Laminate flooring competes successfully with other floor coverings due to the good balance of quality and cost. Plus to this - laying the laminate with your own hands is not very difficult, and modern types of material allow it to be carried out even without a partner.

How to choose the right laminate

Laminate has certain standard characteristics, regulated by the European standard EN 13329. So, depending on the room in which the flooring will be installed, it should be selected by class.

Class

There are the following classes of laminate:

It is important to understand that the information on the coating class indicated on the packaging can only be trusted if the manufacturer is a member of the EPLF (European Producers of Laminate Flooring).

When buying a laminate, you should also pay attention to its resistance to moisture. This indicator is determined by the characteristics of the main part of the laminate board, the HDF board. The denser this plate, the less the material will absorb moisture and the longer the locking joints will last. If you choose a floor covering for the kitchen, then it must be moisture resistant. On packages with such a laminate, a drop and an umbrella or a drop and a tap are depicted and the inscription "Aqua-Protect" is present.

Environmental friendliness of the material

Another important point is the amount of formaldehyde released by the coating. In the manufacture of laminated planks, formaldehyde resins are used as a binder, the vapors of which in certain doses are harmful to health. If the designation E1 is put down in the characteristics of the coating, this means that the amount of formaldehyde emitted by the material is within the normal range. The E2 designation means that it is better to refuse such material.

If after opening the packaging with laminate you smell a strong chemical smell, it is better to return such material back to the store. According to the regulations, the planks should emit only a faint smell of sawdust.

It is important to understand that European manufacturers are more strict with formaldehyde regulations than Chinese ones.

Fire resistance

When choosing a coating, pay attention to the degree of fire resistance. This indicator is regulated by the standards DIN 5510 and DIN 4102: the designation B1 indicates that this is a flame-resistant material.

Required tools

To work you need the following tools:

1. Rubber mallet
2. Electric jigsaw. If not, you can use a metal saw to get smooth edges.
3. Spacer wedges - for creating gaps near walls
4. Square - to determine the length of panel fragments

Surface preparation rules

Laminate can be installed on wooden plank floors, concrete subfloors and even old parquet floors. The main condition is that the surface must be flat, otherwise the planks will play, as a result, their locks will break and cracks will appear in the floor.

If the plank floor bends and creaks in some places, then the boards should be attached to the joists lying on the floor using self-tapping screws. After that, the surface should be leveled by placing a sheet of chipboard or fiberboard on it.

The thickness of the sheet should be at least 12 mm, then it will provide adequate support for the laminate, not allowing it to bend under the weight of people and furniture.

The concrete floor can be leveled with a self-leveling mixture. The second option is the laying of cement-bonded particle boards, under which construction boards are mounted, aligned lengthwise and across with a level. To level the boards, put pieces of plywood under them and check the horizontal level in two directions. The boards should be attached to the base of the floor, and the DSP should be fixed on the boards with self-tapping screws.

Laminate laying process step by step

Before laying the laminate, it is necessary to lay a substrate that provides heat, noise and waterproofing. It is recommended to use a sheet substrate based on extruded polystyrene foam, since the white roll loses its properties over time. It is more convenient to lay the substrate in stages, as the coating is laid.

Before installation, the laminate must undergo "adaptation" - put the packages with it in the room where the covering will be laid, and leave it there for two days.

Leave a gap of 10 mm between the covering and the wall. Laminate planks are made of wood and are subject to seasonal expansion. If the gaps are not observed, over time, the coating can rise at the joints. So, press the spacer wedges against the wall, and then lay the laminate floor against them.

The most common pattern for laying the cover is straight: it is economical, since the cut off part of the board of the previous row is used as the beginning of the next one. The covering should be laid along the direction of light, then the joints of the elements will be less noticeable.

First, look at the illustrations that we have prepared:

Lay the first row, connecting the ends of the planks together with a rubber mallet. Hit the face of the plank (but never the hitch) so you don't need to use a mounting bracket or pad. For subsequent rows, proceed as follows:

1. At 45 degrees, insert the locking part of the element to be laid into the groove of the first row and press the laminate to the floor.
2. After that, a gap will remain between the panels, and the elements will be in different horizontal planes. After uniform blows with a mallet, the gap will go away, the panels will be in the same plane.
3. The connection of the ends of the elements is done simultaneously with the longitudinal connection, which maximally simplifies the installation process.
4. The longitudinal connection of the boards can be performed in any direction, which is especially important for diagonal assembly of the covering.
5. The last step is to remove the wedges and install the skirting boards.

