing of walls and ceilings, as well as for the construction of all kinds of boxes. The only question that arises when working with this building material is how to cut GVL from “Knauf”.

Characteristics, application, installation and finishing of GVL sheets

Gypsum fiber is a relatively new, but already very popular, material for interior decoration. It is produced in the form of sheets, the characteristics of which are similar to gypsum plasterboards, but surpass them in many respects. The composition of gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) includes stucco, reinforced with loose cellulose, which is “extracted” from ordinary waste paper. Today, this material is less known than its older brother, drywall, since it costs somewhat more than its counterpart.

Finishing

As materials for finishing the coating, you can use any kind of wallpaper, paint or tile. Let’s talk about tiled cladding. First, you need to determine a step-by-step scheme for the implementation of work, which should consist of processing and marking the surface, preparing tiles and adhesive composition, actually laying, as well as the subsequent grouting.

Tiles for floors and walls have different characteristics and are selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the surface!

  • Before laying tiles on gypsum plasterboard, it is required to treat the sheets with a special primer and wait until it dries.
  • It is necessary to determine the required amount of tiles based on the length and width of the surface to be trimmed. Knowing the size of the products, taking into account the width of the seams, you can calculate their total number.
  • Now the adhesive should be applied to the surface, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
  • When laying tiles on gypsum plasterboard, it is necessary to press down slightly to increase the reliability of the fastening. Many experts advise using a rubber mallet for this purpose.
  • You should leave the same gaps between the tiles, thoroughly cleaning them from the adhesive mass. After a day (for wall cladding) or 48 hours (floor), the joints between the tiles must be rubbed using special compounds. All this time, it is required to maintain a minimum humidity level in the room.

The correct selection of the primer and adhesive composition plays a very important role in the measures for facing the gypsum fiber sheet. the quality of the tile fixing will depend on them.

The well-known manufacturer of gypsum fiber board. the company KNAUF. recommends using only high-quality materials for finishing and consistently performing all stages of the technological process. German experts advise using a special FLIESEN branded tile adhesive in work, preparing it in small portions, sufficient to process a surface area of ​​1 m2.

That’s all, let’s hope that our article will help a novice home craftsman decide on the option for finishing his favorite room. If an experienced craftsman honors us with his attention, then we ask him to share his experience and tell how better to cut gypsum fiber board than it can be finished, and most importantly. how to avoid mistakes when performing such work.

Home Articles Plasterboard Gypsum fiber sheet (GVL)

Gypsum fiber sheet (GVL)

Gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) is a fairly hard and durable material that has good fire-fighting qualities. It belongs to the drywall family, but differs from it. Gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) is made from a mixture of fibers of fluff pulp waste paper and gypsum, evenly distributed throughout the entire volume of the sheet, by semi-dry pressing.

We use GVL for the installation of window slopes, when it is necessary to put tiles on a wooden floor or make a dry screed. You need to cut GVL like this: We apply a rule or any other even rail to the marking.

Firmly pressing the rule, we carry out with a knife 4-6 times. Then, we put the rule under the incision.

and gently break.

It will be problematic to cut off the GVL in other ways, it is too hard and fragile at the same time.

Dimensions of gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) Length: 1500, 2000, 2500, 2700, 3000 meters Width: 500, 1000, 1200 meters Thickness: 10, 12.5, 15, 18, 20 mm.

Characteristics of gypsum fiber sheet (GVL) Gypsum fiber sheets are conventional (GVL) and moisture resistant (GVLV). Gypsum fiber sheets are used in residential, civil and industrial buildings with dry and normal temperature and humidity conditions. Moisture resistant gypsum fiber sheets have a special hydrophobic impregnation and therefore can be used in rooms with high humidity (for example, in bathrooms, toilets and kitchens of residential buildings)

How to make a drywall arch and semi-arch

How to sheathe walls and make drywall partitions, calculation, fastenings.

Everything you need to install drywall

How to make a plasterboard ceiling with your own hands

Niche in the wall

The device of window slopes

Knauf (KNAUF) Safeboard

How to glue drywall to a wall

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Standard cut

Cutting the sheet in a straight line is the easiest way to cut. It boils down to the following:

GVL is placed on a hard and flat surface. Then mark the future cutting line of the cut.

Whichever knife is chosen, they should be cut strictly, placing a ruler on the side. An uneven cut is guaranteed if you decide to handle without a ruler. Cutting begins from the back (there is a thicker cardboard layer). The front part of the Civil Code is somewhat different, as it is intended for finishing work. When cutting, they try to deepen the knife as much as possible into the plaster content.

At the end of the process, the GK is turned over and bent in the direction of the solid (without the mowing line of the cut) side. Gypsum that is not hit by the knife will break in the required direction. The cardboard is cut from the opposite side along the formed mowing line of the fold.

