How to make a rectangular opening from an arch. How to make an arch from plasterboard? Preparing drywall using the “dry” method

One way to increase your living space is to remove the doors. But there is not always the opportunity or desire to break down the walls. Then the former doorway is designed in the form of an arch. Another option for using arched openings is to divide a long corridor into zones, breaking up the too simple geometry. When making repairs on your own, arches are most often made from plasterboard: it’s easiest to make them yourself.

Types of arches

Interior or corridor arches can have different shapes. They differ mainly in the shape of the upper part and sometimes in the way they are connected to the vertical parts. Their main types are presented in the photo.

This group lacks one of the most popular recently - the half-arch. They have a rounded corner only on one side, on the other it remains straight. This is where the name came from - semi-arch. It looks good in modern interiors: minimalism, hi-tech, maybe art deco.

The classic is distinguished by the correct shape of the top. This is strictly a semicircle, the radius of which is equal to half the width of the doorway. This type looks good with an opening height of at least 2.5 m. It fits well into any interior, but looks best in a long corridor, or instead of the entrance door to the kitchen.

An arched opening in the Modern style is distinguished by a small radius of curvature and a sharp transition at the junction with the vertical components of the opening. It looks good if the walls and ceiling have a more or less simple design. Looks great in place of the former balcony door, good at the entrance to the office.

The “Romantic” style arch is more likely to be simply rounded corners (mostly masters call it that). Looks good with a large width and not the greatest height.

The “romantic” shape is good with large width and small height

The “ellipse” shape is very close to “romance”. It differs only in greater curvature in the middle part. Also suitable for low and wide openings. It just looks a little softer.

Trapezoid is a non-standard design consisting of broken lines. It is difficult to use in the interior, therefore it is used infrequently: for some non-standard designs.

One of the design options is trapezoid

It is very similar to an ordinary opening, and that is essentially what it is, only without the door leaf. For greater originality, it is often accompanied by wooden carved elements in the form of columns on the sides. In this form it is good for classical interiors, as well as ethno-style - Greek or Roman, depending on the type of columns.

For decoration in modern styles, they use another example - next to the main arch, smaller portals are located. This technique allows you to “beat” a simple form.

Another version of the “portal” arch

Before you start making an arch, you need to decide on its parameters. select the type, and then the parameters: where it will start, and what the radius of curvature will be. It could be a really sharp bend, or it could just be some rounding of the corners.

To understand how your chosen shape will look, you can cut out a template from cardboard and attach it to the doorway. Evaluate the effect. If everything suits you, you can make a blank using this template. But only one - for one of the sides of the opening. The second one needs to be done in place, otherwise it will turn out crooked.

Step-by-step instructions with photos: the fastest way

Do-it-yourself plasterboard arches are made in different ways. This one takes a minimal amount of time. Having decided on the shape, we proceed to installation. We attach the frame to the prepared opening, cleared of peeling plaster and relatively leveled, according to the dimensions of the future arch. It is made from a drywall profile or a dry wooden block of a suitable size. Sometimes, if the wall is narrow, you can only choose wood.

To begin, we cut out a rectangle from drywall to the size of the future arch, find its middle, mark it, and then temporarily screw it into place. We retreat from the edge 12.5 mm - the thickness of the plasterboard sheet. If the adjacent walls are already plastered, add a couple more millimeters of putty so that the surface can be leveled.

Now we take a piece of profile or hard corner and set aside half the width of the opening from one edge. At this point we make a hole in the corner and insert a nail into it. We stick this nail into the middle of the doorway we marked earlier on the sheet. It turns out to be a kind of compass, with which it is easy to draw an ideal line.

Device for outlining an arc

By changing the mounting height you can get a more or less high arch. If you need a flatter curve, increase the length of the “compass”.

Having removed the sheet, we cut out an arc along the outlined contour. This can be done with a special drywall saw, a metal saw with a fine tooth for a smoother edge, or a jigsaw (there will be a lot of dust). If the cut is not very even, smooth it out using sandpaper attached to a grater. With this device we achieve a perfectly even curve of the shape we need. We fasten the cut fragment of the arch - the side wall - back into place.

