Master of Architecture, graduated from the Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. 11 years of experience in design and construction.

In an effort to move away from generally accepted standards and give the interior elegance, the owners of apartments and country houses change their usual doors to arches. This is not new, but to this day a popular design highlight. The arch in the doorway is bought ready-made or made by hand. It comes in a variety of configurations, so it allows you to implement any idea.

Forms of arched openings

Interior door arches are selected not only on the basis of taste preferences, but also depending on certain parameters: ceiling height and. Structures are made of plasterboard, wood, MDF, PVC. Plasterboard is easiest to work with as it is the most flexible material.

There are currently a large number of different types of arches that differ in shape. The most common are:

Arched openings also have various designs and on the basis of this they are divided into several varieties:

After taking a closer look at your interior and choosing the desired arch model, you can start phased implementation work.

Step-by-step instructions for self-production

In order not to spend extra money on finished goods, you can do the decoration of the arched opening yourself. To do this, you need to follow a clearly established scheme.

Taking the necessary measurements

Any construction process requires precision, which is achieved by first taking measurements. You need to start from the opening itself, so measure the width and height of it first. The size of the span between the walls of the opening is equal to the width of the arch. In order to make a semicircle as accurately as possible, this indicator must be divided by two.

Before making an arch, you need to decide on its future configuration. If you are going to perform it in a classic style, then pre-align the walls. V otherwise the design will look ugly. Remove all defects from vertical surface you can putty or plaster using beacons.

Structural framing

To make the installation of the frame, you should perform a number of sequential steps:

1. Along the lines of the opening with dowels, a contour of metal profile... The vertical guides are installed with an offset from the surface of the interior wall. The size of the indent is equal to the thickness of the drywall sheet and the plaster layer (about 0.2 cm).
2. We install two such profiles parallel to each other on each side.

   For the frame device, two profiles are installed in parallel

3. Having finished working with the profiles, we take up the installation of the first sheet of drywall. If its thickness is 1.25 cm, then it is recommended to fasten it with 3.5x35 self-tapping screws. If the thickness of the gypsum board is not more than 0.95 cm, use smaller screws.

   Drywall is fixed with self-tapping screws

4. Sheathe the other side of the frame with drywall.

   

5. Make an arc-shaped metal profile. To do this, cut the side walls of the profile with special scissors every 7 centimeters. As a result of these actions, it is easier for him to give the required form. For an arched structure, you will need two such blanks.

   An arched arc is made from the profile

6. Install and fasten the arched profiles to the main frame.

   The arcuate profile is attached to the main part of the frame

7. In order for the arcs to be securely fixed, they are attached with hangers to a straight rail located on top. The number of suspensions depends on the width of the opening. Usually three pairs are sufficient.

   

8. In increments of 0.4-0.6 m, attach reinforcing cross-members around the frame perimeter, fixing them on the guides of two contours.
9. As a result of the above actions, a reliable metal structure in the form of an arch from a profile. In the future, it will be sheathed with plasterboard or plywood.

If it is assumed that the columns of the arches will not be too large in thickness, then 2 arcs can be changed to a wide profile. Cutting and folding is done in the same way. Only in this case, the installation of cross members is not required.

Sometimes, instead of a metal profile, wooden slats are used. At the same time, the frame installation technology does not change significantly.

Plasterboard bending

After installing the frame, they are taken for bending the gypsum board. Experts recommend using drywall, designed specifically for arched structures. It easily takes the desired shape if the material is rinsed in the longitudinal direction.

If you decide to use regular drywall, then you have to tinker with it. The setting piece is cut to the desired size in the form of a rectangle. It is folded in two ways: wet and dry.

Bending fabrication scheme

The wet method is time consuming and cannot be rushed. To prevent the material from cracking when bent, it is moistened with water and punctures are made. In this form, the drywall sheet is left to lie for a while, and then it is folded onto a template of the desired configuration.

The dry method refers to the application on seamy side GKL cuts parallel to each other. The cut goes deep into the sheet, affecting the outer cardboard layer and gypsum. The cardboard layer on the front side remains intact.

With the dry method, the bending of the positioning element takes the correct shape. At the same time, it is important to know that it is better to cut the gypsum board with a jigsaw, and not with a hacksaw. Then the edges will not be torn.

Rough frame cladding

If the bend was performed wet method, then first of all it is necessary to wait until the drywall sheet is completely dry. The fixation of the material is carried out first with adhesive tape, and then with self-tapping screws. The minimum step between them should be from 5 to 6 centimeters.

