Starting a large-scale cosmetic or even major renovation with a complete change of the interior, the owners often want to bring to life many interior design ideas. One of them may be the transformation of an ordinary rectangular doorway into an arched doorway. If you figure out how to make a drywall arch, then it is quite possible to carry out its installation yourself.

The arch can affect the structure of the entire interior design solution, and an additional decorative overlay of a certain style will set the design of the entire room.

Having studied the detailed instructions for installing the arch, having prepared all the necessary materials and tools, it is quite possible to make an arch from a rectangular doorway in literally one day.

It should be noted that an arch made using the same technology can transform not only a doorway, but also wider passages that divide large rooms into zones.

Materials and tools for the manufacture and installation of the arch

In order to bring a bored doorway to a new state and get a neat aesthetic arch, it is necessary to prepare the following materials:

• Gypsum plasterboard sheet 9 ÷ 12 mm thick.

• Galvanized metal profile or wooden beam for the manufacture of the frame.
• Perforated metal corner for strengthening the joints of drywall planes. Fiberglass mesh is also fine for this process.

• Self-tapping screws for fastening drywall and perforated corners to metal profiles.
• Plaster based putty - coarse (starting) and finishing.

To carry out the installation, the following tools must be available:

• Electric jigsaw and drill.
• Ruler, construction square, tape measure and pencil.
• Grinder or scissors for metal .
• Screwdriver.
• Construction knife.
• Roller with metal spikes.
• Flexible plank that will help create an even arch shape.
• Spatula and trowel for working with putty.
• Sponge, water container, thick soft cloth (you can use an old terry towel).

Prices for drywall and sheet materials

Drywall and sheet materials

Taking measurements and preparing structural elements

• Before starting the manufacture of arched elements, it is necessary to measure the opening where the arch will be mounted. Its width and the required vertical distance are measured, from the top down, on the side walls of the opening. How much the arch will be rounded will depend on these parameters.

In addition, it is necessary, starting from the thickness of the drywall, to determine the depth of its installation, since it must be fixed at the same level with the plane of the wall - it must be drowned deep into the doorway.

• From the corners of the doorway, you need to retreat inward to a distance that will be equal to the thickness of the drywall and make the appropriate markings by drawing the installation lines for the frame profiles.
• According to the obtained parameters of the size of the opening, using a grinder or metal scissors, sections of a metal profile are cut - two for fixing horizontally and four for fixing on the side walls of the doorway. They are installed along the previously marked lines, leaving space for drywall.

• If the walls of the opening are lined with bricks or erected of concrete, holes are drilled into them with a drill (perforator) directly through the metal profile in the wall, into which plastic dowels are hammered, into which the fastening screws will be screwed.

On this structural element - a frame, plasterboard parts will be attached.

• The next step is, according to the previously obtained dimensions, two panels of drywall are marked and cut out. They must fit exactly into the doorway between the walls.
• Further, on these panels it is necessary to draw and then cut out two arched parts from them. In this case, you need to act very accurately, since by making the wrong marking of the arc, you can easily get an ugly arch skewed to the side.
• Curvilinear "trajectory" cut, that is, the arcuate part of the arch itself can be marked in different ways, and they are all equally accessible.

The first way

The markup is carried out as follows:

- First, the panel is laid on a flat horizontal surface.

- Then, along the upper horizontal and on both vertical sides, the thickness of the metal profile, already fixed in the opening on the walls, is marked. Usually it is 50 mm. Along these points, straight lines are drawn parallel to the edges of the panel;

- To draw a semicircle, a pencil and a piece of inelastic cord are taken, which is tied to the pencil so that it rotates freely in this loop.

Homemade "compass" applies the necessary arc of the arch

A self-tapping screw is screwed in the center of the circle. Then a cord is attached to it, so that the sharpened pencil lead falls on the point of intersection of the previously drawn lines parallel to the left and right edges with the bottom edge of the panel. It turns out a kind of compass, capable of drawing circles of the required diameter in this case.

The markup can be transferred to the second panel by simply copying from the first.

Second way

For the second method of marking the line of the arched arc, you will need a flexible plastic strip, a pencil and two pairs of hands.

- First you need to determine what height the curved part of the arc will have at the highest point. To do this, the bar is applied to the door opening between the profiles fixed on it. One end of the bar must be attached to the bottom edge of the profile, fixed on the side left wall of the opening, its highest point on the bend should touch the midpoint of the horizontally fixed profile, and the third point of contact of the bar will be bottom edge of the profile on the right wall.

- At the last point of contact with the profile, a mark is made on the bar - it will determine the length of the same arc that will determine the curved section to be cut.

- Further, the same is done on the drywall panel, where, as in the first version, 50 mm are already marked along the edges. One of the masters holds the bar so as to combine its beginning and the mark made with the lines, and the second draws the border of the arched semicircle along it.

- Then, the marked area is cut with a jigsaw.

The third option

The third option is a template of an arched section made on hard cardboard according to the dimensions taken from the door. It can also be marked using a homemade "compass" from a cord and a pencil.

- The finished template is placed on a drywall panel, its outline is outlined with a pencil, and then the removed part is cut out with a jigsaw.

- The template will not allow you to make a mistake and the semicircle will be perfectly flat.

The next step is to prepare a metal profile for the curved frame parts, onto which the lower part of the cut drywall panels will be fixed. To cut off the desired length of the section of the profile, you can use the same flexible strip on which the mark is made for the length of the arc that forms the arched vault.

You need to prepare two such profile segments. Then, cuts are made on them with the help of metal scissors or a grinder, thanks to which it will be easy to bend the profile into an arc with the desired bending radius.

It should be especially noted that if the arch will have a small thickness, then sometimes one wide metal profile with made on it notches to secure on it two panels on both sides. The profile must be recessed inside the arch to the thickness of the drywall used, since later the lower arch bar will be attached precisely to this curvilinear part of the frame.

The rest of the elements will be in the course of the installation work - usually there are no special difficulties with them.

Installation of the arch frame

Galvanized profile metal frame

• The installation of the arch begins with the installation of plasterboard elements with cut semicircles that fixed in the doorway on metal profiles screwed into it.

To fix drywall, special screws and a screwdriver are used.

These elements are fixed on both sides of the doorway.

• Further, from the inside of the cut-out arched opening, an incised and bent metal profile is screwed on. When carrying out work, it is necessary to hold the profile with one hand, pressing it exactly in the shape of the arch.

This part is screwed first to one side, and then to the other.

• The frame will not have the proper rigidity and completeness of the structure if it is not installed between the metal arched elements of the perpendicular sections of the profile. They will tie the plasterboard walls of the arch together. These lintels are installed in several places in the arched structure.

To fix the jumpers to the profile, self-tapping screws with wide heads and a sharper nose are used.

Installation of a wooden frame arch

If the manufacture of a frame from a metal profile seemed too complicated a process, then you can mount it from wood.

• To do this, you need to prepare bars measuring 20 × 20 mm - to attach to drywall, and 30 × 30 mm - to attach to opening walls.
• Further, an arch is marked on drywall, cut out, and then wooden bars with ends located along a bow circle are screwed onto the inner surface of the element.

