How to make an interior arch with your own hands: step-by-step instructions with photos and videos. How to make an arch in an apartment with your own hands, and what materials are needed How to make a large arch from plasterboard

]]> ]]> An arch is an effective and very common way to enliven an interior, to bring freshness and originality into it. A beautiful arch will highlight the beauty of your home and make it original. The huge variety of shapes and extraordinary visual solutions inspires many to the idea of ​​making an arch themselves, and then the search for information begins on the topic: how to make an arch with your own hands.
Even such seemingly complex plasterboard structures can be made yourself

Even such seemingly complex plasterboard structures can be made yourself

In fact, it’s not difficult, the main thing is to come up with what kind of arch you want, prepare all the necessary tools, choose a material, read how to make an arch with your own hands and get down to business! It is worth noting that the simplest and reliable option- This is a plasterboard arch. It is easy to create even the most intricate curves from this material - it behaves like clay in the hands of a talented sculptor. Drywall does not require serious processing, and if you work with it carefully, you can easily give it the required shape. You can also make an arch from concrete or brick, but this will require more patience and certain skills from you.

Making arches from plasterboard

If you already know how to make an arch with your own hands, moreover, you decided to make it right now, which means that very soon your home will become more comfortable. Today we will make an arch from plasterboard, telling you step by step about the entire production process.

We start with the purchase of drywall - it is inexpensive, and this is another advantage of it. Anyone can buy drywall, since today this material is not in short supply, therefore, it can be purchased at any hardware store. When choosing drywall for your arch, remember that the thickness of the sheet is different points designs will be different.

For example, the lower part is made of sheets 9 millimeters thick, the side parts should be thicker - at least 12 millimeters. We have indicated the most common ratios, but you can create your own masterpiece, unlike others.

It is important to take correct measurements

After the drywall has been purchased, you can begin the first stage of production of our arch. And it begins with preparing a place for attaching the arch. For these purposes, it is advisable to use a special profile (as an option PN 28/27), which is attached with dowels or self-tapping screws to the doorway. We drill the end holes and hammer them into them plastic dowels for screwing in screws, thereby strengthening this part in the opening.

The size of your arch will depend on the opening that you want to decorate in this way. You can cut out all the drawn elements of this design using special knife or a jigsaw (the second option is faster and more accurate). Cut out the drawn semicircle. We cut out the second semicircle according to the template - we apply the cut out part to a new sheet and outline the outline. From the remaining material we cut out a strip whose width is slightly larger than the width doorway and longer than the opening of the arch itself. To prevent destruction of the slab and ensure a neat cut, we recommend using a special blade for the jigsaw.

For a beginner, this process may be overwhelming, but it’s worth a try, even if the first attempts are unsuccessful. Now the elements of your arch should be given flexibility - to do this, treat them with a damp cloth. After this procedure, it will be easier to attach them to the end arched element and subsequently bend the necessary parts. Next, we apply the finished part to the arch frame and fasten it with self-tapping screws (it is better to do fastenings at least every 15 centimeters). We do the same with the second part.

Very important point: When screwing in the screws, make sure that their heads are slightly recessed into the panel. You can also attach the parts to the profile on both sides of the arch. Make sure that the distance between the two sides between the profiles matches exactly, otherwise the manufactured arch will look uneven. Having firmly secured the arched structure, we proceed to final stage our work. We carefully process the edges of the structure with a perforated corner, and cover the seams with reinforcing tape and apply putty to them. Next you can do external finishing arches are a real space for imagination!

Make your interior arch a harmonious part of the interior

With the help of decor, you can emphasize the style of your home and make the arch the “highlight” of the interior.

We have smoothly approached the completion of work with our arch. But in order for the arch in the apartment to turn out not only beautiful, but really even, you need to know some of the nuances of working with drywall. We will talk about them further.
Subtleties of working with drywall

The material must be given flexibility; to do this, it can be slightly moistened, then allowed to dry thoroughly. The strip must be attached to the profiles located at the end, repeating the bend of the arch. After the drywall has dried (after 10-12 hours), putty the resulting structure, as well as all existing seams and joints. Make sure that the screws are not touched. After the structure has dried, carefully sand all the elements until the burrs are completely removed and the protrusions are rounded.