Video guide to installing laminate flooring

Installation of laminate in doors and around pipes

Possible stacking errors

Before laying the laminate with your own hands, it is important to understand which actions are wrong, so that later the work does not have to be redone. What not to do when installing laminated panels:

• Use glue to connect the parts - later the structure cannot be disassembled if damaged strips need to be replaced.
• Lay boards without considering their drawing before. Planks with the same pattern, laid next to each other, look ugly.
• Install the laminate on a non-uneven surface. Over time, the locks will break and the floor will come apart.

Types of locks:

Another important nuance - in order to "fit" the coating to the junction of the platband and the skirting board, it is necessary to reduce the gap between the laminate and the wall.

Care rules

In order for the coating to last a long time and look perfect, it is important not only to properly lay the laminate, but also to care for it properly. The rules of care are simple and look like this:

• Daily maintenance consists of dry cleaning: the coating should be vacuumed or swept up with a brush.
• Wet cleaning is done with a well-wrung cloth or a microfiber mop.
• To remove stubborn dirt, use a special laminate cleaner recommended by the coating manufacturer.

To avoid damage to the material, do not use abrasive substances and alkalis for cleaning, as well as compounds that are not recommended by the coating manufacturer.

Subject to all the nuances of laying laminate flooring, you will get an inexpensive and beautiful floor covering that will delight you with its ideal look for more than one year.

I'm more for linoleum, but the guys are still talking about laminate. Therefore, another master class in my piggy bank on the housing issue ..)))))

Step-by-step instructions for laying Kronospan Quick Style laminate, Zebrano Armeria series, class 33, board size: 1285x192x10 mm.

Two boards from a batch of 16.5 m2 turned out to be defective in geometric dimensions.

Laminate is laid on a pre-leveled floor (in my case, a concrete screed) with irregularities of no more than 3 mm per linear meter. The floor surface must be dry. So let's go.

1. You will need the following set of tools:

• vacuum cleaner;
• hacksaw for wood;
• hammer;
• spacer wedges;
• wooden boss and metal heel;
• square;
• roulette;
• pencil;
• hacksaw for metal;
• screwdriver.

The last two tools are needed to install the skirting boards.

2. Vacuum the floor surface from construction dust and debris

3. Roll the laminate backing onto the floor. I took a 3 mm thick substrate. Too thick substrate should not be taken, otherwise the laminate may sag in the place where heavy interior items are installed.

4. Cut the rolled backing strip from the roll exactly to the size of the room

5. Repeat step 3-4 for the next backing strip. Spread the strips side by side joint to joint and glue together along the seam with masking tape. This will prevent the strips from moving relative to each other when laying the laminate.

6. The last strip of backing will most likely need to be trimmed along the wall to the width.

7. After installing the underlay, the room should look like this:

8. It is better to lay laminate boards with the narrow side (end) to the light source in the room, ie to the window. This allows you to hide shadows from the seams on the long side.

9. I started laying the laminate from the door in order to bring the first row of boards under the door frame and to cut the laminate strip as accurately as possible across the width in the most traffic-loaded part of the room. The joint of the floor surfaces of rooms located on opposite sides of the door must be exactly under the door leaf. This will hide the seam between them when the doors are closed. If, when installing the doors, a gap was not left for the laminate under the bottom of the door frame, then it can always be cut with a hacksaw as shown in the photo:

10. We begin to collect the first row from the corner of the wall on which the window is located. The rules for laying boards are as follows:
- the first board is laid on the floor with the spike sides to the walls with a gap of 10-15 mm from them;
- we insert spacer wedges of the required thickness into the gaps between the laminate and the wall. The wedges will not allow the laid board to move out of place;
- insert the next board with a spike end into the groove of the previous board at an angle of 45 degrees, after which we lower it vertically to the floor;
- repeating the previous step N-th number of times we reach the last board of the row, which needs to be cut to length.