If everything is smooth, there are no distortions or irregularities, on the other side of the opening we attach the same sheet of drywall as a few steps earlier - a rectangle or square, depending on the shape. It must be fixed strictly vertically. Now we transfer the shape of the arch onto it. We take a square, at a right angle and press one side against the drywall, onto which we transfer the arch, and the other side against the arch. Having aligned the square perpendicularly, mark a point with a pencil. We make such points along the entire arc. The more often they are done, the easier it will be to draw the line and the more accurate the match will be - the less you will have to grind down.

Why is it so difficult and not just to make a copy of the first sheet? Because few openings are symmetrical. As a result, installing the second sheet so that the lines of the arch coincide is very problematic.

Having marked all the points, remove the sheet, draw a line, and cut along it. We install it in its original place. Now we take the smoother again with sandpaper and now we smooth both edges until they match completely. One point - the trowel should be wider than the opening so that both walls of the arch are captured in one pass.

We measure the length of the arc, cut out a piece of the profile of the same length, make notches on the walls every 3-4 cm. This tape will need to be secured along the arch arch on one side and the other.

We fasten it with self-tapping screws, carefully, pressing the profile and holding it with a block, not with your fingers: it’s easy to get the screw into your fingers. By the way, you need to wear gloves when working with the cut profile. If you don’t, you’ll definitely cut your hands.

By the way, the back of the profile can be aligned along the edge - it’s easier to work this way, but the joint will still have to be sealed later. Screw the strip to the other side in the same way.

This is a bottom view - profiles are attached to the sides

There is a second way to attach the profile - attach it to a quick-setting universal glue, such as liquid nails. This method is acceptable if the opening width is small. If the arch is thick, the glue may not be able to withstand the mass of drywall that will be attached from below.

The next step is to attach the jumpers. First, the depth of the arch is lost, 1-1.5 cm is subtracted from it. This will be the length of the lintels. Cut profile pieces of this length.

Jumpers are cut from the same profile

At the places where the jumpers are attached, the “petals” are cut off, and the prepared fragment is installed and secured. It should not rest against the walls, it should be located approximately 5 mm from the back. Jumpers are needed to make the structure more rigid, otherwise it “walks” when pressed.

Next, you need to cut out a rectangle from drywall that will cover the structure from below. Its width is determined simply - from the outer edge of one sheet of plasterboard to the outer edge of the second sheet. The length is measured with a flexible tape (can be a tailor's tape) or a tape measure with an assistant. We attach this sheet with self-tapping screws to the arch frame. The sheet has to be bent, but read how to do this a little lower - closer to the end of the article.

Arched opening made of plasterboard: second method (photo report)

This method is good if the thickness of the partition is small: try attaching the profiles if the gap between them is several centimeters, and then attach the jumpers. It all starts the same way: the first wall of the arch is cut out, attached and transferred to the second sheet.

Afterwards, wooden crossbars are cut along the width of the gap between the two sheets, which are attached along the edge of the arch with self-tapping screws.

The cut strip of drywall is fastened starting from one of the sides. To make it more convenient, you can fix it with clamps, since the thickness of the wall is small. When attaching the strip, you can use the self-tapping screws that were used to fasten the bars. This way you will definitely hit the crossbar.

Then all that remains is to secure a special perforated corner in the corner and smooth out the unevenness.

A corner is attached to the arch arch, everything is puttied

It is also more convenient to smooth the dried putty along the arch arch with the entire plane of sandpaper attached to a grater. It’s unpleasant that dust falls into your eyes, making it almost impossible to work without glasses.

How to make an arch instead of a door: method three - typesetting technique

Another way to make arches from plasterboard with your own hands is by typesetting. The arch is divided into segments and assembled from pieces that create a curvature close to the required one.

They are attached to putty diluted with a mixture of PVA and water. This batch dries quickly, so first we cut the plates and try them on. You can fold it on a table, but the arch will turn out upside down, but it will allow you to evaluate how correctly the plates are assembled.

Then the plates begin to be attached to the opening, periodically strengthening them with self-tapping screws for reliability. Place washers under the heads so as not to push through the cardboard. Remove excess putty immediately. If it gets stuck, it’s impossible to tear it off. The finished surface is treated with a primer to improve adhesion (adhesion), and then puttied, leveling the arch. To make it easier to display, you can use a template attached on both sides.