You already know how to make an arch in an apartment with your own hands, but how to make it perfectly level? In order to give it mirror proportionality, it is necessary to take care of creating optimal conditions: prepare the necessary tools, take care of good lighting. Observe safety precautions, use gloves and safety glasses. Professionals who install interior arches always care about comfortable working conditions; perhaps this (and considerable work experience) is the secret of their success. So become a real professional for your home and create a stunning arch with your own hands. Now your home will have a wonderful piece of pride that you can not only surprise your friends with, but also admire every day.

Enjoy the fruits of your work

How to make an arch with your own hands

With the beginning of the era of European-quality renovations, homeowners took a different look at their homes. Everyone is pretty tired of dark corridors with many closed doors, like in the good old communal apartments. More and more often, people refuse door frames and panels that separate rooms; more and more often, during renovations, we leave open openings, which makes it possible to visually enlarge the internal space and highlight individual zones.

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Few people are content with strict rectangular shapes(although there are, of course, lovers of straight lines), as a rule, the opening takes on the rounded outlines of arches of a wide variety of configurations. When making an arch with your own hands, you need to pay close attention to the technological aspects of installation.

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Although the arch can be manufactured based on plastering technologies, in most cases, plasterboard is used here. It should be noted that this popular material reveals itself in all its glory when constructing arches.

To say that the accuracy and reliability of installation plasterboard construction arch is the defining moment for achieving the desired result - which means to say nothing. Correcting a crooked arch with subsequent putty can be very difficult. Plasterboarders perform this element in different ways; there are several technically correct options, but not everyone manages to avoid typical mistakes, which seriously affect subsequent finishing. There are several problems, here are the main ones:
1.) The outer corners of the arch are “not parallel” (if you can say that about non-straight lines).
2.) You can’t get a clear radius.
3.) Cracks appear at the junction of the drywall and the main wall.

The first issue is resolved by high-quality preparation of the “bare opening”, when it is plastered before starting work, ensuring that all lines are parallel and plumb, and angles are worked out strictly at 90 degrees.

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This allows you to prepare two absolutely identical sheets with the desired cutout on a workbench, and then simply fasten them into the design position. Some craftsmen first fix rectangular sheets of drywall in place, and then, after carefully marking them, cut out the specified radii and tie the structure with a metal frame.

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Problems with radii usually arise when lining the bottom of an arch. Sometimes a UD profile cut with a grinder is screwed incorrectly along the edge of the sheet; the main thing here is that the metal does not protrude. Sometimes it is not possible to bend a strip of plaster efficiently, especially at small radii. If even treatment with a needle roller and subsequent moistening does not produce results (the drywall breaks), then parallel cuts 4-5 cm wide can be made on the back side of the dry strip.

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Arched (or “restoration”) 6 mm drywall, unfortunately, is too expensive, and its quality is poor. lately It’s a little lame, but there are more than enough wall scraps during renovations.

Cracks near the arch are a real scourge, especially if painting predominates in the decoration. Cracking on the plane of the wall is very common when the gypsum board is butted to the mineral base.

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Therefore, many installers (if possible) dismantle the plaster near the opening and attach the sheets to the wall (100-150 mm), using Perlfix glue, plus fix this place with dowels “through the body”. If the small thickness of the plaster does not allow such a maneuver to be performed, and the joining occurs in one plane, then glue for plasterboard (“bloopers” from the inside) is applied problem area to the base.

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The second delicate point is the junction of a narrow hemming strip to the slopes of the opening; here, too, it is better to use glue; we apply it immediately before screwing the drywall.

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When the arch is mounted and has dried thoroughly (if you moistened the plaster), you can set up the perforated corners. For this, there are special arched specimens made of plastic or aluminum. Among painters there are ardent adherents of one of the two options, but both of them are suitable. The main thing is that the perforated corner on the arch and on the straight vertical corner of the opening are of the same type, then there will be no questions about the correspondence (or rather the discrepancy) of the rib shape.

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The most important task is to correctly position the perforated corner without “breaking” the radius. It is very convenient for these purposes to use a plasterboard template; it can be made separately, or you can use the mating part that remains after cutting out the radius. It is better to fix the perforated corner with a stapler; many painters use nails/screws, which are removed as they putty.