Perforated corner prevents edge chipping

After fastening the sheathing, the edges of the plasterboard sheet are cleaned. And in order to prevent chipping of the curved edge, a perforated plastic corner is installed on it.

Leveling with putty

To make the surface even, you need to finish the arched structure. First, a primer is applied, and after it dries, a putty. Fiberglass mesh is used to reinforce the second layer and strengthen the corners..

Fiberglass mesh reinforces the corners of the arch

The last third layer of putty is applied to the mesh. After about 10 hours, it dries up, after which you can start cleaning the irregularities with sandpaper. With a well-done work, the surface will be without roughness, irregularities, the caps of the self-tapping screws will not be visible in it.

Methods for finishing arches

Those wishing to decorate the arches on their own will have to work hard, cutting out each detail separately. However, many do not look for difficulties and choose the simple way - they acquire factory structures from prefabricated elements.

Prefabricated and prefabricated pads

Factory-made overlay is of two types: wood and foam.

Styrofoam elements

Foam arches are often preferred as an alternative to plaster products. The advantages of such designs are as follows:

1. Fast installation. Installation speed is much higher than arched structures made of plywood or gypsum board.
2. Low price.
3. Easy transportation. Polyfoam is a fairly light material, so you do not need to hire movers to deliver the product to your home.
4. Low weight. Arches of this type can be installed even on very weak structures.
5. Various forms.

Foam arches are recruited from ready-made elements and trimmed in place to fit the size of the opening

Negative sides arched structures made of polystyrene are: fragility, toxicity, quick flammability.

Wood elements

Wooden arched structures do not require advertising. They look rich and rarely do not match any interior style. However, it should be understood that the word "wooden" does not mean that all components are made of pine, oak or other solid wood.

The arch can be made of natural wood, MDF, chipboard or plywood

Arched elements are also made from inexpensive MDF, laminated chipboard, plywood faced with veneer. The desired option is selected individually based on the taste and thickness of the wallet.

Wooden elements ordered from the catalog, and then cut to length before installation

The installation of timber structures is simple. In hardware stores, arches are sold both assembled and disassembled. The first option is considered more reliable, since the work was performed by a specialist.

Decoration with finishing materials

Currently, there are many ways to beautifully and neatly. The decor is selected so that it is in harmony in color, texture, material with the home environment. The most popular options are recognized:

1. Simple staining... The arch will look elegant and complete if it is simply painted white, brown or the tone of the walls. Such a finish is often complemented with decorative elements, lighting.

   Monochrome painting looks great in combination with backlighting

2. Wallpapering... It is the fastest, most affordable and easy process. For these purposes, vinyl or non-woven options are best suited.

   Wallpaper highlighted slopes - a very stylish design move

3. Finishing with wooden, plastic clapboard. The method guarantees not only an excellent aesthetic appearance, but also ensures the durability of the structure, its protection from moisture and mechanical damage.

   The clapboard option is great for interiors with wall decoration from the same material

4. Decorative plaster... The surface of the arch is beautiful, embossed and durable. True, this finish sometimes needs to be restored, and it requires some maintenance.

   This method looks especially advantageous in deep arches.

5. A rock... An arch in a house made of natural or artificial stone is installed only with the help of a professional. The decoration captivates the eye and makes the interior unusual.

   The ragged edges of the arch can become a highlight of any interior.

6. Cork- it is quite expensive, but environmentally friendly material. It is easily damaged by mechanical damage, therefore, to extend its service life, it is recommended to cover the cork with wax.

   Cork finishing brings a sense of environmental friendliness and comfort to the interior

   
   
   

You decided to make a European-quality renovation, maximizing the living space, but you cannot demolish the load-bearing partitions. Arches are one of the solutions to this problem. Using a material such as drywall, you will successfully complete the work yourself in a short time.

Types and features of door arches

Before you start making an arch, you need to choose which configuration best suits the decoration, furniture and purpose of your room.

Arches configurations

There are seven main types of arches, differing in the upper outlines and in the shape of the angles of abutment to the side vertical wall:

1. "Classic" - is used for high openings in any interiors and is an arc with a radius of half the width of the opening.

   Classic arches are most often installed in long corridors or at the entrance to the kitchen.

2. "Modern" - is used for wide open openings and is characterized by a gentle curvature of the arc, the line of transition to the vertical is sharp and broken.
   