11. The last board of the row is turned upside down and laid with a gap of 10-15 mm to the opposite wall of the row, as shown in the photo:

12. On the inverted board, make a mark along the edge of the previous laid board in the row:

13. With a square we mark the cutting line perpendicular to the board axis:

14. Cut off the board with an electric jigsaw and assemble the entire row, moving it close to the door frame.

15. Along the width of the door frame, we make marks with a pencil on the board of the assembled row, which lies opposite the doorway, so that the board in the future goes from each side of the doorway under the door frame at least 5 mm, but not close to the masonry of the doorway. We also measure the distance from the edge of the door frame to the flooring of the adjacent room, add 1 cm to it and draw a line on the board perpendicular to the plane of the door. Unfortunately, I did not take photos of this stage, I cannot demonstrate.

16. We disassemble the entire assembled row of laminate and make two door cutouts in the board along the lines drawn.

17. Cut the same board in width to the right and left of the cuts, as shown in the photo of the board on the left:

18. We cut along the width of all the other boards of the row, assemble the row completely and put it under the door frame with all the necessary gaps from the walls. We fix the row with spacer wedges.

19. We begin to collect the next row again from the window wall and the cut piece from the last board of the previous row is the first to fit. Attention: if the remaining piece is less than 30 cm, then you do not need to use it, take a new board. The next row should begin with the displacement of the boards to the boards of the previous row by at least 30 cm. Boards in adjacent rows should be staggered relative to each other.

20. We collect the entire row, cutting off the last board of the row, as indicated in paragraphs. 11-14

21. Put the assembled row at an angle of 45 degrees with a thorn in the groove of the previous row and snap them together.

If the row is long, then such an operation cannot be done alone; you will have to involve an assistant. The rows, 3.2 m long, I docked quite easily alone.

Note: this series of laminate (Kronospan) has locks that allow joining adjacent rows only in whole rows. You will not be able to hook one board to the previous row. But there are manufacturers like Maxwood that make plastic snap-on end locks on their laminate flooring. Laminate with such locks is much more convenient to assemble.

22. We install the spacer wedges and knock the stacked row of laminate to the previous one along and to the end, as shown in the photo, using the tools. This operation is needed to eliminate gaps in the laid rows.

23. We repeat operation 19-22 N-th number of times, until the last remaining row of the room.

24. We also turn the last boards on the wrong side and make marks with a pencil, as shown in the figures. The entire row, if required, is trimmed to the width, assembled and laid according to the rules set out above. Everything is shown step by step in the photo.

25. After laying the laminate, the room looks like this:

26. We nail the plinth to the wall, the sill under the door that hides the joint of the floor coverings, we install the heating radiator in place. We admire the work done.

The smudges in the last photos are dirt on the lens. Dusty a bit. Everything is normal with the walls. Installation was carried out in the daytime and at night, with interruptions. Therefore, the photos, starting from point 24, turned out to be dark, there was no time to fight for their quality. I beg your pardon for their low quality, the pianist plays as best he can.

I hope this laminate installation guide will be clear and useful for beginners who like to work with their hands. I am ready to answer questions and accept comments.

How to make an arch with your own hands? This question worries many who dared to make the design of the interior opening on their own.

A do-it-yourself door arch made with your own hands will make you proud of yourself, thereby allowing you to add something original and unique to the interior of a room or bedroom. Despite the fact that many beginners are plagued by vague doubts, in fact there is nothing terrible in this work, the main thing is desire. If you have it, our detailed work plan will help you!

What is an arch and its varieties

An arch is an ancient architectural element that is increasingly used as an internal decorative element of an entrance or interior door, or rather a doorway. An arch is a universal opening in the wall, which is able to give "volume" to a small room, and at the same time, to zone an apartment of a small square.

Taking into account the wishes of the homeowners, thanks to the arches, designers can translate different ideas into reality, giving the doorway a different look. Today, modern materials allow you to give arches a different geometric shape, as well as form intricate vaults. Most often, for the manufacture of arches and their facing are used:

• Brick.
• Wooden bar.
• Plywood.
• Tiles.
• GKL, etc.

The structure of the arch is a support for partitions and walls. But, since doorways in high-rise buildings are not load-bearing, the only requirement that is put forward for them is to withstand their own weight (with finishing finishing material). If the wall is load-bearing, the material must be selected according to external loads.

Any version of the arch, which is mounted instead of a door, performs an exclusively decorative function. The frame of the structure can even be made from a light profile for fiberboard or chipboard, you can also use a wooden beam. The only important point is a reliable fixation of the partition, so that the decor does not fall off and does not deform after a few days.