It is not particularly important which side to start cutting drywall. However, on a flat, dense surface, this is much easier to do than when holding the GL in weight.

Before you cut drywall with improvised devices, you should familiarize yourself with two more types of simple cutting, feasible for independent implementation.

Double-sided cutting. Most often, cutting in the form of any rectangle is performed in this way. With a hacksaw, one of the sides is sawed, the other is simply cut with a blade. After that, the material is cracked, and the cardboard is cut from the opposite side (as in a simple cut). The finished cut is polished to perfection using an edging planer.

Cutting on uneven mowing lines. To cut material along uneven lines, you must first prepare a drawing.

Choice of methods for cutting HA

What method of cutting drywall to resort to will become clear after studying the options available for these purposes.

The structure and purpose of drywall

Plasterboard sheets are a layer-by-layer combination of two types of materials. gypsum (inner content) and sheets of thick cardboard glued to it on both sides. It is clear that if the cardboard layers are damaged, it is not difficult to cut the rest.

Therefore, in order to be able to quickly cut a sheet of gypsum board, it is not enough to know the best way to cut drywall. It is important to know the basic principle of this action: after the continuous even cutting of drywall is carried out, the second step immediately follows. breaking the sheet.

Sawing drywall, like any solid porous material, is not difficult. It also lends itself well to drilling.

The functions of the material make it possible to differentiate it into varieties: moisture-resistant, fire-resistant, standard, increased strength (for example, gypsum board or gypsum board made using Knauf technology), acoustic gypsum board, etc.

Despite the large assortment of GK, panels of any of its varieties lend themselves well to dividing into parts by means of the available material at hand.

Drywall cutting

Newbies in the construction business do not know how and how to cut drywall in the best way. After all, any work, whether it is the creation of a ceiling structure, partitions or a complex decorative element, requires knowledge of the rules for cutting gypsum board and strict adherence to them in practice. Different tools are used for these purposes. It all depends on the chosen cutting method. So, how to cut drywall at home, the recommendations below will tell you.

What is this article about

Cut to specified geometry

Figured cutting of drywall is used in the situation of creating unique shapes for a specific structural element. This procedure is more complicated, and you cannot do without basic experience and a sufficient arsenal of tools.

When curly cutting, the material is first also marked out. If you need to draw a circle, but there is no compass at hand, then they arm themselves with a needle and thread and a tied pencil.

For curly cutting of HA in different situations, we will apply one of the methods described below.

Option one. Describes the process when a hacksaw is selected as the tool. Manipulating a hacksaw is akin to working with a serrated knife and a handle. Using a drywall hacksaw, you can cut out fragments with any non-trivial shapes (for example, butterflies or flowers).

Option two. An electric drill with a cylindrical nozzle allows you to create even circles of small diameter in drywall. The circle is not marked here, but limited to a mark in the desired area.

Option three. For cutting GVL with an electric jigsaw, a clear marking of the contour of the required shape is performed. Priority in the choice of a jigsaw is given when the diameter of the circle to be made must be greater than the diameter of the crown of the electric drill, and the rounded mowing lines of forms are not limited to a circle.

Option four. The most primitive, when the choice of tool comes down to a knife and a hammer. Drywall is cut along the outlined border. At the same time, they try to press on the blade as hard as possible.

Then the HA is placed on a flat surface with a depression. over, the detachable part of the element must fall into this hole. It is less effective to support the sheet against the wall. Then hit with a hammer in the middle of the fragment to be separated. The part to be removed should break. A layer of cardboard is cut from the bottom, leveling the ends as necessary. The GC masters strongly discourage people with no experience from using this technique. Since you have to spend a lot of drywall sheets for stuffing your hand and working out the pressure.

Introducing the toolbox

The obligatory list of tools for cutting gypsum fiber with your own hands includes three groups of objects

Devices for applying markings on a sheet of gypsum board. a simple pencil, tape measure, long ruler.

Cutting and sawing devices themselves.

  • Knife. You can cut GVLV with a clerical knife, as well as with a specialized construction knife with a double-sided replaceable blade (suitable for denser materials).
  • Hacksaw. It is better if it is a tool for processing metal than wood.
  • Electric jigsaw. Ideal for cutting rounded elements. Least of all, high-quality saws for metal with a fine notch leave chips at the ends of drywall.
  • Electric drill. Needed for making holes. For gaps of large d, round crowns (which cut into the core of the door snap locks) and feather drills are required.

Edging attachments:

  • roughing plane;
  • chamfering planer.

This list clearly shows how the home craftsmen cut drywall. Of course, it is far from complete. The arsenal of experienced craftsmen may include professional equipment, for example, a special cutter for GVL. However, for those who are working with the material for the first time, this set is quite enough. To better understand how to cut drywall correctly, you need to clearly understand the structure of this material.