Making sharp bends using this technology is not easy, but for rounded corners and semi-arches it is a great way to do without profiles.

How to bend drywall

One important detail: standard wall plasterboard does not bend well. For curved surfaces, they specially came up with thin ones - 6 and 6 mm thick. This bent part is easier to make from it. With a slight curvature, such a thin sheet can bend easily and without tricks. If you don’t want to buy thin GVL, there are two ways to bend the standard one.

First- take a needle roller and roll the cut section well on one side. You need to roll with force so that the plaster breaks. Then the leaf is soaked in water and left for two to three hours. After such procedures, it should bend quite well. You take it, fix it on one side, and gradually press it against the arch frame, bend it, gradually screwing it along the edges with self-tapping screws. The method is not bad, but if there is a lack of experience and insufficient processing of the gypsum, the sheet may burst. You will either have to mask the gap later, or start over.

Second way to bend drywall: on one side, make notches with a knife approximately every 4-5 cm. The notches should cut the paper. This strip is also gradually fixed, breaking the plaster as necessary. It bursts along the cut lines with light pressure.

Video on the topic

An arch as an element of building architecture is intended to divide a room into zones without using a door. Recent years have been marked by the active use of these structural elements. Such an elegant device can enhance and decorate any home and save living space, which is especially important for small spaces. They can often be seen in hallways, kitchens and between other rooms. How to make an arch at home? To do this, it is necessary to study the features of installation work.

This covering can be purchased ready-made or made by yourself. The shape of such vaults is also different: from classical options to modernist designs. In the process of their production, various building materials are taken: brick, stone, metal, wood, PVC, fiberboard, chipboard, gypsum board, plywood. The most popular are plasterboard sheets. They are flexible and easy to install.

Preparatory work

To understand how to make an arch, it is important to carry out installation one by one. First, the designated space is measured: its width and height are determined.

When starting to build an arc, it is worth considering the fact that the door plane will decrease by 10-15 cm. These indicators relate to height. Later, this space can be lined with decorative inserts made of ordinary foam plastic.

Its width is measured and divided by two. These numbers will be necessary to ensure that the traditional semicircle turns out smooth and symmetrical.

These data are equal to the internal distance corresponding to the opposite sides of space. At the beginning of the work, you should decide on the shape of the structure.

Traditionally, semicircular samples or gypsum board sheets are installed, which will be discussed below. Find out how to make an arch correctly below. To begin with, you should focus on the verticality of the surface, otherwise the design will look ugly and one-sided.

If the need arises, the internal plane should be leveled using plaster or putty, focusing on the installed beacons.

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Necessary attributes for work

The following list of accessories will allow you to carry out installation on your own:

1. Guide view profile.
2. Rack profile.
3. Dowel with a screw for fastening a profile frame for concrete and brick walls.
4. Self-tapping screws for wooden surfaces and fastening gypsum board sheets.
5. GKL sheets.
6. Self-tapping screws with press washer.
7. Roller with needles.
8. Special corner with perforations.
9. Latex putty for gypsum boards.
10. Jigsaw.
11. Stationery knife.

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Installing Arch Facial Components

You can get an answer to the question of how to make an arch, starting with cutting out the façade structural elements. The main problem during this period is that you need to get two identical elements, regardless of the material from which the vault is made. Marking and cutting for each of them is carried out according to the same pattern.

An even semicircle can be made in different ways. For example, by using any devices. As such samples, you can take strong and elastic twine and a simple pencil.

1. The rope is tied to a rod.
2. The center of the circle is marked. To correctly determine the radius, you need to remember the number that was obtained during previous measurements.
3. So, if the width is 1 m, then the required figure will correspond to 50 cm.
4. 60 cm is laid off from one of the edges of the sheet and a line is drawn. The distance from the top of the opening to the top of the future arch corresponds to 10-15 cm.
5. The gypsum board is cut based on the width of the door plane. So, in this version it is equal to 100 cm.
6. Then, on the designated straight line, a border corresponding to 50 cm is marked on each side. These indicators indicate the boundaries of the hemisphere.
7. Using a pencil and string, 0.5 m of the length of the rope is marked and the last marks of the hemisphere are drawn. The result was an analogue of a homemade compass. As a result of using such a device, a circle with smooth edges is formed.
8. According to the markings, a semicircle is cut using a jigsaw or a stationery knife. Its width is 1 m and its height is 60 cm.