   Arches of the "Modern" type are used in rooms with a classic finish, they are installed after disassembling a window and a balcony block or as an entrance to an office

3. "Romance" - the top is horizontal, the corners are rounded, the opening is wide and low.

   Arches of the "Romance" type are made in wide and low openings

4. "Elliptical" - differs in a slight gentle curve of the top.

   The elliptical arch unites rooms where there are no height restrictions, and looks softer than "Romance"

5. "Trapezium" - along the trapezoidal shape of the corners of the top to the side slopes.

   Trapezium configuration fits well with classic finishes

6. "Portal" - outlines in the form of an elongated rectangle.

   The "Portal" configuration looks like a long rectangle connecting rooms of low height, usually with wooden sheathing

7. "Semi-arch" - one side is completely vertical, the other is made in the form of a semicircle. Often used by designers in modern interiors: minimalism, hi-tech, art deco.

   The "Semi-arch" configuration is a variant of the classic arch for low rooms

We select and evaluate a suitable configuration visually by cutting and securing the paper outline of the arch in the opening. After that, remove it and save it for cutting.

Choosing from a variety of beautiful pictures, try to assess whether you can make such an arch yourself and whether your choice matches the available finances.

Preparation for making an arch

Before carrying out work, it is necessary to choose the right materials and tools depending on the size of the opening, the type of wall or partition and its thickness.

Choice of materials

To make an arch you may need:

1. Plasterboard sheathing. Along the mounted frame, the arch is sheathed with plasterboard 9.5 mm thick, which provides strength, the ability to easily bend and cut out the desired outlines. For work, use sheets of 1200x2500 or 1200x3000 mm in size with the following markings:
   
2. Frame. It is most often made of galvanized ceiling, bearing (PN 60x27 mm) and corner (PU 27 mm) profile 2400 or 2800 mm long. There is a special arched profile that easily accepts any bend. Profiles are used for installation in all walls, excluding wood or partitions with a small thickness, where it is preferable to use wooden bars or battens. For narrow openings, plywood can be used.

   For the manufacture of the frame, a profile for various purposes is used.

3. Fasteners:
   
4. Materials for preparation for finishing after plasterboard patching. Reinforcement of the joints, which prevents cracking and gives strength, is performed with special gluing paper, fiberglass mesh or perforated corner... The final finishing, the elimination of seams and gaps is done with acrylic or plaster putty, cleaning is done with small, medium and large sandpaper.
   

   To reinforce corners and large grooves at the joints, use a fiberglass mesh and a perforated corner

Tools required for work

According to the work carried out, tools are prepared:

Opening preparation

We carry out the following preparatory work:

Video: preparation of the opening

Do-it-yourself arch installation

We will consider the installation technology using the example of a classic-type arch. Initially, we will cut drywall:

Along the drawn line with a knife or jigsaw, carefully cut out the front part of the trim. Then mark and cut out the second part along it.

A high-quality and even cut is obtained using a jigsaw... Other tools can damage the edges. To prevent damage to the edges, before starting cutting, stick a wide paper tape on the cutting line.

Installation of a frame from a profile

The opening most often has a geometrically irregular shape. We draw a level line on the walls of the opening, from it we mark the bottom of the frame elements and front seams to ensure the alignment of the upper arch cladding.

The method of performing work is determined by the prepared profile:

1. We mount the ceiling profile, framing the top of the opening on both sides, retreating from the plane of the walls inward by the thickness of the drywall. We measure the length of the side profiles according to the cut out front plasterboard lining.

   We mount the profile on the top of the opening

2. To the size of the length of the arc of the front sewing, cut off two pieces of the profile corner.
3. We take one of them, use metal scissors to make parallel cuts to the corner of the shelf every 3-5 cm.

   We put cuts on one shelf of the corner, which will make it easy to bend the profile

4. Carefully bending, with the notched side, we fasten a piece of the corner with 120 mm steps with self-tapping screws to the arcuate edge of the plasterboard front part.

   We gently bend the profile and fasten it to the cut out drywall arc

5. We only bend the second piece of the corner along it.
6. We sew the front part with a screwed-in corner, fixing it with self-tapping screws to the perimeter frame with a pitch of 120 mm.

   The front part is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws

7. We cut jumpers from ceiling profile length equal to the thickness of the opening minus 15 millimeters, and install them every 200–250 mm.
8. At the ends of the lintels, using metal scissors, cut off 20 mm from the upright part of the profile, leaving the lower flat part. We attach the jumpers to the screwed corner, retreating 5 mm from the edge attached to the drywall.