As we noted, the design of the house can be beautifully complemented with an arch, because there is a huge variety of its forms. They can be done in a classic or romantic style. Art Nouveau is also often used. The ellipsoidal shape, trapezoid, "portal" and many others are equally popular.

The first example is designed as a regular semi-arch, in the form of a semicircle. In the last photo you can see a square interior opening, called a "portal". This design method is performed in strict observance of rectangular outlines. All other samples are intermediate variations between the two basic shapes.

But, these are not all options. You can also experiment with side supports, curved struts, etc. You can decorate the form and decorate it in different styles, the main thing is that the passage harmoniously fits into the home interior. In some apartments, the classic looks great and a round, correctly bent vault, in others - portals, it all depends on the taste preferences of the owners. Pay attention to the advice of experienced finishers:

1. Classic arches are best done in apartments with high ceilings, at least 3 m.
2. In high-rise panel-type buildings, it is better to frame the doorway in the Art Nouveau style.
3. It is preferable to decorate wide doorways from the corridor to the hall in a romantic style, for which wide racks are selected.
4. The decoration of the "portal" opening goes well with the interior of the room, which uses clear lines. "Portal" is ideal for houses that are made of lining, logs or timber. This combination is very elegant and harmonious.

What materials can be used to form arches?

To make an arched vault, you need to stock up on the following material:

• Plasterboard sheets.
• Plywood.

It is worth noting that it is best to sheathe the frame with sheets of drywall, because in the future it can be decorated with various decorative materials. But, if you need to create a more sophisticated shape, choose sheets of plywood, as it bends better. The preparation of the arched frame is formed from:

• Metal profile.
• Wood beams.

But, for the construction of an arch, you can also take concrete, aerated concrete and brick, which you can decorate with finishing material. Despite the fact that such structures are solid, it is forbidden to erect them in high-rise buildings due to their heavy weight. It is also forbidden to make a door frame made of metal, which, moreover, will cost a pretty penny. And how to make an arch in an apartment with your own hands from metal? After all, this is a very laborious process that requires the use of specialized devices. That is why drywall is the most acceptable material for decorating apartments.

How to make an interior arch. Step-by-step instructions (video)

How to make a wooden arch?

An arch made of wood with your own hands, or rather a wooden frame, is formed without much effort. But, in addition to wood blocks, sheets of plywood are also useful to you. The first thing to do is measure the width of the passage, subtract the thickness of the materials, after which we get the optimal thickness of the wooden beams. Then an arc is drawn on the plywood, which is cut with a jigsaw.

Subsequent installation is carried out with self-tapping screws (5cm), which fix the beams to the plywood. The arch in the doorway is also fixed with self-tapping screws, which are screwed in at a distance of 15 cm. The final stage is fixing the 2nd plywood wall and its subsequent sheathing with drywall sheets. Note that you need to fix the drywall sheets with special self-tapping screws for working on drywall.

We mount an arch from plywood

How to make an arch with your own hands from wood without using natural material? Today it is not difficult, because the tree can be replaced with plywood. To correctly calculate the amount of materials needed, including fittings, the first thing experienced finishers do is create a sketch.

To work with plywood, you will need the following handy tool:

• Jigsaw (or hacksaw).
• Drill.
• Screwdriver.
• Sandpaper.
• Finishing fixtures.

Since plywood is a fairly unique material that allows you to create original and unusual shapes, you need to work with it, following the step-by-step instructions:

1. Measure the doorway and mark how big the arch will be.
2. Then you need to cut the strip and carefully process it.
3. The resulting strip is slightly moistened and left for a while.
4. After the performed manipulations, the plywood will be malleable and will easily take the required shape.
5. The prepared bar is bent in the right way and immediately inserted into the required doorway, carefully fixed and spacers installed in the corners.

Forming an arch from plywood. After the canvas is installed, you need to wait a little until the sheet is completely dry and takes on its final appearance. At the next stage, you can act in two scenarios:

• Form inserts from wooden blocks and sew up the surface with plasterboard.
• Use polyurethane foam by filling the voids with it.