• A free space of 30 mm is left along the edges of the part, which will be occupied by the bars installed in the doorway.
• The walls of the doorway are marked in the same way as when fastening a metal profile, only instead of it, bars of 30 × 30 mm are fixed along the markings
• Then, the prepared arched panel is applied to its "regular place" and screwed into the opening, to the wooden bars installed in it.

You can do it differently - fix the bars to the edges of the drywall, and then screw the finished stasis panel to the wall. But in this case, it will not be very convenient to work, especially when the second panel with an arch is fixed, since it will be difficult to climb between the two arched elements with a hand with a screwdriver.

Cable routing

Before proceeding to the manufacture and installation of the lower part of the arch, an electric cable is drawn if there is a backlight in the opening.

The contact ends of the cable are fixed to the metal profile at approximately the place where the electric spotlights are to be installed. It is best if the cable is enclosed in a plastic corrugated pipe - to avoid accidental damage to the insulation on the sharp edges of the galvanized profiles.

When the prepared bottom strip of drywall is installed, it will perfectly cover all the unsightly wires.

Manufacturing and installation of the lower plasterboard arch panel

When the frame and frontal parts of the arch are installed, you can proceed to making the bottom strip, which will cover the entire unsightly look of the frame.

First, the total length of the arched bend of the arch and the width of the distance between the installed arched frame parts are measured with a tape measure.

The dimensions are transferred to drywall, and a rectangular strip of the required dimensions is cut out of it.

Further, the plasterboard strip needs to be bent into an arch, however, the material is hard and fragile, so it can be easily broken, damaging the part. In order for the process NS went smoothly, you can use two methods to bend this material:

1. The prepared part is marked along its entire length into transverse strips 50 mm wide.

• Further, along the marked lines, cuts are made, approximately half the depth of the drywall.
• The piece is then gently bent and immediately, without delay, screwed to the metal profile that is inside the arched structure.

Video: a simple plasterboard arch

2. The second method of bending drywall, in principle, is even simpler than the first, but it will take a little longer, since you have to wait for the material to take the desired shape.

First, a needle roller is passed with effort over the plasterboard strip, which pierces the top layer of cardboard with its sharp spikes.

If there is no such roller in the master's arsenal, you can use a sharp construction knife - with the help of it, cuts are made on the surface of the drywall with a size of 20 ÷ 30 mm, at a distance of 15 ÷ 20 mm from each other, both in length and in width.

In the next step, the panel, from the side of the punctures, must be moistened with a sponge with water and leaned against the wall, installing the long side vertically.

After about 15 ÷ 20 minutes you will see the first results - the panel will begin to bend under its own weight. Then the part is wetted again and left for another 40 minutes.

It is possible, especially for the perfect bend of the arch, to knock down a structure from three boards with the letter P (a kind of conductor) with the dimensions of the place of the doorway where the arch will be installed. Then turn it over, placing it on the horizontal part.

Further, in the same way, having moistened the plasterboard part with water, it is laid on the legs of an inverted letter P, moistened side up. After 20 minutes, its middle will begin to sag inside the structure. Then, it is moistened again and left for 40 ÷ 60 minutes for complete subsidence to the horizontal lintel of the structure.

By the way, a similar method of bending a plasterboard strip sometimes allows you to make an arch without a frame at all, as shown in the attached video:

Video : giving bending drywall arch

Still wet drywall on a metal profile with self-tapping screws, which are screwed in at a distance of no more than 100 mm from each other.

The next step is to cut holes in the designated places on this part of the arch, into which, after finishing, it will be possible to install spotlights (if their installation is provided).

Having made the holes, you need to pull the cables inside the structure to them, but they should not be completely pulled out of the holes, since the protruding ends of the wires will interfere with the finishing.

Arch finishing

Having completed the installation of the frame and cladding, you can proceed to finishing the arch with putty. Only by closing the seams and grooves from the heads of the self-tapping screws with a putty mixture and leveling it, you can get a neat arch.

The filling process is carried out in three stages:

- the first layer evens out deep flaws;

- the second - displays the even shape of the arch;

- the third finishing layer, and with its help the ideal surface smoothness is achieved.

• However, before taking on the putty, it is recommended to strengthen the corners of the arched openingspecial perforated corner, which easily takes any curvilinear shape.

Fiberglass mesh can be used instead of corners, but it will not give as clear, even and reinforced edge as a corner can. Installation of the corner is carried out using self-tapping screws, which are screwed in at a distance of 150 ÷ ​​200 mm from each other.

• Next, you can go to work with.

For work with drywall, an acrylic or gypsum-based putty is used, intended for internal work.

The acrylic composition can be purchased in a ready-made pasty form, while the gypsum mixture is sold as a dry construction mixture. Knead it just before use. This is best done using a mixer attachment that attaches to the drill.

You need to know that you cannot immediately knead a large amount of putty, as it sets very quickly, so it must be prepared in small portions. There is always an instruction on the packaging of the building material, which must be carefully studied in order to find out the exact time of the "life" of the prepared composition and the complete drying of the plastered surface.

• The first step is finishing the drywall joints and the main walls of the doorway.

The work is carried out using wide and medium-sized spatulas. One of them is putting putty on the joint, and, as far as possible, smoothed it out, comparing the surfaces of the drywall and the doorway.

• Having sealed the joints between the drywall and the wall in the door opening, you can immediately close the caps of the screws on this part of the structure with putty. When carrying out this process, you need to remember that the surface must be perfectly flat, therefore it is necessary to achieve exactly this effect. For this stage of work, you can use a metal trowel, which will immediately cover a large area.

• The first layer is the deep joints of the drywall with the wall. It is very important here to distribute the putty into all the grooves and chips, since it is necessary to bring the seams to the same level with the wall and the arched structure.

Do not apply too thick layers of material, as the wet putty can quickly separate from the wall surface. It's okay, if necessary, you can put four layers of putty instead of three - they will hold much more reliably than two or three very thick ones.

• Putting putty on all wide joints until it is dry, apply a fiberglass mesh reinforcement on top. This easy-to-use material can be purchased in any desired width, so there will be no problems with strengthening wide gaps.

The desired length of mesh is measured from the spool, and with the help of a spatula, this tape is then pressed into the putty, stretched and leveled.

• An arched bend, finished on both sides with a perforated corner, must also be treated with a layer of putty, comparing the surfaces.

If the joint of two drywall planes on an arched opening is reinforced with a fiberglass mesh, then if necessary, it can be cut in some places, since it should lie perfectly flat on the surface, without waves and folds.

• When all seams have been sealed and reinforced with reinforcing materials, the first layer is left to dry.
• After it dries on the surfaces, it is necessary to walk with medium-grit sandpaper to level the dried putty. By doing this, you need to try to "knock down" all the sharp protrusions so that they do not interfere with further work. But, at the same time, the structure must be processed extremely carefully so as not to expose the reinforcing elements.

Aligned joints must be well cleaned of dust with a damp sponge.

• Next, you can move on to the second thin layer of finishing putty, which should cover and level all surfaces.
• After it dries, the entire structure is cleaned with fine sandpaper (with a grain of about 220).

Before applying the third layer, it is necessary to take again measures to clean all joints and smooth surfaces from putty dust.

The finishing layer should make the arch "clean"

• The top coat should give the finish a smooth finish. The putty is applied in a very thin layer, in which case a ready-made paste-like material made on an acrylic base is best suited.