The profile for the arch opening is cut to obtain the required bend.

The arch is made in a different way using a long and flexible element. To do this, you can take a plastic panel or a flexible plinth.

1. A rectangular base measuring 100 × 60 (65) cm is cut out. Next, 50 cm is measured from each side and 2 lines are drawn. The place of their intersection is indicated by a dot.
2. The drywall sheet is bent on both sides according to the width of the future opening. It turns out to be a semicircle. The volumetric part corresponds to the previously designated points, the ends should be in contact with the ends of the rectangular base in the lower part.
3. The finished vault is drawn and cut out.

The second method of making arches requires the involvement of an additional person. Taking accurate measurements alone will not be easy.

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Erection of the frame on the arch

You can make this important element in the house by preparing a metal profile. Marking guides oriented to the width of the opening. Here these figures correspond to 1000 mm. They are fixed on any side. They are secured to concrete and brick with dowel screws; for wooden surfaces, special self-tapping screws are used.

In order for the structure to be in the same plane as the wall, the frame should be fixed 12 mm inside the opening.

As soon as the gypsum board sheets are fixed and putty is applied, the base will become even.

Fastening is carried out on either side of both side parts of the frame. The length of such elements corresponds to 600 mm.

The bottom of the profile is cut at an angle. Fixing arch parts to the frame with self-tapping screws for metal bases.

By removing swing doors, owners increase the usable area. Installing a plasterboard arch instead is the simplest and most affordable option.

Types of arched structures - choose for your apartment

Drywall arches are created in a variety of shapes, differing mainly in the upper part. Many styles have been developed - from the simplest to the complex. We will focus on those that even people without special skills can do. Having mastered the basics of creating arched openings, you can move on to more sophisticated designs.

One of the popular styles is classic with a strict top shape. This is a semicircle with a radius equal to half the width of the doorway. It looks good in an apartment of sufficient height, when the doorway is not lower than 2.5 m. Suitable for any interior, but the best use is the entrance to the kitchen or a long corridor.

The portal is close to the classical style, but has a strict rectangular shape along its entire height. The option is ideal for wooden houses and apartments with clear horizontal and vertical lines. Right angles in this design look elegant. Often they add additional originality with wooden decorative elements with carvings.

The style of the classic semicircular arch in the elliptical one is practically preserved. Its arch is made of different heights. Formula: the height of the arch is equal to half the width, does not apply. Ideal for apartments with low ceilings.

An even more simplified vault is characteristic of the romantic style. The craftsmen gave it the name “with rounded corners”. The shape allows you to create structures that are large and relatively low. Ideal for decorating a passage to a balcony connected to a room.

The top of the modern style arch has a small radius of curvature and a sharp transition at the junction with the vertical parts. Looks good in rooms with a simple design. Often installed instead of a door on a balcony or in an office.

The trapezoidal shape attracts supporters of non-standard design. The asymmetrical interior arch also emphasizes the originality of the owners’ taste. A popular form of recent times is the semi-arch. One side is semicircular, the other remains straight. Fits into modern styles of minimalism, hi-tech, art decor.

The shape and design must be consistent with the overall design. The width of the arch and the height of the room are taken into account. Before making the arch, we determine the parameters, especially those related to the radius of curvature. Classic is suitable for apartments with ceilings of three meters or more. For arches in place of standard doorways, rounded corners are recommended. It is better to decorate a wide opening in Art Nouveau style.

Tip: to visually assess how the door arch will fit into the interior, we make a template and apply it to the doorway.

Preparation - design, materials, opening, installation of profiles

We start with a project that we draw to scale. We outline the location and type of the arch. We indicate the dimensions and all distinctive features. It’s even better to make a template that will help for further work, especially for a novice master.

The work will require tools: a hammer drill with a drill, a screwdriver or drill, a jigsaw, a drywall knife, a hammer. For measurements you will need a tape measure and a level. We fasten everything with self-tapping screws, if the opening is brick - with dowels. We purchase UD and CD profiles from materials. For a wooden frame you will need pieces of timber. We buy simple plasterboard for ordinary rooms, and moisture-resistant one for places with high humidity.