The nuances of making circles

Circles in the ceiling structure are made primarily for the installation of luminaires. The easiest way is to cut a circle of a given diameter in the gypsum fiber with a blade. And gently knock out the middle part with a hammer. However, it will be easier to carry out what was conceived would be a drill with special equipment. a cylindrical nozzle. The same one that is used when cutting into the door of the lock mechanism with a latch.

Cut after installation of gypsum board

Of course, it is more convenient to cut material that has not yet been fixed. But in practice, there are situations when cutting off the excess is required after mounting the sheets to the frame. Such trimming is due to the fact that the sheathed surfaces meet window slopes or corners on their way.

The sheet is fixed on the wall, leaving a small margin of size. Already on the wall, remove excess centimeters.

It is important to make sure that the HA is securely fixed to the frame. The incision is made on the side that is in contact with the wall. The cutting movements are repeated several times, following the markings. At the same time, they try to “squeeze out” unnecessary parts of the material. The sheet is cut from the other side.

Having studied these methods, beginners will understand how to cut drywall with a minimum set of tools at home. If you need to cut large quantities of HA, these options will not work. The best solution would be to turn to professionals.

Features of gypsum fiber sheets

To understand what and how to cut gypsum fiber, you must first understand the essence of this material itself. The production of gypsum-fiber sheets, like drywall, is carried out from gypsum plaster, which limits their similarity. GVLV boards are distinguished by the following features:

  • Loose cellulose is used as a reinforcing material,
  • The material is characterized by an absolute homogeneity of the structure,
  • No coating is used on top,
  • The material is completely non-flammable,
  • The density of the material is higher than that of traditional drywall.

This building material is produced by many companies, but the sheets that are made by Knauf have earned the greatest demand. If we take for comparison the gypsum plasterboard and gypsum fiber sheets of this company, then one can understand how ideal complement to each other they are, and when they are used as finishing materials in the repair process, only a positive effect can be obtained.

Despite the fact that GVL is an excellent material for making any box, and the walls will turn out to be strong and practically non-combustible, this material differs in that it cannot be bent like drywall. It turns out that it is not suitable for the installation of structures with rounded shapes and complex elements.

The use of gypsum fiber sheet is advisable on the floor, in dry screeds, where there is expanded clay, where they show all their best qualities. When used in the process of constructing a subfloor, excellent results can be obtained. Floor elements obtained by gluing a pair of GVLV sheets with a total thickness of 20 mm have the following useful properties:

  • They are resistant to loads, that is, they do not break during operation,
  • Resist the penetration of cold,
  • Perfect surface smoothness,
  • GVL are able to withstand humidity up to 70%.

How and how to cut GVL at home

Gypsum fiber sheet or gypsum fiber board is actively used in the production of work related to finishing. This material was created later than drywall, so it has not yet managed to become so popular. Gypsum fiber sheets have a special composition, which provides them with completely new characteristics of strength and resistance to fire, exceeding gypsum plasterboard by several times. GVL is considered an indispensable material when creating bulk floors, the initial decoration of walls, ceilings, as well as in the process of constructing various boxes.

In the process of working with such a valuable material, only one important question arises. how to cut GVL?

What is required to work with GVL?

Usually, craftsmen who independently carry out the preparation and installation of drywall believe that work with GVL is carried out in a similar way.

However, certain troubles may await them here. With all the available strength characteristics, gypsum fiber sheets demonstrate increased fragility to fracture, therefore they easily break at the same time. For this reason, GVL sheets do not bend like drywall.

Before cutting GVL, you need to figure out which tools are suitable for this.?

So, the tools with which you can cut the GVL:

  • Sharp construction knife, the thickness of which is at least 12 mm. Due to the fact that the blades will dull quickly, they will need to be changed frequently.
  • For the gypsum board, there is a special hacksaw, with which you can cut the material with virtually no dust.
  • The use of an angle grinder or a circular saw is only advisable in well-ventilated rooms, if only the end really justifies the means. This is a very noisy and dusty method, but it is the fastest of all. If you decide to opt for such a tool, then be sure to use respiratory and eye protection.
  • A jigsaw with a built-in vacuum cleaner is the most ideal option, especially when using a saw for wood with a 4 mm tooth pitch. However, even in this case, a lot of dust is generated, which requires the use of a respirator and goggles.

After you decide how to cut the GVL, you must be sure to take care of caution and accuracy when working with these materials. When using a special hacksaw or cutter for work, it is recommended to proceed as follows:

  • GVL sheet is marked as it is required to be cut,
  • marking line is used in order to apply a rule or a straight ruler to it,
  • The knife needs to be drawn over the sheet so many times so that a furrow is formed on it with a depth of at least 2/3 of the sheet thickness,
  • A special rail should be placed under the formed line of the cut,
  • Further, through a sharp upward movement, you need to gently break the sheet.