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After installing the perforated corners, you should reinforce them with a dense nylon serpyanka mesh (it is sold in meter rolls). problem areas– adjoining the gypsum board to the mineral base. It would not be superfluous to continuously glue a curved, and even more so, a notched strip of plasterboard. Please note that the mesh needs to be embedded in a pre-applied layer of putty, and not just covered.

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Now you can start drawing out the zones near the punched corners. It is best to use a durable putty designed for sealing gypsum board joints, for example, Fugenfüller from Knauf. Perforated corners usually move the plane away from the base by 2.5-5 mm, so it is convenient to level the mass between them with a spatula with a hard cloth or a small rule.
arch alignment

For such purposes, many painters cut short rules from an ordinary aluminum trapezoid. After the base layer has dried, cover the entire structure with finishing putty.

Some difficulties arise when grouting a curved surface. A regular flat block will not work, so you should make a rounded or elastic holder for the abrasive, for example, from a piece of thick rubber. You need to sand mainly with longitudinal movements, until it looks like wallpaper. Don't forget to prime all putty surfaces.

The finishing of the arches is carried out according to various technologies, starting from facing with wild stone and decorative plaster, finishing with wallpaper for painting. If you want to get a smooth painted surface, then it is better to first cover the arch with fiberglass using PVA. The same applies to thin-layer plasters. If we talk about wallpapering and painting itself, then these technologies as applied to arches are no different from work on slopes, which we have already discussed in one of the previous articles.

Finally, I would also like to note that the opening, due to its high traffic volume, is susceptible to mechanical damage, so quite often its outer corners, including arched ones, are covered with protective overlays - strips, corners, dense polyurethanes.

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DIY arch for beginners

The ability of plasterboard panels to easily bend became the reason for the emergence of fashionable interior design using curved surfaces. In some rooms connected to each other by a door, doorway remains open constantly, that is, the door is not used.

In this case, the best option Using the space is getting rid of the door and decorating the opening with an arch. Often, when starting renovations, homeowners believe that such reconstruction will be too expensive, and they don’t know how to make an arch with their own hands without resorting to the services of craftsmen, although the technology for such work is not too complicated.

Any person with knowledge can cope with such work as making an arch from plasterboard. minimal experience home renovation. First of all, you need to keep in mind that in order to decorate a doorway with an arch, it must be at least two meters high. Otherwise the arch will only worsen appearance premises. You should know that the greater the height arched opening, the more attractive he looks.

If the height of the opening is not enough, then before making an arch with your own hands, you will have to increase it by hollowing out the upper part. Now you need to decide on the design of the arch. Arched structures are divided into two classes - classic arches, which look like half a circle, and arches, which are half an ellipse. The first option is used to design high openings, and the second class is more suitable for doorways, having a significant width.

Before making a plasterboard arch, you should prepare necessary materials and tools.

Basic materials needed for work:

1. plasterboard 10-12 mm thick
2. metal profile PN 28/27
3. screws for metal
4. dowels for securing the profile

Basic tools needed for work:

The process of creating a plasterboard arch

The work begins with cutting out the blank for the future arch. Having determined its shape and dimensions, we mark the drywall with any in a convenient way. Having marked the cutting line, we cut out the outline using a hacksaw.

If you have a jigsaw in your home workshop, then this process will be much more convenient and faster. Using the finished blank as a template, we cut out another one, identical to the first. Then we prepare a strip of drywall for the end part of the arch. In order to give it the required shape, lightly moisten the front side of the strip and carefully bend it.

Now, using dowels, we attach the profiles to the door opening, not forgetting that it should be positioned so that the plane of the arch coincides with the plane of the wall. We prepare a profile intended for the end part of the arch. So that the profile can be bent, we cut grooves every 3-5 cm in its two walls. Then we bend it according to the template and attach it to the side profile.

All that remains is to cut off the extra corners at the side parts of the profile and attach the plasterboard blanks into place with self-tapping screws. We can assume that the problem of how to make a plasterboard arch with your own hands has been solved. All that remains is to putty the seams, previously covered with reinforcing tape.

Any owner of a residential building with an arched passage has somehow wondered: how to design the arch so that it takes on a stylish beautiful view. In addition, it is necessary to maintain complete harmony of the overall style of the room.