In the process of work, it is necessary to smooth out all traces left by a spatula.

• When finished, the structure is left to dry for at least 8-12 hours. The level of dryness of the material can be determined by its color - it should lighten to pure white.
• Further, there is a grinding process, and it is better to carry out it with a special grinding machine, on which fine-grained sandpaper (grain 280 ÷ 400) is fixed, and then a soft polishing cloth.

Sanding is carried out until the surface is perfectly smooth.

• After the arch is sanded, you can paint it if it was planned. After painting, special built-in ones are installed in the doorway

Making and installing an arch is not such a difficult process. The main thing is to figure out the little things, how each stage of work goes, and having understood the nuances in the session, you can purchase materials and get down to business.

Prices for popular types of putty

Putties

And for those who have already got their hands on, you can offer a more difficult task:

Video: monumental arch with columns

To transform your interior and add some zest to it, you can make a drywall arch. This design inspires respect and makes you think, because it seems that it is simply impossible to do it on your own. But all fears and experiences are completely unfounded. If there is a desire, then using the step-by-step instructions that will be given below, it will be possible in an apartment or house. And also figure out which of the materials will be preferable in each case.

First of all, you need to understand what such a construction is. An arch is one of the elements in architecture that is characterized by curvature. The place of creation are through or blind openings and spans. For greater effect, it can be supplemented with various decorative elements.

There are different types of arches:

• Classic - characterized by a smooth shape. Has an equilateral rounding.
• Half arch has only one rounded corner. It is a modern solution for newfangled trends in the interior.
• A trapezoid is a complex shape made of curved lines.

Of course, there are many more species (see photo).

It will be better if a template is made before starting work. It is very easy to make it from ordinary cardboard or fiberboard. So, you can immediately understand how the object will look, which rounding is preferable.

Working with wood requires the most attention. In this case, no error should be allowed. Various species are suitable for production, but pine is most often used, as a fairly durable and cheap material.

Need to know! Before working with wood, you need to make sure that it is well dried. Otherwise, no instruction will help, drying and warping will begin. It will be impossible to correct the situation.

Not everyone likes pine as a finishing material, but it's easy to fix. For finishing work, you can use valuable wood species (oak, beech, mahogany) or cheaper veneer.

Manufacturing process

In general, any work with natural wood, if there is no experience, should be entrusted to specialists. When creating an interior opening in a house or apartment, you need to proceed from real possibilities.

There are several design options for this material:

1. Typesetting
   The arched opening is made by assembling different fragments (small parts). That is, by pressing, rounded elements are created, which are then connected together (gluing, twisting). This is a rather painstaking process that requires many tools. Allows to avoid deformations.

   Making a type-setting arch from wood

2. One-piece constructions
   They are literally made from a single piece of wood (timber). Hardwood is preferred. Often, such a structure acts as an "internal" frame, which is subjected to external processing.



Mounting

To install an arched structure, you must adhere to the following rules:

• The installation site is carefully prepared, all unnecessary is removed, the surface is putty.
• Prepare in advance the necessary tool - in each case, individual.
• Mounting takes place in several stages:
  a supporting frame is created;
  the elements are laid and connected;
  external cladding is made.
• After that, they start finishing: they are covered with varnish or paint.
• Deficiencies lead to the formation of empty spaces - they are putty or foamed, but this will be an obvious drawback.

This option will be preferable if you want wood to serve as a material, but there is no way to use natural wood. In addition, a do-it-yourself plywood arch is quite simple to do.

Preparation

1. A detailed sketch is created. For this, all the necessary measurements of the opening are carried out. This allows you to create a visual project, and immediately calculate the required materials and accessories.
2. The installation site is also prepared. All unnecessary is removed in advance, if necessary, trimmed.
3. Prepare the tool:
   hacksaw or jigsaw with files;
   drill and screwdriver;
   sandpaper and a bar;
   finishing tool.

You need to understand that plywood is a rather unique material. With it, you can create great designs, it is strong and has increased flexibility.

The first way to use plywood

The technology is as follows:

• Measure the opening. Immediately note how large the arc should be.
• A strip is cut from a sheet of plywood, the edges are well processed.
• This fragment is slightly moisturized, waiting for a while.
• Now this material will take almost any shape.
• The strip is bent and immediately inserted into the desired opening - they are fixed, do not forget to install spacers at the corners.

You need to wait until the plywood is completely dry. At this time, it will finally take the form of an arc. Further, they act in two ways:

1. Inserts are made of wooden beams. The surface is sheathed with plasterboard.
2. Apply polyurethane foam. Open areas just foam. After complete drying, the protruding areas of the swollen material are removed. In order for the plywood arch to take on a decorative look, the surface is completely putty and covered with paint or varnish.

The second way is more complicated

It will be similar to working with GCR. Is as follows:

• The distance between opposite sides of the opening is measured. The required arch height is measured.
• All this is transferred to the plywood sheet. It should be of such a size that it grabs the walls by another 10-15 centimeters - two sheets of such will be needed.
• An arc is drawn along three points.
• With the help of a jigsaw, the unnecessary is cut out. The first sheet is used as a stencil for the second. The operation is repeated.
• Both segments are installed in a stationary place. They are fixed - jumpers are made between them. The main thing is to install them correctly. In this case, the thickness of the material from which the arc will be made is measured. That is, if the thickness is 6 mm, then the jumpers should be installed from the edge of the arc at the same distance (+ 1-2 mm).
• Choose a material for the arc (gypsum board or plywood) - bend it and install it.
• Finishing work is being carried out.

There is another way to create an arch from plywood, but it takes time and tools. Its essence lies in the fact that the inner filling of the arch is made of cut plywood fragments. Namely, filling takes place like a sandwich. But this method allows you to adjust the immersion depth of each subsequent arc. Thus, it is possible to create a wavy (relief) structure.

Drywall arch

How to make a drywall arch with your own hands? This is not difficult. This material is somewhat reminiscent of plywood, but it is easier to work with and significantly cheaper.

It's great when you manage to combine several construction works at once: the construction of walls and the creation of an arch from drywall. Then you can carry out the installation with the least finishing work.

There are two ways to use drywall, but it all starts with the preparatory work:

• It is necessary to ensure that the work site is freed from everything unnecessary (door frames, platbands, decorative elements).
• If there are cracks, chips, then they are repaired. Yes, the design of the arch will hide everything, but it is better to avoid unpleasant consequences.
• The necessary tool is being prepared.
• A preliminary project is being created.

Method one - on a metal frame

This is a very fast and quite popular method that allows you to make a drywall arch in your house or apartment.

A wooden frame is made according to a similar principle. Only there, more attention should be paid to the jumpers, on which the arc will be attached.

To better understand how to make an interior drywall arch, watch this video:

The second way is typesetting

More complex option. The principle is as follows:

• From the corner of the opening, on both sides, they begin to fix the sections of the gypsum board. To do this, mix PVA and water.
• Each next piece is smaller than the previous one.
• So, until the smallest segment is fixed.
• Additionally, they are strengthened with self-tapping screws, anchors.

The hardest part comes. Namely - with the help of the putty mixture, a smooth arc is formed. It is not so easy, it is better to prepare templates in advance.