Installing a drywall arch

Working with drywall, like with plywood, is very similar and not difficult, but cheap. If you have the opportunity to erect walls and form an arch at the same time, this way you can finish the work as quickly as possible. Before forming an arch, you need to stage-by-stage surface preparation, namely:

• Dismantle the old door panel, decorative strips, platbands and other fittings.
• Repair any damage to the walls to avoid future troubles.
• Get tools.
• Draw up a detailed work plan and sketch.

You can put a drywall arch in different ways, then we will describe each method in more detail. The first option is the most popular:

• Take 2 sheets of drywall, one of which is cut in half.
• In the doors, a U-shaped frame is formed using a metal profile.

• One segment is fixed on the frame, having previously marked it into 2 equal parts and marking the center.
• A hole is drilled in the rail at the edge and in the center. The distance between them should be equal to the middle of the arc of the formed arch. To do this, determine what distance will be observed between the edges of the semicircle.
• Then a curved line is drawn, with the help of which the hole in the middle of the rail is connected to the center of the piece of drywall sheet, which is fixed on the frame. It is immediately worth checking if the height of such an opening is suitable.
• Then the sheet is removed and the excess is cut off, after which it is again fixed on the frame.
• The second drywall sheet is placed on the opposite side. Taking the corner and the first segment (like a stencil), transfer the dimensions of the arc. Further, the cutting of the arc and its fixation are repeated according to the same scheme.
• After the work done, a void is obtained, into which the frame is mounted. For this, the profile is cut and bent. The resulting structure is fixed to the racks and drywall. It is also worth installing jumpers for the reliability and strength of the structure.

• Next, cut out the necessary strip, bend it, and make deep cuts from the inside out. You need to fix it without haste, with gentle movements.
• That's all, the arch is formed. The only thing left to do is to paste over the wallpaper or paint it in the desired colors.

The second way is much more complicated. The masonry is formed using the following technology:

• Sections of drywall are fixed from the corners on both sides using a mixture of PVA glue and water.
• Drywall is cut so that each next piece is smaller than the previous one.
• Work continues until the smallest fragment is installed.
• Self-tapping screws or anchors are used as additional fixation.

This is just a preparatory process. Further it will be even more difficult. The next step will require plaster and putty. Large expansions and other defects are covered with plaster, and a smooth arc is created with putty mortar. This is a rather painstaking work that requires the firm and experienced hand of a master, so it is better for a beginner to immediately purchase template blanks.

Step-by-step instruction

If you decide to carry out work on the installation of an arch in the hallway, in the kitchen or on the balcony, follow the recommendations below:

• Dismantle the old door and trim.
• Expand the doorway to the desired size.
• Trim the walls and patch up any imperfections.
• If the structure will be backlit, conduct the wiring.
• Take all measurements in different places to minimize errors.
• For uneven walls, select the arch depth at the thickest point.
• Do not be too lazy to make a sketch in full size (this will allow not only to carry out the installation of the arch as accurately as possible, but also to estimate in advance how the arch will look like).
• You need to start work on installing the supporting frame in the following sequence:
• Along the perimeter of the doorway, create a basic outline from the profile and fix it to the wall.
• Fix the frame system.

• Install the vertical guides with an indent from the plane of the interior surface by the thickness of the drywall and add 2 mm to the data (the margin is made for plaster).
• With plaster, the surface must be rolled out to maximum evenness.
• To create a semicircle from the profile, cuts are made on it with a step of 5-7 cm.
• When an ideal curve is formed from the profile, it is installed in the right place and fixed to the frame.
• For greater strength, the arc must be fixed with several hangers to the horizontal upper rail.
• Then the crossbars are installed in increments of 40-60cm.
• The result should be a structure of metal profiles in the shape of an arch for further cladding.

Finishing

When the arched frame is ready and sheathed, finishing work can begin. To do this, you need to glue the edges and joints of materials with paper specialized tape or fiberglass mesh. You will also need to apply at least 3 layers of putty and sand the structure. After you are convinced of the reliability of the formed structure, you can proceed by observing some of the recommendations below.

To do all the finishing work, you need to purchase an acrylic putty, which is intended for interior work. But, mind you, it is better to act with a special mass for drywall. Before use, the putty mixture is thoroughly stirred until smooth.