   Jumpers from the profile are prepared for installation by cutting off the side rack part

9. At the second end of the lintel, we attach the remaining curved corner with a whole shelf and mount the second front patch.

   We mount the jumpers, fix the second corner to them and fasten the second front part

Video: flexible profile for gypsum board

Arched profile frame

According to its characteristics, the arched profile is more plastic and stronger than the corner. It is used for fastening curved elements:

Installation of a frame made of wooden blocks

A wooden frame is constantly changing - unlike a metal frame, it reacts to seasonal deformations of the building, changes in humidity and temperature. If you sew drywall directly onto a wooden frame, over time, cracks will appear at the joints, caused by deformations in the attachment points. To overcome this drawback, plywood is used as an intermediate material, which gives the structure additional rigidity, and drywall is already mounted on it. The frame is attached directly to the front of the plywood arch. The work is done in the following order:

1. We calculate the dimensions of the sheathing according to the formula 2 GKL thickness +2 plywood thickness.
2. We subtract the resulting figure from the thickness of the opening, we get the width of the frame bar. If it turns out more than 120 mm, which corresponds to the average width of the board, we make a frame from a 40x40 double bar with an insert of bosses. To do this, we connect the cut bars two at a time with bosses every 150 mm.
3. We make the same figures from plywood with a thickness of 3-4 mm on the cut out front surfaces of drywall.
4. We fasten them with self-tapping screws to the bars - first to the framing rectangular parts, and then to the stiffening ribs parallel to the sides - vertically, every 120 mm.

   We attach wooden blocks to the front lining of the plywood arch

5. We mount the plywood lining with a wooden frame at the top of the opening, deeper than the plane of the wall by the thickness of the gypsum board.

   A frame sewn onto plywood with bosses is mounted in the opening

6. We sew the opposite side with the second plywood stitching.
7. We check the ratio of the curved sides with a level, construction square, trim or clean up with sandpaper.

   We fasten the second plywood front facing to the frame

Laying of communications

If the design project provides for the installation of lamps, we lay the cable along the mounted structures to the installation site of each light source and fix it so that the end of the cable hangs over the lower plane.

The cable is attached to structures, the ends are brought out beyond the filing plane

After patching the strip and its fine finishing cut holes with a crown and install lamps.

In the lower strip of the arch, holes of the required diameter are cut into which the lamps will subsequently be installed

Plasterboard installation

We cover the finished frames with plasterboard:

• made of an arched profile - on both sides along the finished frame;
• from wooden blocks - on top of plywood. If there is no cut-out arc in the prepared rectangles, we do it in place, focusing on the lower edge of the plywood;
• on the metal carcass the front sashes are installed during the assembly process.

Then we check the correspondence of the curved cuts to each other with a level or building corner, level them by running a trowel with fixed medium-grained sandpaper several times simultaneously along the bottom of both sides.

After sewing the front sides, we sew drywall on the bottom of the arc:

1. We make accurate measurements of the length of the curved part of the front surface.
2. We cut out a strip of gypsum plasterboard with a length of 100 mm more than the measured distance and a width corresponding to the distance between the front surfaces.
3. We apply marks on the prepared strip at the locations of jumpers and lamps.
4. We drill holes for the lamps.

We trim the arched bottom with this strip, performing the work in one of two ways:

1. "Dry" - we make parallel cuts every 50 mm by half the thickness of the sheet and fasten to the frame from the center of the arc with self-tapping screws with a step of 100 mm.

   We make cuts on one side of the sewing, bend the strip and fix it

2. "Wet":
   • with a special roller with needles, we pass the side several times without marking. In the absence of a roller, randomly over the entire surface with a knife, we make shallow cuts 20–30 mm long every 15 mm;

     We apply punctures in a drywall strip with a special roller

   • if possible, we make a U-shaped box of boards according to the size of the opening;
   • moisten the treated side with a sponge with water;

     To obtain an accurate and even bend, the strip must be laid on a pre-assembled box

   • after 40 minutes, we fasten the finally curved strip from the center of the arc to the screws;
   • cut off excess length.

In the absence of a box, you can lean the strip against the wall with the wet side down, and after the beginning of the bend, re-wet it.

Wet bending is more difficult, but it gives a smoother surface on which you only need to putty the screws.