As you can see, there are many ways, you can use different materials and technologies. Not all of them are suitable for work that you can do yourself. But if there is a desire, then adherence to certain rules will create an excellent design.

Today, even an ordinary Khrushchev can become very beautiful inside, without the need to demolish walls or lay out new ones.

Drywall will help to replace complex construction work and eliminate the formation of dust. It is inexpensive, easy to operate and install, and is also considered the most demanded material. With its help, surfaces are leveled, drywall is used to make partitions, partitions, and you can also create door arches. It is about drywall door arches that will be discussed in the article, and a guide will also be presented on how to make a drywall arch with your own hands.

Arch selection

The first thing you need to stop at is the arched opening and its appearance. Arches are different, there is a complex design, there is a simpler one, some use a shelf for things, others do not. Among the common and often used, drywall arches are distinguished, which are presented in the table:

Arch type:	Description:
Classic:	A plasterboard arch is made symmetrically, domed.
Asymmetrical arch:	The arch is created with an offset center. This method of creation is simple and economical, does not require much effort and can be suitable for any room and interior.
Gothic:	For this arch, the highest point is obtained by connecting the planes at an angle with a slight slope.
Openwork:	The arch differs from other types, since it has niches, through holes that run along the line of the door opening.
Multilevel:	In this case, the arch can be of any shape, as a rule, such arches are unusual, but to create it, you need good imagination and the ability to work with drywall.
Segment:	An arch in which there is a shelf, a niche and other places where various objects are placed. The option is suitable for any room design.
Romance:	A very practical version of the arch, ideal for combining a balcony and a room, the kitchen is often decorated with this type of drywall arch.
Portal:	The simplest and cheapest arch is designed in the form of the letter "P".
Semi-arch:	A stylish design option, the arch is made into a quarter circle, but you can also round a small part of the opening if it is wide.

Anyone can make an arch in an apartment with their own hands from drywall, while any shape of the arch is used, depending on the taste, how the installation is carried out correctly, will be presented step by step below.

Materials and inventory

In order not to waste time during the repair, it is necessary to immediately prepare the materials and the necessary equipment, only then it will be possible to build an arch from drywall. To create an arch you need:

• Several sheets of drywall, depending on the size of the arched opening and the chosen shape. It is recommended to use drywall sheets 6.5 mm thick when building arches. Such material is ideal if the opening is curly, like most arches, it will be easier to work with it.
• Several metal profiles to create a frame.

• Dowel.
• Self-tapping screws for metal, of different lengths, in the process of creating an arch, it will be necessary to use self-tapping screws 3.5x25 mm, as well as 4.2x13 mm.
• Metal shears for profile cutting.
• Pliers.
• Stationery knife for cutting drywall.
• A drill and screwdriver, depending on what the wall is made of, a puncher may be required.
• Needle roller.
• Level, tape measure and marker, pencil.
• Serpyanka.
• Spatulas of various sizes and plaster putty.
• Sandpaper of different grain sizes.
• Perforated corners to shape the corners of the arch.
• Primer and finishing materials.

Important! Before you start creating a drywall arch, it is recommended to dodrawingthe arch itself, as well as cookprojectrooms tointerroomthe arched opening has merged aesthetically into the overall design.

How to bend drywall for an arch in a doorway (video)

Preparatory work

Before starting the construction of the arch, it is necessary to prepare the doorway where the installation will be carried out. Initially, you need to remove the door and the door frame, this allows you to slightly make the opening larger in size, which is important, because the arch will always visually make less height. After removing the box, you need to remove everything, clean it from dirt and dust and the remnants of building materials.

The classic design of arches with an oval outline is often used. This design consists of three pieces of plasterboard material:

1. 2 parts of a plasterboard sheet are the same in shape, they are also side parts.
2. 1 piece of drywall will be curved.

To create the side two parts, you need to mark the drywall:

1. Using a tape measure, the size of the opening width is taken off and the radius and angle of the arch are determined.
2. Further, it is necessary to use a nylon thread, in length, which will be the same as the radius of the future arch.
3. A pair of loops is made on the thread, into one of which you need to insert an awl, and into the second a pencil.
4. Next, you need to stick the awl into the gypsum board, evenly pull the thread and draw an arc with a pencil.
5. When the size of the radius is transferred, you will need to cut one side part with a jigsaw or a clerical knife.
6. The finished drywall arch is applied to another sheet of drywall, and a new drawing is drawn along its contours, after which the procedure is repeated, cutting out the second drywall arch.

This completes the preparation, the room is cleaned and you can begin to install the frame for the future arch.

Arch frame installation

The frame is the basis of the entire arch and reliability must be taken care of immediately, during construction. The diagram below will allow you to correctly make a frame from a profile:

1. Initially, at the top of the doorway, you will need to attach a dowel with guide strips made of metal profiles. By analogy with the profile, they are mounted on the wall itself. Such parts should be installed on both sides of the arched opening, starting from the top point and ending with the end of the rounding.
2. Next, using a regular metal profile, you need to create an arc. This is not difficult to do, you just need to create cuts on the profile with metal scissors, with a distance of 5-10 cm from the size. After that, bend the profile, for maximum accuracy of the finished structure, for the template, you can use a ready-made plasterboard sheet, which is cut along an arc.
3. When it was possible to bend the profile, it must be installed in the opening strips, for this, the arc is fixed to the vertical parts with dowels. For a drywall arch, you will need to bend 2 profiles, to which a prepared drywall arch will later be attached.
4. For the reliability of the arch frame, it is recommended to fill the space between the arches. This is done using the same profile that is inserted between a pair of arcs, but you can use a block of wood and insert between them.
5. When the frame is ready and fixed, two pieces of drywall are attached to it, they are installed on the side using self-tapping screws. The distance between the self-tapping screws should be about 10 cm.

The next step is to install and fold the plasterboard at the bottom, as well as finish the arch.

Arch installation

Important! In order for the door arch to have the correct radius of the lower part, you will need to cut an even strip of drywall that will fit the length and width of the arch. In this case, it is recommended to use a flexible meter for accurate measurement. In addition to the drywall strip, add 10 cm.

To make drywall flexible, you need to use a little water. The lower part of the cut drywall strip is moistened with water, after which it is drawn along the sheet with a needle roller and the material can be left to dry for a short time. Further, the plasterboard strip is gently applied to the arch and bent in shape, the sheet must be fixed with tape or masking tape and left in this position until completely dry. It should be remembered that for the arch, the lower part of the drywall should not be very much wetted with water, otherwise the material will soften and crack.

When the drywall is barely wet, it can be screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws on both sides. The beginning of the installation is carried out from the middle of the arched opening and is fastened to the edges. After 12 hours, the drywall will dry completely and you can move on to the next steps.

There is another option, how to bend a rectangular drywall, for this, cardboard cuts are made on one side, after which the material is applied to the arch and gently bent and fixed with self-tapping screws. This method can not always be used, but only if you need to make a small corner, the radius of the arch. The step-by-step process will be as follows:

1. Drywall is cut to almost the entire depth on one side.
2. A breakdown of drywall is carried out along the cuts made, the main thing is that the gypsum remains adhered to the cardboard and the paper is not damaged.
3. Further, the slots must be immediately putty, and in addition, each incision is recommended to be closed with a serpentine.
4. The finished part is installed in the arch and attached to the frame. It is important here not to tighten the screws at the edges so that the drywall arch does not lose its shape and does not deform. The screws themselves need to be sunk in drywall.
5. Each putty area will need to be smoothed with sandpaper, using the initially coarser grain, and then moving on to fine grain, so that in the end there is a perfect, smooth surface.