Next we prepare the doorway: dismantle the door leaf and frame. Depending on the intended size, the space may need to be expanded. There is no need to plaster the sides: everything will be covered with sheets of drywall. We remove the peeling plaster and level the side parts. We do not achieve a perfectly vertical state: it is important that the sidewalls are more or less even for reliable fastening of the profile slats.

If we plan lighting, we install the wiring in advance. On uneven walls, the depth of the arch is determined by its greatest thickness. We take all measurements in several places to avoid mistakes. An arched vault takes up to 15 cm, and the distance to the ceiling is required to be at least 20. Do not forget about this when calculating and marking the arch.

We cut two pieces of metal profile according to the width of the arch. Four more will be needed for the sides. Their length is equal to the height minus the thickness of the profile rail. To install on a concrete or brick wall, we make holes with a puncher, install dowels, and screw the profiles with self-tapping screws. To attach to wooden walls, we do without dowels and use self-tapping screws 50 mm long.

We retreat from the plane of the wall to a distance equal to the thickness of the drywall. For plaster, add another 2 mm. After 50 cm, we install reinforcing crossbars that reach from below to the place where the upper arc-shaped piece of drywall will join the sidewalls. To attach the arcuate element, you will need to install additional profiles, but we will not install them at this stage. We now have a base to which we will attach the casing.

Installation of an arch is the main method for creating any structures

For some reason, many people have particular difficulty with the arched part. You can read many instructions on how to make it with calculations and formulas. Maybe math lovers use them, but in practice everything turns out much simpler; you don’t need to remember the school course.

We take a piece of plasterboard, equal in width to the doorway, from which we will cut an arc. You will need a straight, preferably a wooden strip, at one end of which we drive a nail. Find the middle on the sheet and draw a line. For a classic arch, we also drive a nail from the second end of the rail at a length from the first, equal to half the width of the arch.

We step back along the center line from the top of the sheet so that the top nail is at its edge, and press the bottom nail into the drywall. We came up with a kind of compass. We take the top of the plank and draw a semicircle, leaving a mark from the top nail. We have outlined the dimensions of the top part of the classic arch. If you need an oval one, move the lower point along the axis downwards, as far as you want to reduce the height, and draw a cutting line.

We cut the arc along the intended contour. We do this using a drywall or metal saw. You can use a jigsaw, but it creates a lot of dust. We smooth out any uneven cut that may occur with sandpaper, ensuring that the curve comes out in an ideal shape.

We carry out further actions in the following sequence:

1. 1. Use self-tapping screws to attach a rectangle with a cut out arc to the frame. Temporarily screw the same one on the opposite side.
2. 2. Take a square, place it on an unmarked piece of paper and use a pencil to mark the points that correspond to the cut out arc. We make them larger so that we can draw the most accurate curve possible on them.
3. 3. Remove a piece of sheet and draw a line at the points. We cut off the excess and install the second arc in its permanent place.

A copy of the first arc should not be made: asymmetry is possible, so installing a second sheet with an absolute coincidence of the contours is problematic.

We take a smoothing iron so that its width is enough for two sheets, and align them. Then we install profiles between them. They need to be bent. We make cuts in the sides with scissors, bend them, and adjust them to fit. We fasten it to the drywall with self-tapping screws, holding the strip with a block so as not to injure your fingers. We set the back of the profile rail at the same level with the edge of the arcuate element.

Having attached both strips, we install jumpers between them. We cut the profile into pieces with a length that is 1 cm less than the depth of the arch. In the places where the jumpers are attached to the installed profile, we cut out the sidewalls from the inside and install the prepared fragments. The jumpers provide the necessary rigidity.

Next, we attach the sidewalls on both sides. The arc also needs to be covered with plasterboard. To do this you will have to bend it. This may seem impossible to the ignorant, because they are convinced that standard gypsum board is both fragile and rigid - it does not want to bend and breaks. We'll talk about how to give it the desired bend ahead.

Technology of working with drywall - how bends are made

For surfaces with curved lines, thin drywall is available. You can buy a sheet and install the required length. But the logic kicks in: why buy a whole one if you only need a small piece, which is full of purchased sheets of standard thickness? In general, everything is correct: a thick piece of paper can also be bent.