You can watch the corresponding video before you start cutting.

Gypsum fiber sheets are characterized by the formation of even edge edges, so there are usually no problems with joining. If a slight adjustment is required, a roughing planer can be used. A chisel or a boot cutter is best for creating a fold. If the volume of work is quite large, then it is recommended to use a router. When using a groove cutter with a pitch of 3-4 mm, you can perform all the necessary work in 2-3 approaches.

Cutters

Hand tools, through which you can effortlessly make a straight cut of carpet. They come in several varieties and are suitable for certain types of this flooring:

  • Universal cutters for carpet and linoleum. They have a trapezoidal cutting element, made in such a way that when cutting, the pile does not fall under it.
  • Universal cutters for textile coverings. They can be used to cut carpets, PVC and materials with a foam base.
  • Jute floor cutters. In addition, they can be used to cut PVC, but such a tool is not at all suitable for those that have a foam base.

Most of them come with a set of replacement blades.

Carpet edge finishing

This task is easy enough to accomplish. Mechanically, this can be done using an ordinary gypsy needle and a strong nylon or synthetic thread. In the second case, equipment is used to process the edges, which is a sewing machine.

Processing the sides of the material can be done in several ways:

  • Edge trim can be done using a seam called “over the edge”. It is made with even sewing ties in such a way that the warp thread is located on the top of the material, and the stitch looks like a horseshoe.
  • “Loop seam”. To do this, you need to use a needle and thread and start creating even, frequent ties at the edge of the flooring material. In this case, it is necessary that the central thread is located at the top of the seam, and the additional thread is fixed at a distance of up to 0.5 cm from the edge, row in row.
  • Cloth overlay. Is the easiest way. Sewing on the fabric overlays is performed at different distances from the edge of the carpet with an even regular stitch along the entire perimeter.

Cutting the carpet under the skirting board

In this situation, the work must be done as follows:

  • Initially, you need to start laying the carpet from the even and longest wall, right next to it.
  • At the next stage, it is required to smooth the canvas to eliminate all existing waves.
  • Next, you need to adjust the other three sides of the material.
  • Fitted to the opposite side of the carpet in the place of its intersection with the floor, you should fold the folds with your hands and fold the excess covering over it.
  • The resulting hall acts as a strip along which further cutting is required.
  • After that, it is necessary to carry out a neat cutting of the carpet, checking after every 10 cm the correct direction of the cut and compliance with the line made.

Carpet cutting process

Before cutting the carpet, it must be spread all over the room so that it spreads out and at the same time after that it will be possible to specifically decide on which side and how much further shortening is to be carried out. The cutting process itself must be performed as follows:

  • After finding out the area or several that will undergo cutting, the spread material must be turned over in such a way that, as a result, its wrong side is on top.
  • Following this, it is required to take measurements at the upper, middle and lower points of the mowing line of the cut.
  • A building level or an elongated flat bar must be attached to the marked marks to combine them into stripes using a felt-tip pen.
  • Then, using a tool with a sharp blade and a ruler laid at the edge of the cutting line of the cut, you should make an incision.
  • Cut off excess pieces of material from the canvas sequentially, repeating similar steps until the floor covering takes on the required shape.

Other tools

Often at home, carpet cutting is also done using ordinary knives with a sharpened blade, and in some cases even scissors, but with the help of the latter it can be difficult to cut a dense and thick floor covering. In addition to them, a suitable option is the use of a shoe and high-quality office tools with replaceable cutting elements.

Regardless of the device chosen, before cutting off the carpet, it should be borne in mind that it is better to carry out work from the inside out and choose a device specially designed for this task, since in such a situation it is possible to significantly reduce the likelihood of damage to the material, the replacement of which will cost much more.

Carpet cutting tools

For cutting this material, there are a variety of cutting devices, therefore, in order to determine the best way to cut carpet at home, you should consider each of the available options in more detail.

Electric shears

With their help, it is convenient to cut carpet and linoleum, as well as many other flexible materials. Unlike a regular knife, electric scissors have the following positive qualities:

  • Safe use when working with materials intended for installation as floor coverings.
  • Compact dimensions and ergonomic tool design.
  • Ease of use and high quality cut.
  • Electric shears operate on rechargeable batteries, so they can be used freely, regardless of the presence of an electrical network.

Due to its multitasking ability, after carrying out repair tasks, the tool can be used at home for a number of other purposes. In addition, electric scissors have replaceable attachments, which can be easily replaced if necessary.