Video: ways to bend the bottom sewing strip

Making vaults by gluing

Work is possible on a partition of medium thickness:

Pre-finishing

The perforated corner is installed at the joints of drywall for reinforcement

We knead the putty in small portions - acrylic or gypsum-based.

With a spatula, apply it to the joint of the drywall with the main walls and smooth it out, comparing the surfaces. With a significant depth of unevenness, apply the putty 2-3 times, waiting for the applied layer to dry.

At great depth unevenness putty is applied in several layers

We putty caps of screws, joints, glued paper, perforated corner.

After filling up the existing seams, potholes and strengthening the reinforcing materials, we leave the coating to dry.

After drying, carefully clean all the irregularities with medium-grained emery paper, taking care not to damage the reinforcing layer.

We wash the surface with a damp sponge.

We apply a thin layer of finishing putty, eliminate irregularities.

After drying, level it again with medium-grained emery paper, wipe it with a sponge.

After each layer of putty has dried, the surface is sanded with medium-grained emery paper.

Apply the last, third, thin continuous layer, being careful not to scratch the surface with a spatula.

Leave to dry for 12 hours.

We sand the surface.

In the absence of a reinforcing corner and paper, after applying the first layer of putty, we unwind a roll of the required width of fiberglass mesh, cut off the required length, pressing it with a spatula, fix it at the corner, cut the wrinkles of the mesh on the arcuate surface and put its ends on top of each other.

We glue the mesh to the corner on a layer of putty

If the bend was done dry, it is likely that the kinks from the notches will be slightly visible.... In this case, for leveling, we additionally apply another continuous layer of acrylic putty. After drying, we grind and apply a finishing filler.

We also independently changed the door to an arch in our old-style apartment. The first difficulty was that the entrance to the hall from double doors 1600x3000 mm was located on the corner, close to the front door. Big open doorway in a small room, which includes street shoes and clothes, did not suit. After lengthy disputes, it was decided that we were making a semi-arch in a semicircle to the front doors in order to build up a blank wall into the corridor. Height - 2500 mm, arch radius - 1500 mm. The opening above the mark of 2500 mm and 1000 mm from the floor from the side of the arc is sewn tightly, and in the rest of the space we make a glass colored stained-glass window. The old partition was made of double shingle boards and plastered, the opening was only 90 mm thick. The entire old opening was framed with a planed lath 60x10mm on all sides, above 2540 mm they made a frame out of it for a blind lining of the wall. We bought an arched metal profile with a length of 3000 mm. On the old cardboard packaging from the refrigerator, a quarter circle with a radius of 1500 mm was drawn. A profile was bent along it and installed in place, fixing it to the upper frame under the wall covering. To a height of 1000 mm from the floor, the lateral frame was completed from the lath to fit the wall, fixed to the profile and the lath on the opening. According to the measurements of the frames and the drawn quarter of the circle, the upper and lower stitches were cut out of drywall and fixed to the frames with self-tapping screws. We measured the profile that remained uncovered, and according to it and the drawing of the semicircle we marked and cut out arc sewing from drywall with a height of 60 mm, aligned with the profile along the bottom of the arc. Pieces of 15 mm in length were cut from a 60 mm rail and fixed to a bent profile every 150 mm. We fixed the side plasterboard lining to the profile. Then we bought 6 corners for tiling and 3 plastic panels of the same color for beech. All openings and the bottom of the arch were covered with panels using tile corners. Before that, they made a full putty and alignment of the gypsum plasterboard linings with the wall, pasting the joints with fiberglass mesh. In order for the putty to lay flat, I advise you to do a complete drywall primer with an acrylic compound. The final touch is to buy a beech-colored plastic holder rail for glass, stick it on liquid nails and glazing. The only thing I regret is that after the exchange of the apartment, the hard drive on the computer burned down and there were no photographs of the resulting miracle, which I am proud of.

Fine finishing

There are many design solutions fine finishing. Take your time to consider them. When making the final choice, have complete confidence that you will be able to independently complete the work and master financial questions... After that, feel free to embody your fantasies. You will succeed.

Video: do-it-yourself drywall arch

It is quite possible to make an arched opening with your own hands. It is important to work carefully and know what you want as a result.

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

When performing major repairs in his apartment, for sure, every home owner 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 the banal wallpapering or painting the ceiling and walls.

As an original addition to the visual cosmetic repair, 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 doors, help visually increase the useful area of ​​housing, and get an updated visual perception of the surrounding space.