Usually a simple and fast method is used. Place the piece cut to size on a flat surface, face up. Take a square and draw lines 10 cm across with a pencil. We make cuts along them, approximately ⅔ of the thickness. The angle is not required, but desirable: a parallel bend will be of better quality. For arches with large bends, this method is most suitable.

We turn the workpiece over with the cuts facing up and apply it to the arch. We fix the upper part with self-tapping screws. From the center we gradually move towards the end. We screw in the screws every 10 cm on both sides. Little effort is required, the sequence is mirror-image. We do everything gradually, slowly, then the gypsum board will bend almost perfectly.

For those who do not like or do not know how to plaster, another method is recommended. After all, more than one layer of plaster will have to be applied to drywall bent using the previous method. A very steep bend using the proposed method, which is called wet, is difficult to obtain, but possible. Its advantages are that the bent fragment remains intact; there is no need to mask the damage with plaster: a regular finishing layer is applied.

You'll have to buy a roller with needles and make a template for bending. No special skills are required, but the process is lengthy and technological breaks must be observed. We do it as follows:

1. 1. Cut out semicircle templates from fairly hard material. We install them vertically and fasten them together.
2. 2. Lay a sheet of drywall of the required size on a plane and roll it with a roller. Wet it with water, but not too much, so that it seems slightly damp.
3. 3. After 10 minutes of exposure, place the workpiece on the template - the unrolled side is below. The workpiece itself begins to sag, we carefully help without applying excessive force.
4. 4. We wait about half an hour until moisture is felt to the touch. There is no need to wait any longer, it may dry out and the fragility will return.

Plaster and design – we give the product a finished look

A frame covered with plasterboard is a semi-finished product; it would have been better not to start without a high-quality finish at the finish. Many people don’t like this stage - it’s better to cut, drill, and fasten than to deal with mortar and sandpaper. Yes, the work is not easy, but necessary, since we decided to do everything with our own hands.

First, apply the primer and let it dry. Those who ignore this stage, wanting to save money and time, are wrong. It is the primer layer that allows the plaster to reliably adhere to the surface and not be torn away over time. We use acrylic putty, but it is better to apply a special one for drywall joints on the seams. It is more durable and does not crack later.

We seal joints, possible defects on drywall and screw heads. We try not to apply a lot of putty, otherwise we will have to remove it later. We pass with a spatula, taking away the excess. To hide unevenness, add strength, and prevent cracking, we cover the joints with fiberglass mesh. We apply pieces of the required length onto fresh putty. Make sure there are no folds. If you can’t align it, it’s better to tear it off and try again.

We cover the bend of the arch with mesh. There will definitely be folds here. To eliminate them, we cut the mesh in these places and glue it. Immediately apply the second layer over the mesh. We wait until it dries: it will become completely white. We smooth the surfaces with sandpaper. Do not overdo it: the mesh should not be exposed. If this happens in some places, it is undesirable, but not scary.

Clean off any dust and apply the next layer over the entire surface. Again, wait until it dries and sand, but with finer-grain paper. Apply the finishing coat to a thoroughly cleaned surface. We wait long enough for the putty to dry well. The next day we start sanding using the finest sandpaper.

Sometimes painting an arch is enough to give it a finished and elegant look. But many want to achieve originality using the following techniques:

• sheathed with wood or plastic;
• cover with wallpaper, veneer;
• we use artificial stone finishing;
• decorate with mirrors, mosaics;
• decorate with stucco molding, columns;
• we arrange lighting.

You can use any option, the main thing is harmony with the overall style.

How to make an arch in a doorway? This question interests many owners of apartments and private houses.

It should be noted right away that an arched opening can look ideal only in rooms with high ceilings.

With low ceilings, such a structure visually significantly reduces the opening. Therefore, you should think carefully before deciding to build an arch. If you accept it, then you can find a lot of materials to implement your idea.

Methods for constructing arches

How to make an arch instead of doors? Today there are such ways to create arches:

1. For an arched opening, the wall is hollowed out according to pre-made markings. This method is more suitable for rooms with not very high ceilings.
2. If the ceilings and doorways are of sufficient height, their upper part is sealed with pieces of plasterboard or plywood to give them an arched shape.