When starting work, put on gloves and other personal protective equipment! The putty is applied in linear movements with a rectangular trowel. In addition to filling all the irregularities and joints of materials with the putty, it must also be applied to the caps of the screws so that their edging does not appear. Similar actions are carried out until the surface is perfect.

After filling, you can start gluing the joint and edges in order to remove all kinds of irregularities and give the material strength. To do this, you can take a fiberglass mesh or paper tape, it all depends on your preference (both are good options). Cut a piece of the mesh and place it on the joint (in the very center), pressing it with your fingers into the not yet dried putty. Check if the tape is securely fixed and not wrinkled.

After all the joints have been processed with mesh, you can cover the curved parts of the arch with it. You need to do the work in a similar way. When the mesh forms folds during the processing of arcuate sections, they can be straightened by cutting the canvas with a sharp knife.

After drying, the putty will become snow-white. This will be a signal to take the sandpaper and go to smooth the surfaces. But, work carefully, do not remove too much putty, so as not to expose the mesh. For this work, use a respirator, because during the grinding of the surface there will be a lot of dust, which is very harmful to human lungs.

When all 3 layers of putty are applied, and the surface is cleaned, you need to wait about 12 hours for the structure to dry completely. Sand again with a fine grit to achieve a perfect finish. That's all, you can decorate the surface.

Arch decoration

It does not matter at all what material you used to install the arch, because even a brick arch made with your own hands needs a final design. To decorate the door vault, you can use the following techniques:

• Painting to match the walls.
• Sheathing with wood blocks (as an option, laminate, siding, etc. are often used for this).
• Wallpapering.
• Use an artificial stone based on gypsum.
• Decorate the structure with mirrors or mosaics (small pebbles, corks, glass, etc. can be used for mosaics).
• Use foam molding or surface painting.

Important! Try not to overdo it, so as not to clutter up the passage and not to mix the incompatible. It is worth noting that sometimes a simple paint job is enough to add elegance.

As you can see, there are a lot of finishing options, for which you can use not only natural materials. It all depends on the idea of ​​the designer and the wishes of the owners, as well as the general style of the room. The classic additional interior can be supplemented with stucco moldings, fabrics, so that everything is harmoniously combined together. The finishing of the columns looks no less laconic if clinker is glued to them.

Ready-made arch kits

If you are not confident in your own abilities, and the training video lessons from the Internet are not entirely clear to you, you can make your life much easier by buying a ready-made kit for forming an arch. Such kits can be made from different materials, have different designs, colors, designs and textures, which will allow each person to find the most suitable option. The most suitable option is a set of fiberboard or MDF. These materials are very similar to wood, but are less difficult to handle and install. The ready-made standard set of interior arch is included.

Modern design involves the use of various curvilinear structures that give an original and unique look to the room. And an honorable place among such decorative elements is occupied by an arched ceiling, with the help of which you can create a unique interior in an apartment. The use of an arch will visually expand the space of even a small room and it is interesting to divide the functional areas. And the built-in lamps in the body of the ceiling will add light and create a cozy atmosphere in the rooms.

Today, in hardware stores, you can purchase ready-made options for interior arched ceilings. However, you can dream up and build an arch according to your own preferences and taste. Moreover, thanks to modern building materials, making a door arch with your own hands is not difficult at all and even an inexperienced beginner can do it.

Which arch shape should you choose?

Before proceeding directly to construction work, you must first select the shape of the arch, which will look most advantageous in the interior of the room. There are several main types that are optimally suited to certain design solutions:

The familiar classic arch is an opening with a bend in half the width of the passage. Therefore, such a structure can only be made in a room with high ceilings.

Classic door arch - photo

• If the height of the room does not allow you to build a classic, you can arrange an opening in the Art Nouveau style. The bend of such an arch is performed with a lower steepness, which allows it to be built in rooms with ceilings below 3 m. In this case, the corners can be both rounded and sharp.
• For lovers of a simple, but at the same time sophisticated interior, the portal option is perfect. In fact, this is an ordinary opening with right angles, but stylishly designed in the form of the letter P. At the same time, the elements for its design can be of the most diverse forms.

Photo of a wide arch

If the room is large enough, and the passage is wide enough, you can build an arch in the romantic style. In this case, the upper arch lintel runs parallel to the ceiling surface, and only the corners are rounded.

Which form to choose primarily depends on the wishes of the owner of the premises. However, it is imperative to take into account the features of the room where it is planned to build an arched ceiling.