The installation of the plasterboard arch is completed and only the finishing and cladding remain. After installing the arch, you should get a structure similar to the one in the photo:

Final work

The frame cladding is completed and you need to proceed to the final stages of the construction of the drywall arch. The step-by-step instructions for the final stage will be as follows:

1. Initially, drywall on the arch must be processed by cleaning its corners and edges with sandpaper, if there are large defects, you can carefully cut the sides with a knife. Due to this action, all irregularities and defects will be eliminated, the protrusions will be rounded and beautiful.
2. Next, you need to plaster the surface. Initially, you will need to buy a putty for the seams and with its help close up all the assembly joints, while you need to remember about using a serpyanka on the seams, so that cracks do not form in the future.
3. The joints are sealed and it is necessary to seal the holes for the self-tapping screws using the same putty.
4. Before you putty the entire drywall arch, you need to install perforated corners, it is better to use plastic corners. With their help, it will turn out to achieve even corners that will keep their shape. The installation of the corners is carried out on a putty material, after which, by analogy, they are closed with a putty.

1. The putty itself must be diluted as the instructions for it say; it is recommended to use an acrylic composition for drywall.
2. The putty is applied over the entire arch, not in a very thick layer. After that, the structure is left for several hours to dry. When the surface is white it is a sign that the putty is dry. The surface of the arch must be sanded with sandpaper in order to remove irregularities and defects.
3. Next, you need to re-putty the surface of the arch and also give time to dry, and then walk with sandpaper.
4. After removing dust and dirt, a layer of primer is applied, the drywall arch is left to dry.
5. Now the last layer of putty is applied, and when it dries, you just need to sand the surface and remove the dust.

This completes the installation and processing of the drywall arch and all that remains is to decorate the surface.

Decorating an interior arch

Making an arch from drywall with your hands is not the end, because you need to refine the structures and give it a look, based on what design the apartment was made in or repairs in a separate room, corridor. Decorating should not only be original and beautiful, it is also important that the arch remains practical.

Indeed, from time to time, a drywall arch will come into contact with human hands, possibly legs, as well as objects that will be transferred. Due to this, the decoration of the arch can be damaged or dirty, and the decoration must be approached carefully. A device such as a drywall arch can be decorated with the following type of materials:

1. Glue the wallpaper. This decoration method is often used to decorate an arched opening and the method is standard. Due to the large selection of wallpapers with different textures, colors or patterns, such a design can be very original, effective and individual. If we talk about practicality, then it will depend on the material from which the wallpaper is made. For example, for drywall arches, non-woven vinyl is best suited. They are of high quality and will last for a long time on the arch, they can also be washed. Perfect if the arch opens into a large hall or the arch often connects the bedroom and the corridor. It will be easiest to arrange a rectangular or square arched opening.
2. Coloring. In this case, it is better to use water-based paint, this option for decorating drywall arches is also often used and is considered a very practical choice, because if necessary, you can paint the surface many times. It is worth noting that a lot of paint will not be needed for drywall arches, so when buying it it is better to choose a more expensive, but high-quality one. The cost of the material will pay off, but the arch will be more beautiful, more reliable, more practical. The paint can be used on any arch, if it is oblique, with a figured arch or with niches. In addition, after staining, you can make a drawing or painting along the arch, but in this case, you need not only imagination, but also artistic skill.
3. Fabric upholstery. Sheathing an arch with a cloth is not very practical, but beautiful, noble and unusual. In this case, the fabric for the arches can be any, but the decoration method must be selected for a specific interior and depending on the size of the drywall arch.
4. Stone decoration. An arched plasterboard opening in the corridor or in the kitchen is often decorated with stone. This method is very reliable and beautiful, however, the price of the stone will be high, and the decoration process becomes more complicated. But the lifespan of the stone is not limited.

Each person chooses the design of the arches individually, based on various factors.

Complex arches

Not always a partition, a drywall arch is made of a simple form. In some cases, additional niches in the arch are used, which are also made of drywall, because not everyone will be satisfied with the oval in the arch. If shelves or niches in the arch are used, then the lighting in them is very effectively combined.

Initially, when making a drywall arch, you should decide on the size, as well as the location of the structure. Marking is carried out according to the conditions in the apartment. Once the arch has been identified, the installation of the complex plasterboard structure can begin.

Using a level, it is necessary to make a line on the wall, which will serve as part of the drywall arch. Further, a profile is installed along the marked line, and the second is mounted at the top of the arched opening. On the finished profiles, which will have the shape of the letter "G", it is necessary to fasten a sheet of drywall, which is cut out beforehand. On drywall, you can make any shape or drawing using a pencil and a jigsaw or knife.

A pair of identical parts should be cut out of a drywall sheet, and then screwed to the frame, the thickness of which can be different, each person himself sets the thickness of the arch using a profile. In fact, complex plasterboard structures are created according to the scheme described above, but the complexity can only be in the lines, for which it takes more time to cut. If it is not clear how to make a complex drywall arch, then you should look at the video, a master class on creating complex drywall partitions.

The creation of arches or partitions from drywall allows you to add zest to any apartment. It is not difficult to work with drywall, the cost of material, including drywall, is low, therefore it is beneficial to use funds for the construction of arches in the house.

Photo gallery of finished works

03.09.2016 27931

Installing an arch in a house can pursue several goals: to make the interior original and distinctive, or to visually increase the space. The absence of door leaves and space for opening them allows rational use of the area of ​​a compact apartment.

So that you do not have to use the expensive services of professional builders, you can make an arch in the doorway yourself. And this article will come to the rescue! In it, we examined the main questions that beginners have: what types of arches are, what materials they are made of. Also here are step-by-step instructions for the work performed, advice from specialists - all the subtleties of the process of making arches.

In which rooms can you make an arch?

Door arches will decorate the interior, made in any style, because there is a wide variety of them. First of all, they differ in the shape of the opening:

• classic, representing a regular semicircle;
• made in the style of "modern", elliptical configuration;
• in the style of "romantic", which are complex combinations of rounded shapes and straight lines;
• pointed upwards, made in the Gothic style, etc.

Arches can be installed in almost all types of premises. The only exceptions are rooms intended for privacy, such as a bedroom, study or bathroom.

There are different opinions about installing an arch in the kitchen. cause discomfort: the spread of kitchen odors throughout the apartment, the noise from making early breakfasts while the rest of the family are sleeping, etc. But, if there is a powerful hood and the kitchen does not go out into the living quarters, but, for example, into the corridor or dining room, it can be installed.

Materials (edit)

There are a large number of materials that can be made from. Usually, drywall, plastic or wood is used for these purposes.

With the help of concrete or bricks, you can also design a doorway in an interesting and original way. But in order to make a brick arch with your own hands, you need skills in the construction business - a beginner cannot do this work. Also, this process is laborious and time-consuming, which not everyone can afford.

In the article we will look at how to make drywall (gypsum board). This material is available and inexpensive, the technology for working with it does not provide for the use of special tools and will not be difficult even for a beginner.