Starting with the next section, it will describe step-by-step instruction on the manufacture of arches, but first I want to offer a choice of several options for the size and shape of the arch for the interior doorway:

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

1. The Art Nouveau arched opening 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 leaf doors in the living room, hall or 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. An irregular asymmetric semi-arch 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 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 the 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 the arch for self-made, 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 suits 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. For relax further work, in addition to the general sketch, I recommend depicting the 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, together 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 cement-sand mortar or putty building mixture for interior work;
2. If the doorway after the construction of the house has an irregular shape, curved slopes or oblique obstructed inner 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 vault of the future arch, put a mark at 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.

Everything drywall sheets are produced according to a single standard, according to which they can have a thickness of 9 mm or 13 mm. For sheathing the frontal planes of the door arch, I advise you to use sheets with a thickness of 13 mm, so all the markings for installation 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 galvanized metal profiles or wooden bars with a cross section of at least 50x50 mm. Considering that our drywall arch will have curves 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 a galvanized frame profile of the "CD" type, 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 segments plasterboard profile. They must be cut off with a small margin in length.(300-500 mm more 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 required 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 together with short transverse bridges. In addition, it is necessary to install several vertical jumpers between the upper horizontal and the lower arcuate 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 cuts 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, semi-oval, or asymmetrical arc, I recommend using one of three methods. Regardless of the method chosen, the first step is to draw a rectangle on a drywall sheet.

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 impromptu 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 marker pen 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 need to 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 underside, 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 underside of the drawn rectangle, one mark must 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, however, for a neat cut along a radius line, it is best to use electric jigsaw and a file for wood with a small set of teeth. In order to prevent the edge of the sheet from breaking 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 immediately eliminate it 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 laminated with a definite force with a needle roller, so that the needles pierce upper layer thick 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 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 are formed 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 side 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 center line 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.

Though wet way bending drywall, at first glance, may seem more complicated, I recommend using it, because in this case, a uniform arc without creases is immediately obtained, of the correct rounded shape, which does not require practically any 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 an ideal 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 reinforcing fiberglass mesh, which is also called serpyanka;

1. All screws, joints, corners and slots must be putty in such a way that no reinforcing mesh, no corners, no joints, or fastening screws can be seen on the surface. I recommend using acrylic for this. finishing putty for drywall, which is sold completely ready-to-use;
2. After the first layer of putty has hardened, the arch must be sanded with a 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 drywall, then in order to eliminate broken edges, the upper curved arch of the arch will need to be covered with a continuous layer of starting drywall putty. 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 materials and method decorative finishing, the landlord must choose for 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.

October 1, 2016

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In the life of any person, repairs come from time to time. It may be associated with the acquisition of a new house or apartment, with a desire to update the interior of a familiar home. One of the ways to organize space is to create arched structures. Arches in a house can perform two completely different functions: combining space, when an arch is placed instead of doors; dividing a room of a large area to select several zones of different function.

Of these two options, the arch in the doorway is more common, giving more interesting view layout of the apartment. When replacing a door with an arch, it is necessary to consider the pros and cons of such a solution. TO undoubted advantages for small apartment expansion of space applies. By combining a kitchen and a small room, you can arrange a dining room, where it will be convenient and pleasant to dine with your family or friends.

If in a long and narrow corridor several arches are placed, then the feeling of narrow passages, like in a train carriage, disappears.

If an informed decision is made to install the arch, then we proceed to the choice of the form of the decorative structure:

• Rectangular;
• Semicircular with equilateral rounding;
• A semi-arch with only one rounded corner;
• Trapezoidal, the design of which consists of curved lines;
• Fantasy.

The downside of the arch instead of the door is that you cannot close the door in order to highlight your piece in the apartment. If the arch is placed instead of the door to the kitchen, then the smell of cooked food will spread everywhere.

How to make an arch in a doorway

After the shape has been determined, it is recommended to make a template from cardboard, fiberboard or other materials at hand. Creating a template helps to represent the end result and more accurately calculate the quantity necessary materials... When designing, we take into account that the device of the arch in the existing doorway will reduce its height by about 10-15 cm.If the dimensions of the opening are insufficient for implementation design ideas or the owners of the apartment are tall enough people, then you will have to increase the height of the doorway. Changing the height or width is costly, including labor, financial and time to coordinate the redevelopment in the respective organizations. Determining the shape, creating a template are the first stages of making an arch.