And most importantly, the chosen form directly depends on which building material it is better to make an arch. And the method of building a certain structure must be selected in accordance with the above parameters.

Variants and methods of constructing arches

After the shape of the arch has been chosen, it is necessary to decide how it is more convenient to make an arched ceiling. There are two main ways to build arches:

• Cut out a template from scrap material at a scale of 1: 1.
• Using the markings on the wall on both sides of the doorway.

The template is mainly used for installation from sheet materials: drywall, plywood or fiberboard. The markup is more convenient if an Art Nouveau arch and a portal are performed.

Regardless of which method was chosen, first of all, it is necessary to dismantle the door frame and expand the opening to the required dimensions.

Choosing materials for equipping arches

The question of which materials are best to use for equipping arches is also of great importance. Much depends not only on the design of the arch, but also on the experience in repair work. For example, when making an arch from brick or stone, you will need to be able to tie the masonry to the wall using reinforcement.

If there is no relevant experience, it is better to choose simpler methods that do not require specific knowledge in construction work.

Custom interior arch - photo

Most often, the interior arch today is made of drywall. This material is lightweight and easy to process, which allows you to assemble the structure yourself without the involvement of specialists.

Also, the arch can be built from plywood, fiberboard or other similar sheet material. Another option is to arrange an arched ceiling using wood.

How are interior arches mounted with your own hands from drywall? Basic moments

Do-it-yourself drywall interior arches are easy to install, and therefore are very popular. For fastening the material, aluminum profiles are used - guides and arched. Moreover, an arched metal profile can be purchased in a store, or you can save money and make it yourself. To do this, it is necessary to make strictly parallel cuts on the bar with a step of about 5 cm. After that, the metal profile is bent into the required arc.

The metal elements of the arch are mounted using self-tapping screws, and the resulting frame is sheathed with plasterboard:

• To do this, sheets of the required dimensions are cut from the drywall sheet according to a template and attached to a metal profile.
• The lower sheathing strip must first be bent. To do this, drywall is passed with a needle roller, slightly moistened with water and given the required shape. After the material has completely dried, it can be attached to the frame.

At the last stage, all surfaces are finished. If desired, the arch can be decorated with decorative elements.

Do-it-yourself door arch made of drywall - photo

Features of installing an interior arch with your own hands from fiberboard

Do-it-yourself interior arches from fiberboard are constructed in the same way as a plasterboard overlap. However, it should be borne in mind that the use of this material is recommended in rooms with low humidity. Unlike drywall, which is also waterproof, fiberboard absorbs moisture well from the air. Therefore, this material is not recommended for use when installing an arch between the room and the kitchen.

For the construction of a fiberboard arch, it is recommended to use a thin material 5-10 mm thick so that the structure is lightweight, and it is easy to bend the cladding material. However, for decorative items, it is better to take a thicker sheet. Otherwise, the cladding will look cheap and unattractive.

In the photo, an interior arch made of fiberboard

There is one more point worth mentioning. Use hot water and an iron to bend the bottom of the fiberboard arch.

The nuances of making an interior arch with your own hands from plywood

All of the above points also apply to making interior arches with your own hands from plywood. The only difference is that to bend the decorative elements of the plywood arch, it is better to use the following method: make longitudinal cuts to a depth of 2/3 of the sheet thickness. Then the plywood is folded over a pattern.

The use of sheet materials is convenient, first of all, because of them you can easily create a decorative element of almost any shape for an arched ceiling. In this case, the load on the wall or partition will be minimal, since all these building materials are quite lightweight.

Do-it-yourself interior arches made of wood. Great room for imagination

Do-it-yourself door arch made of wood - photo

When constructing interior arches with your own hands from wood, first of all, you need to pay special attention to the choice of material. Species such as oak, larch or pine are most suitable. These varieties are practically not subject to decay, therefore they are distinguished by their durability and reliability. However, in any case, after the construction of an arch made of wood, its surface must be additionally treated with an antiseptic and antifungal agent.

As a rule, the frame for a wooden arch is made from bars or planed boards. If necessary, you can use sheets of fiberboard or plywood.

Any type of arch can be made of wood, but the portal and romance look the most advantageous. Various decorative elements made of wood and veneer will also be relevant. Overhead pieces can liven up and decorate not only a doorway, but also a nearby wall.