How to make a drywall arch?

You can buy drywall arches, especially since there is a huge selection of them on sale. But it is difficult to find a product that perfectly matches the doorway, so try to make it yourself.

Despite the fact that the gypsum plasterboard makes it possible to construct structures of the most intricate configurations, we will dwell in detail on the simplest and most common option: a semicircular interior arch.

The manufacturing process consists of the following stages:

• preparation of tools and materials;
• measurements and, if necessary, preparation of the doorway;
• manufacturing of the front parts of the structure;
• frame installation;
• installation of an arch;
• final work.

Let's consider each of the stages separately.

Materials (edit)

We need the following materials to make the arch:

• drywall;
• metal profiles for the construction of the frame;
• fasteners;
• perforated;
• plasterboard putty.

When choosing drywall, pay attention to the fact that material of different thicknesses will be needed for different parts of the structure. For the front surface, it is better to choose sheets with a greater thickness in order to ensure the strength of the structure. For the bottom edge, it is better to get a thin gypsum board, which is easier to bend.

Select fasteners depending on the material of the walls in the room. Purchase self-tapping screws for wooden walls. If the construction is planned for, it is better to choose dowels. They are also suitable for plaster and concrete walls.

Measurements and preparation of the doorway

Before measuring the doorway, you need to prepare it: dismantle the doors, slopes and platbands, if necessary, clean and level its inner surface using plastering on beacons or putty. Then, using a tape measure, determine the height and width of the opening.

Advice! Arches are not recommended if the height of the opening is less than 2 m, and the ceilings are below 2.5 m.Also keep in mind that the arch for the doorway will reduce its height by 10-15 cm.

Making the front parts of the arch

Let's consider how to make the front parts of the arch. These details must be drawn on a drywall sheet and cut out. When performing this work, pay attention to the fact that both parts must be exactly the same, and the semicircle of the arch must have the correct shape.

One of the popular and available markup methods is as follows:

1. The width of the doorway must be divided in half - this way we get the radius of the semicircle.
2. We mark a rectangle on a drywall sheet: its width should correspond to the width of the doorway, and its height should correspond to half the width of the doorway + 10-15 cm.Example: if the width of the opening is 1 m, then the rectangle should be 60-65 cm high. Added 10- 15 cm is the distance from the top of the doorway to the top of the future arch. This distance is not recommended to be less than 10 cm.
3. Now let's mark the vault of the future arch. On the underside of the drawn rectangle, mark the middle and, using various devices, draw an even semicircle with a radius equal to half the width of the doorway (in our case, 50 cm). This can be done using a homemade compass, using a rope (thread) and a simple pencil (chalk).
4. We cut out the resulting workpiece. To do this, you can use a clerical knife, a special knife for cutting drywall or a jigsaw.
5. To make both parts exactly the same, the first is used in the markup of the second.

To mark a circle, it is not always convenient to use a homemade compass - often when using it, the lines turn out to be uneven and asymmetrical. If there is an assistant, use the following method, which will allow you to more accurately and evenly draw a circle. To mark the sheet in this way, you need a strip of flexible but resilient material. You can use a piece of soft skirting board or a strip cut from a PVC panel for this purpose.

From the middle of the lower part of the marked rectangle, a straight line is drawn perpendicularly upward, the length of which is equal to the radius of the circle, and a point is marked there. After that, the flexible strip is applied to the sheet and bent so that it touches the marked point and the lower corners of the drawn rectangle. While one person holds the strip in place, the other draws around it.

For the end (lower) part of the arch, a narrow rectangular strip is marked and cut out, with a width equal to the thickness of the doorway. To determine the length of the strip, multiply the radius of the circle by the number π (3.14). In our case: 50 cm × 3.14 = 157 cm. It is better to cut the strip with a margin, since it is much easier to cut off the protruding extra centimeters than to cut it all over again if there are not enough of them.

Making a frame

To securely install an arch in a doorway, you need a solid frame. Therefore, the next question that we will consider is how to make a frame for an arch. For its manufacture, we use a metal profile.

First, we install the upper parts. To do this, we cut out two guides along the width of the doorway and fix them in the upper part of the slope, parallel to each other. If the doorway is located in a gypsum, brick or concrete wall, then we use dowels to fix the frame elements. Wood screws are suitable for wooden walls.

We proceed to the installation of the side parts. We cut out 4 side parts from the metal profile and fix them in the upper part of the opening parallel to each other. Their length should correspond to the height of the plasterboard blanks. Since the blanks are tapering downwards, be sure to cut off the lower corners of the profile so that they do not protrude beyond the drywall.

Important! When securing the frame, make sure that the front and rear parts are parallel to each other - this will prevent subsequent distortions of the structure.

So that after fixing the plasterboard sheets and a layer of putty, the structure does not protrude from the wall, the frame elements are attached at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from the edge of the opening.

Installation

Installation of a gypsum plasterboard arch consists in fixing drywall blanks to the frame. First, with the help of self-tapping screws for metal, the front parts are screwed on. The distance between adjacent fasteners should be no more than 15 cm. For a snug fit to the profile, the drywall sheets are pre-moistened with a damp cloth, and they begin to be fixed after they become flexible.

There are two main ways to attach the end (bottom) part of the arch. Most often, it is screwed with self-tapping screws with a press washer directly to the front plasterboard parts. Less often, a special frame is built to mount it in the lower part of the structure, but this method is best used if you plan to make an arch from fiberboard with your own hands.

Beginners often have difficulty trying to bend drywall parts. Therefore, let's dwell on the features of working with this material:

• the sheet is moistened with a damp cloth;
• pressing slightly, a needle roller is rolled over it;
• the part is placed at an angle, leaning against the wall;
• when the sheet acquires elasticity and bends under its own weight, it is given the necessary configuration.

Completion of work

After the elements of the arch are fixed, wait 10-12 hours until the drywall is completely dry. The final work on making the arch includes leveling its surface and decorating.

To protect the corners of the arch, align the circle and hide the defects made during manufacturing, you can attach a special perforated corner along the bottom edge.

The surface of the structure is primed, leveled with a putty and sanded with sandpaper. The layer of putty must be sufficient to align the arch elements with the wall. It must be applied to the structure itself, as well as to the seams and joints.

The drywall arch is decorated in different ways: it is pasted over with wallpaper, painted, trimmed with tiles or decorative stone, and covered with decorative plaster.

Conclusion

Making an arch in an apartment with your own hands is simple. The same technology as described above is used for structures made of MDF, fiberboard or plastic.

The main thing is not to be afraid to take on a new field of activity, to apply diligence and imagination! And a do-it-yourself door arch will certainly become a decoration of the house!

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How to make a drywall arch - 5 steps for making an arched doorway

When performing a major overhaul in his apartment, surely every homeowner has a desire to radically change the interior design that has been boring for many years for the better. From my experience, I can say that it is unlikely that it will be possible to radically change the environment with just a banal wallpapering or painting the ceiling and walls.

As an original addition to the visual cosmetic repairs, I propose to completely remove the interior doors, and instead leave an open arched doorway of an asymmetric or classic semicircular shape. To help the reader cope with this simple work, later in this article I will talk about how to make a drywall arch with your own hands in a short time without significant financial costs.