They are followed by:

• Dismantling the old door frame (if it has not been done earlier);
• Preparation of the wall surface for the installation of the arch;
• Wireframe creation;
• Installation of an arched structure;
• Fine finishing and decoration.

All these works can be entrusted to professionals, but if you wish, you can do everything yourself.

Instructions: how to make an arch with your own hands

The cheapest and most common material for arranging an arch, as well as for many other works, is drywall. Dismantle the old door frame... For more modern designs, this is easy. You just need to unscrew the screws and carefully remove the platbands. Old houses present a variety of surprises for their owners. In ancient times, nails were used to fasten the platbands to the bars.

Carelessness during such work can lead to the destruction of floors or damage to them.

After dismantling, we carefully evaluate the intermediate result of the work. The former doorway and the wall next to it must be clean, level, without serious damage. Therefore, if cracks and chips are found, we putty, this will help to subsequently finish them correctly and efficiently. If you plan to align the walls with plasterboard, then this can be combined with the arch device.

When the doorway is prepared, a U-shaped frame made of a metal profile is installed in it. It consists of one horizontal segment equal to the width of the doorway and two vertical ones, the length of which corresponds to our future design. The frame should be on both sides of the opening, that is, in fact, we make two of them. In the profile, two rows of holes of 10 cm are marked and drilled. Then the holes are marked and drilled using a perforator at the ends of the wall. The guides are attached to the walls.

The turn came to use the template cut in advance. Sheets of drywall are marked out on it, using a jigsaw, two parts are cut out for each arch and attached with self-tapping screws to the installed profiles. A profile must also be mounted along the edges of the attached template parts. Since we are considering how to make a semicircular arch, an important step is to give the profile for drywall the appropriate shape. To do this, we cut the edges of the letter P of our profile to the full height. The profile becomes obedient and takes on the geometric shape we need. Then it takes its place at the edges of the slices.

The next stage requires accuracy and care. It is necessary to correctly install the arcuate fragment of our arch. The profile has already been installed, so we measure the length of the arc and the width of our part, cut out a rectangle. The difficulty is that the rectangle doesn't really want to become an arc. If ordinary drywall is used, then the main method of "pacifying" it is wetting and simultaneously giving the desired shape... But this option may seem daunting to ordinary DIYers who are afraid to make mistakes. In this case modern technologies invite us to use arched drywall, which takes a semicircular shape much more easily than the usual one. We fasten our part in the usual way, moving from the center of the arch to the edges, and we are almost at the finish line.

We process the edges of the arch, cut off the excess. After that, we process the joints and the edges of the drywall with paper perforated tape or a serpentine, putty, process with sandpaper. The choice of putty for finishing depends on the future decor of our arch.

Stayed Finishing work, to which we will return a little later. If you plan to install lamps in a semicircular part of the arch, then you need to do this before starting the putty. If you are afraid to take on unfamiliar material, then you can put arched structure from plywood. In this case, two ways are possible: the first is similar to working with drywall, the second is described below.

Do-it-yourself door arch: making from plywood

To build such a structure, first measure the size of the arc of the future arch. A rectangle is cut out of a sheet of thick plywood, the width of which is equal to the width of the doorway and the length is equal to the size of the arc. Plywood is a malleable material, so the cut out rectangle is evenly moistened, allowed to lie down for a short time and bend to fit into the opening.

It is important to put the cut out part neatly and evenly, this will require a certain skill.

Be sure to fix the part in the center with self-tapping screws, then along the edges. Fill the space between the resulting semicircular arch and the walls with polyurethane foam and wait for it to dry. If there is a lot of free space, then part of it can be filled with foam parts, and the remaining free space can be filled with foam. We cut off the excess foam, putty the facade of our arch using serpyanka.

Less common structures are wood and brick arches. Despite the beauty and durability of such arches, their installation requires more expensive materials and the participation of professional craftsmen. The most interesting stage of creating an arch in the doorway with your own hands remains - finishing. Various decorative materials can be used here.

Most common:

• Wallpapering;
• Decorative plaster;
• Coloring;
• Bonding of finished styrofoam finishing elements;
• Usage decorative stone and other types of finishes.

How to make a door arch with your own hands (video)

Thus, it is quite possible to make an arch in a doorway yourself, using a conventional repair tool and available materials. The result of such work will be pride in their work and an original decorative element in the design of the apartment.

Any owner of a residential building with arched passage, one way or another thought: how to arrange the design of the arch so that it would take a stylish beautiful view... In addition, it is necessary to observe the complete harmony of the general style of the room.