When chiseling a wall proceed as follows:

1. All decorative trim must be removed, including the door frame.
2. From the floor itself, a vertical line is marked on both sides of the opening to the height of the future arch. For accurate markings, use a level or plumb line.
3. The width of the marked opening is measured and divided in half. The result is the radius of the arch.
4. The center of the arch is marked on the upper horizontal line. A screw, self-tapping screw or nail is fixed to this point.
5. A strong thread is tied to the screw, the other end is attached to a pencil. The excess thread is wound around the pencil, leaving a length equal to the radius of the arch.
6. A mark is made on the vertical line from the center point downwards at a radius distance.
7. A semicircle of the upper part of the arch is outlined.
8. On the other side of the wall, the marking operations are repeated.

Now you can start chiseling using a hammer drill or other tool. The choice of tool depends on the wall material. It is recommended to drill as many holes as possible along the intended contour. They will help in the chiselling process. An opening in a wooden wall is cut out with a jigsaw or a hacksaw with a narrow blade. The final stage of the preparatory work is processing the edges of the resulting opening and decorating it with prepared materials.

With high ceilings, you can make a door arch if you follow this sequence of actions:

1. The frame of the future arch is assembled in the opening from wooden or metal profiles.
2. Marking is done on drywall or other material from which rectangles need to be cut. Their width is equal to the radius of the arch, their length is equal to the width of the opening. Using a large compass or thread and a pencil, the upper arcs of the arch are marked and cut out with a jigsaw.
3. The resulting blanks are attached to the frame with hardened self-tapping screws. Their caps are recessed 0.5-1 mm into the drywall.
4. The end of the opening is sealed. This can be done using fiberboard. This material bends quite well. You can use a strip of plasterboard 8 mm thick. It is rolled several times with a needle roller and sprinkled with water. Punctures are made to a depth of up to half the thickness of the drywall sheet.
5. If there is no needle roller, punctures can be made with an ordinary awl. The distance between them is about 1 cm. They are made only on the side where the part will be bent. After some time (about 1-1.5 hours), the plaster gets wet and the strip bends quite easily. It is better to bend it on a wooden or plasterboard template. After drying, it becomes hard again.
6. Drywall is puttied and the arch is decorated at your discretion.

Arch configurations

An arch in a house gives the rooms a certain personality. There are many configurations and forms of arched openings. Let's look at some of them:

1. The classic version is suitable for rooms with a height of 3 m. A regular-shaped arch has a bending radius of 45 cm or more. If you add it to the height of the doorway, then the total height of the room simply may not be enough.
2. The Art Nouveau arch is often erected in standard apartments. Its radius exceeds the width of the doorway, so there are angles between the vertical elements and the arc. They can be made sharp or rounded.
3. Romantic style is an arch option for large openings. There can be a horizontal insert between the rounded corners, or it can be installed at an angle.

The configuration of the arch depends on the desire and aesthetic taste of the owner of the home. An arched opening can be wavy, polygonal, illuminated, with various niches and shelves, with stained glass windows and so on.

Materials for arch equipment

An arched opening can be made from monolithic concrete, plastic, brick, metal, wood, chipboard, fiberboard, plywood, plasterboard sheets and other materials. When using brick, concrete or stone, their weight must be taken into account. Such structures may require a special foundation and reinforcement elements for connection with the walls.

Metal is a material that fits into any style. But not every metal is suitable for these purposes. The stainless steel option is very expensive. Galvanized iron does not look good in interior spaces. It is quite difficult to make complex figures from metal.

Wood is a beautiful natural material. It requires virtually no additional finishing.

The best materials to process and allow arches of any shape to be made are plasterboard, fiberboard and particle board. These building materials can be finished with plaster, painted, covered with a layer of decorative or ordinary plaster, covered with wallpaper, or faced with decorative stone.

Plastic is a material that is easy to process. Plastic structures do not require additional processing and finishing.

For the design of arches, ready-made structures from different materials are also sold.