Choosing the shape of an arched opening

Integration of a semicircular or curly arch into an existing doorway does not imply a violation of the integrity of the interior walls, and does not require redevelopment of the apartment, therefore it does not have any effect on the bearing capacity of building structures, and the whole house as a whole.

At the same time, such a solution will allow you to get rid of the annoying rectangular shapes of the doors, help visually increase the useful area of ​​housing, and get an updated visual perception of the surrounding space.

Starting with the next section, step-by-step instructions for making arches will be described here, but first I want to offer a choice of several options for the size and shape of an arch for an interior doorway:

1. A classic symmetrical arch with a semicircular vault is considered a universal option.... It is quite simple to manufacture, and is well suited for the opening of any narrow single-leaf interior door;

1. The arched doorway in the Art Nouveau style has a similar shape, but it has a large arc radius, since it is based not on a circle, but on an oval or ellipse. Due to the low height of the vault, this shape is well suited for wide openings from double doors in the living room, in the hall or in the hallway;
2. Gothic interior drywall arches have the same design, however, differ from the two previous variants by the presence of a sharp apex in an oval or semicircular vault;
3. A semi-arch of irregular asymmetric shape can have almost any configuration of the arch, and is most often used for narrow doorways in the kitchen or in the hallway. This option is considered the most economical, since the least amount of materials is required for its manufacture;

1. The openwork arch is a complex structure, in which, in addition to the entrance itself, there are decorative through or blind openings of small sizes, intended exclusively for decoration. This option is usually installed in a doorway in place of two-leaf or four-leaf entrance doors to the living room or bedroom;
2. The multi-level arch most often has an original author's design, which is developed strictly individually, in accordance with the conceptual style of apartment decoration and the personal preferences of home owners. Most often, this option is distinguished by smooth curved lines and the presence of curly decorative elements that can be located at different levels relative to each other.

When choosing the shape of an arch for self-production, you should be guided not only by your imagination or beautiful pictures from interior design magazines. To get a high-quality end result, for the first time, I advise you to choose an option that matches your practical skills and financial capabilities.

Stage 1. Preparation and marking of the door opening

First of all, you need to draw a preliminary sketch of the doorway on paper or in a computer, on which the shape of the future arch should be clearly drawn. To facilitate further work, in addition to a general sketch, I recommend depicting a projection of the finished arch in three planes, indicating all the required dimensions.

You need to take measurements from a clean doorway in the light, so first you have to do some simple preparatory work:

1. Before you make an arch from plasterboard yourself, you need to completely dismantle the old interior door, along with decorative platbands and a wooden box;

1. If, after removing the platbands and the box, significant potholes, large chips, cracks or other construction defects are found on the end surface of the wall or door slopes, they must be leveled and putty with cement-sand mortar or putty mortar for interior work;
2. If the doorway after the construction of the house has an irregular shape, curved slopes or indirect obstructed internal corners, they also need to be leveled with a cement-sand mortar;

1. After the putty solution has dried, you need to measure the width of the doorway in two places: one measurement is made at the very top, and the second is 500-600 mm lower;
2. At the beginning of the rounding of the arch of the future arch, put a mark on the end of the wall, and measure the distance from it to the horizontal upper plane of the opening. This size will be considered her height;
3. Before making an oblique arch, marks on the right and left sides must be placed at different distances from the top of the opening, because in this case, the height of the arch on the right and left sides will be unequal;
4. On the vertical side ends of the wall, and on the horizontal upper slope, at a distance of 13-14 mm from the edge of the wall, draw two parallel lines on each side. They will serve as marks for installing the metal frame.

All gypsum plasterboards are manufactured according to a single standard, according to which they can have a thickness of 9 mm or 13 mm. For cladding the front planes of the door arch, I advise you to use sheets with a thickness of 13 mm, therefore, all the markings for installing the supporting frame must be performed based on this value.

Stage 2. Installation of the supporting frame

The supporting frame for interior plasterboard construction is usually made of a galvanized metal profile or wooden bars with a cross section of at least 50x50 mm. Considering that our drywall arch will have rounding and radial shapes, a metal profile is best suited for its manufacture, although wooden bars can be dispensed with in straight sections.

For single-leaf doorways with thin interior walls, I recommend using the "CD" -type galvanized frame profile, which has a height of 27 mm, a width of 62 mm, and a whip length of 3000 mm. If the arch will have a width of more than 1500 mm, then for its manufacture it is better to use a more powerful rack-mount profile of the "CW" type, the dimensions of which are 40x75x3000 mm.

1. Regardless of the option chosen, the manufacture of arches must begin with the installation of the upper horizontal guides. To do this, two profiles must be cut from the whole whip, the length of which must be equal to the width of the doorway;

1. Next, you need to cut off four more profiles, the length of which should be equal to the height of the arch. They must be fixed vertically, one on each side of the end of the doorway;
2. Each vertical profile should be fastened from the inside of the drawn vertical marking line. After installation, you need to check that the distance between the front plane of each profile and the frontal plane of the wall is exactly 13-14 mm;
3. For fastening straight profiles to a concrete or brick wall, it is best to use plastic dowels 6x30 mm in size and galvanized self-tapping screws with a wide head measuring 4.2x25 mm;
4. To make a curly arch arch, I advise you to prepare a template in advance... It can be cut from a large sheet of rigid packaging corrugated board, an unnecessary piece of fiberboard, or thin;

1. The width of the template should be equal to the width of the doorway, and the upper part should exactly repeat the semicircle, semi-oval, or other figured configuration of the arch of the future arch;
2. To make the frame of the radius part of the arch with your own hands, you need to take two identical pieces of plasterboard profile. They must be cut off with a small margin in length.(300-500 mm longer than the length of the arc on the template), and after bending and final adjustment, precisely cut to the desired size;
3. The straightness and rigidity of the plasterboard metal profile is ensured by two longitudinal side ribs. In order to bend the lower profiles along the desired radius, and give them the correct arcuate shape, many radial cuts must be made on the side edges to the very base;

1. Profiles with cut side ribs must be bent along a given radius, and then cut to length exactly to the size of the doorway. It is convenient to do this by attaching them to the template, while you need to make sure that both profiles have strictly the same bending configuration;
2. After that, each curved profile must be fixed at two points to the lowest part of the vertical guides that are installed at the end of the doorway;
3. In order to unite the entire frame into a single one-piece structure, the radius profiles can be connected with each other with short transverse bridges. In addition, it is necessary to install several vertical jumpers between the upper horizontal and lower arched profile;
4. Three types of fasteners are used to connect the profiles to each other.: short self-tapping screws for metal with a hat in a secret, steel blind rivets, or a special punching tool that punches a hole in the walls of two profiles, and then wraps the punched metal in different directions.

In building materials stores, you can find a ready-made metal profile for curved plasterboard structures. It is a conventional frame profile with cutouts and notches on the side stiffeners, so that it can easily bend along the desired radius or take any curvilinear shape.
Its price is not much higher than the cost of a straight frame profile, so if there is such an opportunity, it is better to buy such a profile for making a radius vault.

Stage 3. Cutting and preparation of drywall

The appearance and aesthetic properties of the finished arch will largely depend on how well the radius parts of the plasterboard front panels are cut. To cut a symmetrical semicircle, semicircle, or asymmetrical arc, I recommend using one of three methods. Regardless of the method chosen, the first thing to do on a sheet of drywall is to draw a rectangle.