Beautiful interior arch - photo

Arched doorways are a great architectural technique that can visually divide a room without installing doors. Thus, you can get away from standard solutions that are used in construction.

The arches have a round or lancet outline and serve to change the interior, as well as its visual expansion. During the design of the doorway, you can use ready-made arch elements and simply install them.

In the article, we will talk about how to make an arch out of plywood with our own hands, and demonstrate a photo and video instruction.

In order to convert a doorway from plywood into an arched doorway, you will need to measure the height of the ceiling, the size of the opening and the thickness of the wall. This data is used in the development of the sketch.

It is quite possible to make an arch with platbands, with pilasters imitating columns, from plywood, but at the same time, one must take into account the mandatory presence of special tools and the ability to use them.

There are several ways to make an arch yourself. Read about them below.

The first way

Consider a simpler method, for which you need the most common tool that is in any home, as well as the most available materials:

• plywood sheet, the width of which is equal to the width of the future structure;
• polyurethane foam;
• self-tapping screws, fasteners;
• dry mix.

The idea is very simple:

• The plywood must be moistened, then it becomes pliable, and it is much easier to work with it (if it is not moistened, it will pop out and it will be more difficult to install it).
• After the sheet is wet, the plywood must be bent into a roll (the coveted semicircle is obtained) and placed in the opening. The edges should be ground at an angle so that the base does not stand out from the general background, after covering with decorative trim.

• After installing the semicircle of the arch in the doorway, the sheet must be fixed, and, if necessary, the corners must be sealed to one plane of the walls.
• Having done this work, you need to insert spacers on the right and left, then the plywood will approach the semicircle.
• The corners can be closed with plasterboard inserts, but an easier way can be used - fill with polyurethane foam. Foam tends to expand, which plays into our hands, making the shapes of the bends even.
• When the foam has dried, the excess must be cut off, then the wall is perfectly smooth. Then the surface of the cut foam must be treated with a putty, which is designed to level the walls and prepare them for painting or wallpapering.
• Then you can start directly decorative finishing work.

If desired, you can protect the decorative corners using a plastic corner protector. This material can be found in a variety of colors and designs.

Take a piece of paper or cardboard and draw an arc of the arch. Fold two sheets of plywood together, draw the resulting outlines of the arch and carefully cut a semicircle with a jigsaw. Clean the edges of the saw so that there are no chips and splinters. The sheets on both sides of the opening must be attached with dowels.

Plywood semicircles installed in the doorway form a void. There are several options for filling them out. Can be installed across:

• planks;
• lining;
• narrow wooden slats;
• thin plywood;
• Fiberboard (fiberboard).

If the lining or slats are varnished, then it will turn out to be quite decorative.

For wallpaper or painting, the gaps between the boards must be putty and plaster, then the inner surface of the arch will become smooth.

In order for the arch in the opening to be absolutely smooth, you can apply a mesh under the plaster. There is a dissolving plastering tape on sale, which dissolves after applying the mortar and the surface becomes even and smooth.

Third manufacturing method

This option is more complicated and requires special work skills and a special tool. You will need the following tools:

• manual milling machine;
• drill;
• jigsaw;
• screwdriver.

Make vertical posts. Any platband can be used, even from MDF.

Using wooden platbands with a thickness of 16 millimeters, make grooves for the thickness of the plywood with a hand router with a thin finger cutter, while making an indent from the leading edge of 4-6 millimeters.

The depth of the groove should be approximately 6-8 millimeters, and the width of the groove can be 4-6 millimeters (when using a thinner platband, difficulties arise when installing the arched lintel from above).

Install and glue plywood into the grooves made. In order to make the upper part of the arch, you need to take a sheet of paper or cardboard and draw the arc of the arch. We apply the resulting contour to the joinery board 16 millimeters thick and cut out two platbands with a jigsaw.

In the platbands, we make grooves for the thickness of the plywood with a hand milling cutter with a thin finger cutter and fasten them to each other on the spikes. Plywood is also installed and glued into the grooves made. To join the arch and vertical posts, install two dowels in the upper part, and close the outer assembly place with a cornice, which must be made from the same profile as the plinth.

Thus, you figured out how to make a plywood arch on your own and you can safely translate this idea into reality.