1. The appearance of the arch should correspond to the overall design of the room. Each side of the opening can be designed differently.
2. Any work on the construction of arched openings begins with dismantling the door frame.
3. For convenience and to speed up the marking process, it is recommended to use a full-size template. It can be made from cardboard.
4. When constructing curved frame elements from metal profiles, slots are made on them that allow the workpiece to be bent. The slots are made in increments of about 5 cm.
5. For work, a drill or hammer drill, a hammer, iron scissors and a hacksaw are usually used. Sometimes other tools may be needed.
6. The frame is attached 10-12 mm deep into the doorway so that the drywall attached to it is flush with the wall after puttying.
7. The mounted structure is sanded and puttied. You can cover surfaces and corners with fiberglass mesh.

When you get an apartment, you undoubtedly want to make it cozier, more comfortable and larger. Nowadays, one of the ways to make your home appear larger is to create arches instead of doors.

Various photos of arches show how diverse they are and how much they change the appearance of a home. How to make an arch with your own hands will be briefly described below.

Types of arches

An arch is an opening in a wall that does not have a ceiling in the form of a door. Their types differ only in the upper part, or more precisely in how the corners are constructed (straight, rounded or curly).

In the modern world there are 7 types of arches:

• classic;
• "modern";
• "romance";
• ellipse;
• trapezoid;
• "portal";
• semi-arch.

The first four types have rounded corners and differ only in the shape of the rounding.

So a classic arch is a semicircle with a radius of half the width of the opening; “modern” has a small corner radius; “romantic” and ellipse are similar to each other and represent ordinary rounded corners.

The trapezoid and the portal are another matter. These two types use sharp corners. In a trapezoid, the top accordingly represents this figure, and the “portal” is an ordinary opening without a door.

However, even an unremarkable “portal” can be made to sparkle with new colors, giving the supports the appearance of columns in the ancient style (Greek or Roman).

Although the trapezoid is a rather unusual solution, it is not suitable for any style, so it is used much less often than other arch options.

The last type is a semi-arch, as the name implies, it consists of 1 rounded and 1 right angle. This type of arch began to be used recently, but it has already gained popularity.

It is up to you to decide which arch to install in your apartment, but we will dwell in more detail on arches made of plasterboard, as the most convenient material for construction.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an arch

We choose the future shape of the arch. It is important that it matches the overall style of the premises that will connect.

We clean the opening from the plaster and level it. It’s simple here - the cleaner the surface of the work, the more reliable the fastening.

We fasten the arch frame. We construct the frame itself from a profile (possibly from wooden blocks).

We attach a cut out plasterboard arch (one side) to the frame. To get the arch of the desired type, we make a hole in the middle of the plasterboard base for a nail. We tie a string to it and get a homemade compass. Now, by changing the length of the rope, you can change the radius of rounding of the corners and their appearance.

We apply drywall on the other side and mark an arch on it, like a stencil, then cut it out and attach it to the frame.

Under no circumstances should this be done on the floor, since the opening is usually asymmetrical, which has the most detrimental effect on the accuracy of the one-to-one markings.

Note!

We measure the resulting arc and use the profile to make a tape for fastening. After this, we attach the resulting tape to the arch arch using self-tapping screws.

We install jumpers. Their size is calculated simply: the depth of the arch is minus 1.5 centimeters, the material of manufacture is a metal profile, less often wood. We attach a sheet of drywall to the end of the opening with self-tapping screws.

We carry out finishing work (smoothing with putty, filling in possible holes, painting or gluing wallpaper).

Other ways to make an arch

You can also make an arch in the opening in two other ways. The difference between these methods of creating an arch is in the fastening of drywall.

In the second option, it is attached to the jumpers not with a whole sheet, but with specially cut pieces (set) using a special solution (water, putty plus PVA glue) and this must be done without delay, since the solution hardens very quickly.

Note!

The third option involves wooden lintels mounted on glue. Drywall in the opening to the lintels is also glued.

How to bend drywall?

In addition, the question may arise: how to bend drywall? Thin cardboard (6 mm) is best suited for this.

And there are at least 2 ways to bend it:
Method 1 - roll a roller on cardboard to break the plaster in it, soak it in water and gradually screw it to the tape with self-tapping screws.

Method 2 – make cuts on the drywall every 4-5 centimeters. When you attach it to the end of the opening, the material will burst at the places where the cuts are made and will adhere better to the wall surface.

We wish you good luck in completing your work!

Photo of the arch with your own hands

Note!