Its width should correspond to the width of the opening, and its height should be equal to the height of the future arch.

1. If we make a symmetrical semicircular drywall arch, then to draw the correct semicircle, you will need to make the simplest improvised compass.

• To do this, you need to find the center of the lower side of the drawn rectangle, and screw a small self-tapping screw at this point;
• Tie a thin nylon thread to the self-tapping screw, and tie a pencil or thin marker to the other end of the thread;
• The distance from the center of the self-tapping screw to the writing unit of the marker should be equal to half the width of the arch minus 14 mm;
• After making sure that the length of the thread strictly corresponds to the calculated size, you must attach a marker to the bottom line on one side of the rectangle;
• After that, pull the thread slightly, and draw the marker in an arc to the bottom line on the other side of the rectangle. As a result, a symmetrical semicircular arch will be drawn on the plasterboard sheet.

1. In order to draw a symmetrical semi-oval or part of an ellipse with a regular shape, it is most convenient to use a flexible elastic guide. This can be a long metal ruler, a thin wooden strip, a narrow plastic profile, or a water pipe:

• On both sides of the drawn rectangle, on the lower side, you need to put marks at a distance of 14 mm from each edge;
• Attach one end of the guide to one mark, bend it along the desired radius, and attach the other end to the other mark;
• In this position, it must be fixed motionlessly, so I recommend doing this work with one, or even better with two assistants;
• While two people are holding the guideline on both sides, the third person should make sure that it describes a symmetrical regular arc and draw a line along it from one edge to the other of the bottom side of the rectangle.

1. For those who are interested in how to make a semi-arch of an arbitrary irregular shape in order to draw an asymmetrical curved line on a sheet of gypsum, I advise you to use the existing template.

• As in the previous case, on the lower side of the drawn rectangle, one mark should be placed at a distance of 14 mm from its edges;
• Attach the arcuate side of the template to the set marks, and draw a curved line along it with a thin marker.

Plasterboard can be cut with a sharp construction knife, but it is best to use an electric jigsaw and a wood saw with a small set of teeth for a neat cut along a radius line. So that the edge of the sheet does not break off, before cutting out any part from drywall, I advise you to stick a wide strip of paper masking tape on the cutting line.

Stage 4. Assembling the arch structure

After both bezels are cut out, you need to align them with each other and check how they match. Ideally, they should be exactly the same., therefore, if there is any discrepancy between them, that is, it is better to eliminate it immediately with a knife, a coarse file or a coarse-grained emery cloth. After aligning the front panels, you can start sewing the supporting frame with drywall.

1. Each front panel must be installed on the same level in its place in the doorway, and fixed along the entire perimeter and in the middle to the metal profile using self-tapping screws, with a step of 100-120 mm;
2. When installing, make sure that the face plane of each panel is flush with the plane of the wall. If the front panel is slightly recessed, then there is nothing to worry about, then it can be leveled with a putty. The main thing is that it does not protrude forward anywhere, beyond the dimensions of the doorway;

1. Further instructions will help to make a curly arch from a strip of drywall, in one of two ways. And in fact, and in another case, first you need to cut off a strip of drywall. Its length must necessarily be 100-200 mm longer than the maximum length of the arch of the arch., and the width should be equal to the distance between the bezels;
2. In the first case, the strip must be laid on a flat surface, with the bottom side up, and rolling with a definite force with a needle roller, so that the needles pierce the top layer of dense cardboard. If there is no such roller, you can evenly apply a lot of small, barely noticeable notches on the lower plane with a sharp knife;
3. The perforated side of the drywall should be moistened abundantly with water using a foam sponge, and lean against a vertical wall at an angle of 50-45 °. Under the action of water, the gypsum filler will begin to soften, and the strip will gradually take on a curved shape;

1. After some time (20-25 minutes), when the water is absorbed, the strip must be carefully placed on the floor, moisten the top layer with water again, then lean against the wall again and leave alone for another 40-60 minutes;
2. After the strip becomes sufficiently plastic, it must be carefully attached with self-tapping screws to the sweep on both sides to the arched metal profiles;
3. You need to start fastening from the middle, and gradually move to the edges, mirroring the screws, then from the right, then from the left side of the arch. In order to prevent the formation of creases and edges, the step between the screws should be no more than 80 mm;
4. The second method makes it easy to bend drywall to dry, but in this case, small chopped edges form on the surface of the strip, which will need to be additionally putty in the future;

1. Before installation, the strip must be laid on a flat hard surface with the front side down, and on the back with a sharp knife, make deep transverse cuts approximately to the middle of the thickness of the drywall;
2. In order to achieve uniform bending, the cuts should be located strictly perpendicular to the centerline of the strip, strictly parallel to each other, and at the same distance between themselves;
3. The finished strip must be attached to the arch with notches upward, and, as in the first case, starting from the middle, fix it to the arcuate profiles using self-tapping screws in the secret.

Despite the fact that the wet method of bending drywall, at first glance, may seem more complicated, I recommend using it, because in this case you immediately get a uniform arc without creases, of the correct rounded shape, which requires almost no further refinement.

Stage 5. Preparation for finishing

Immediately after the do-it-yourself drywall door arch is made, it may seem ridiculous and scary, but do not be upset, because after the completion of the preparatory and finishing work, it will acquire a completely different appearance.

1. First of all, it is necessary to cut off with a sharp knife all the protruding corners and irregularities at the ends of the drywall parts, and then process them with a coarse-grained emery cloth fixed in a special holder or on a flat wooden block;

1. In those places where plasterboard parts fit together at right angles, you need to fix perforated metal or plastic corners on small self-tapping screws. They cover all irregularities and crevices, allow you to get a perfect right angle, and also provide additional strength of the corner joint;
2. At the joints of two adjacent parts that are in the same plane, as well as at the junctions of the front panels with the plane of the main wall, you need to glue a fiberglass reinforcing mesh, which is also called serpyanka;

1. All screws, joints, corners and cracks must be putty in such a way that no reinforcing mesh, no corners, no joints, no fastening screws can be seen on the surface. I recommend using an acrylic drywall finishing putty, which is sold ready-to-use;
2. After the first layer of putty has hardened, the arch must be sanded with medium-grained emery cloth. At this stage, some irregularities or other defects will certainly appear, therefore, after preliminary grinding, it will have to be putty again;
3. After the final drying of the second layer of putty, the surface must be sanded with a finer sandpaper, and after making sure that there are no defects, cover with one layer of a penetrating drywall primer.

If you bend drywall dry, then to eliminate broken edges, the upper curved arch of the arch will need to be covered with a continuous layer of starting plaster for drywall. After drying, it will need to be sanded and covered with another layer of finishing putty on top.

Conclusion

In this article, I fully talked about how to make a drywall arch in a doorway with my own hands, and deliberately did not mention a word about finishing. The thing is that the appearance and design of the arch should generally correspond to the concept of interior design. Therefore, the homeowner should choose the materials and method of decorative finishing himself, based on his own tastes and personal preferences. To consolidate the knowledge gained, I propose to watch the video in this article, and if the readers still have questions, I will be happy to answer them in the comment form.