As a rule, the arch is used in order to delimit the space in the kitchen, living room, balcony, corridor and hallway. The design can take any shape, configuration and size, accept different decor options.

How to paint an arched passage?

The photo of the arch in the interior shows the most popular way of decorating the structure - this is the initial plastering, then painting. This method is equally suitable for classic luxurious as well as trendy modern style.

Please note that for a start it is important to correctly select the base for the paint (the plaster itself), which is divided into several types:

• to create a relief effect;
• traditional putty;
• textured version of the composition;
• apply a special pigmented solution.

Previously, before starting work, it is necessary to align the contours of the arch in the apartment as much as possible. For these purposes, plasterboard sheets, corners and putty are used. The joints and possible cracks should be filled with a serpyanka. To obtain the most even and clear contours of the structure, it is necessary to fix the corners with a profile.

Then you should ideally clean the work area evenly by applying paint with a roller. If you intend to further decorate the element with embossed accessories, it is reasonable to immediately apply a pigmented solution. After the end of the main work, overlays or decorative curtains can be introduced into the opening.

Decoration with stone and tiles

An equally relevant way to beautifully design an arch is to decorate facing materials, which include: tiles, natural or fake diamond imitation brick. Less often the opening is decorated tiles, or a mosaic.

An important advantage this method is the introduction of arch decor in absolutely any style. The combination of stone can be completely different: with paper, textile fabrics (wallpaper), plaster, paint.

When finishing the opening with this method, gypsum materials are usually used, but clinker and porcelain stoneware raw materials are not excluded. Due to their high strength and durability, they are usually located at the entrance to the house, or on the balcony area.

In order to decorate the arch with a stone, that is, its initial cladding was of high quality and reliably served its households, it is required to make the surface perfectly flat, and then select a good desired glue composition.

The cladding can be made with an individual non-standard pattern, therefore it is recommended to first apply the markings for further precise orientation of the masonry.

You can also revet the opening with natural durable stone, but this will be a very expensive repair. Moreover, it is worth considering that the arch needs to be in the opening only load-bearing wall, or a solid partition.

The use of panels and stucco in the interior

A popular way to decorate a door arch is to frame it with special decorative panels and overlays. Most relevant and relatively inexpensive material serves as MDF, which is in perfect harmony with classic style premises.

The surface is treated with artificial veneer or foil. Please note that imitation under natural wood always remains at the height of fashion.

To properly fix the panels in the aisle, it is worth using special studs without hats and adhesive solution... There are situations when you have to remove the level, you should use a spacer and foam for installation. This process is practically no different from installing a door frame.

As with other methods, you first need to level the surface and eliminate all possible cracks and joints. Markets and specialist stores for building materials offer ready-made options overlays that are fixed with a simple click.

An interesting way to decorate an arch in an apartment is stucco molding, which is not at all difficult to do on your own using glue or liquid nails... Most often, polyurethane is used, which gives the interior a special grace, chic and luxurious rich look.

You can make relatively simple shapes, or make the most complex bulky cast parts. The main disadvantage of stucco molding is rapid mechanical damage and failure.

Curtains and curtains

The arched opening has been decorated with ordinary curtains for a long time, but even now this design option is, at least less often, but acceptable. The entrance is masked with light tulle, a curtain or a thick curtain, which will serve as a kind of door itself.

Usually, doorway camouflaged with bamboo curtains, beautiful threads, decorative beads. This method is very simple to do with your own hands, using the cornice above the opening for fastening the curtains. There are curved cornices that match the very shape of the opening.

It is no secret that the arch serves as a continuation of the wall, which is why, when making it out, it is necessary to take into account the decoration of the walls.

As you know, wood is the noblest and most durable raw material, which is successfully used to decorate classical household items. It is better if the design is simpler, but very refined in shape. Wooden arch it is also possible to hang with an elegant curtain with gilding, which will successfully set off the classics.

Lighting solution

The beautiful design of the arch is complemented by built-in lighting fixtures, which can be point, side or contour types. The easiest way is to integrate the lamps into a drywall element in the end part.

A decorative opening is equipped with recesses, where bulbs are subsequently installed. To hide the backlight a little, you need to mask the recesses with glass. It is relevant to use colored or translucent glass, which in itself will serve as an additional detail of the interior and the structure itself.

The arch looks very beautiful, dividing the space of the kitchen and living rooms, and its lower part smoothly turns into a bar counter.

Photo of arch design options