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

How to paint an arched passage?

The photo of the arch in the interior shows the most popular way of designing the structure - this is initial plastering, then painting. This method is equally suitable for use in both classic luxurious and super fashionable modern style.

Please note that first 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;
• a special pigmented solution is applied.

First, before starting work, it is necessary to align the contours of the arch in the apartment as much as possible. For these purposes they use plasterboard sheets, corners and putty. Joints and possible cracks should be filled with serpyanka. To obtain the smoothest and clearest contours of the structure, it is necessary to fix the corners with a profile.

Then you should ideally clean the work area evenly, applying paint using a roller. If you intend to further decorate the element with relief accessories, it is wise to immediately use a pigmented solution. After finishing the main work, you can introduce linings or decorative curtains into the opening.

Decoration with stone and tiles

No less in a relevant way beautiful design arch is decoration facing materials, which include: tiles, natural or artificial stone, imitation brick. Less often the opening is decorated tiles, or mosaic.

An important advantage this method serves to introduce arch decor into absolutely any style. The combination of stone can be completely different: with paper, textiles (wallpaper), plaster, paint.

When finishing an opening using 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 an arch with stone, that is, its original cladding was of high quality and reliably served its household, you need to make the surface perfectly flat, and then select a good the right composition glue.

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

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

The use of panels and stucco in the interior

Popular way of decoration door arch is the framing special decorative panels and overlays. The most relevant and relatively inexpensive material serves MDF, which harmonizes perfectly with classic style premises.

The surface is treated using artificial veneer or film. Please note that the simulation is under natural wood always remains at the peak of fashion.

To properly fix the panels in the passage, you should use special nails without heads and an 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 in other methods, you first need to level the surface and eliminate all possible cracks and joints. Markets and specialized stores of building materials offer ready-made options pads that lock into place with a simple click.

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

Can be done relatively simple shapes, or to produce complex bulky cast parts. The main disadvantage of stucco is rapid mechanical damage and failure.

Curtains and curtains

The arched doorway has been decorated since ancient times regular curtains, but even now this design option, although less common, is acceptable. The entrance is masked with light tulle, curtains or thick curtains, which will serve as the door itself.

Usually, the doorway is masked with bamboo curtains, beautiful threads, and decorative beads. This method is very easy to do with your own hands, using a cornice above the opening to fasten the curtains. There are cornices of a curved configuration that coincide with the very shape of the opening.

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

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

Lighting solution

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

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

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

Photo of arch design options

Do you want to functionally and visually zone the space of your apartment, but do not want to install standard interior doors? Then your choice is plasterboard arches. They not only separate rooms, but also effectively decorate doorways, making them more original. In addition, these beautiful designs do not require large expenses - you can even make them yourself. How? First, find out the features different types arches and rate the photo finished products in the interior to determine the design of the model. Then read the step-by-step instructions and watch a video explaining all stages of installation. And then you can confidently begin installing the arch. More about all this below.

Choosing the type of arch

Home distinguishing feature each arch - the shape of the vault. It is this that serves as the criterion for classifying products. So, they highlight following types arches:

• classical – traditional version with a semicircular vault, the cross-sectional center of which lies exactly in the middle of the doorway;
• portal – laconic arches with a rectangular vault;

• segmental - an asymmetrical arch, the arch of which consists of two elements: one repeats the shape of the portal, and the second - the classical model;
• modern - semicircular arches with a non-standard arch radius - more or less than the classic radius of half the width of the doorway;
• romantic - a type of portal arch with neatly rounded corners.

Advice. When choosing the shape of the arch, you should take into account the size of the rooms. If the ceilings in your apartment or house are low, it is better to avoid classic variations - they somewhat hide the space. And for very low rooms it is better to select arches without pronounced curves at all - segmental or portals.

Getting ready for installation

Before you begin the actual construction of the arch, you need to complete several preparatory work. The first one is the blank necessary tools and materials. In particular, you will need:

• plasterboard sheets: two sheets 12 mm thick and one for the vault - 6.5 mm thick;
• metal profiles - at least 6 pieces;
• two arched corners;
• dowels and screws;
• hacksaw for metal;
• drywall knife;
• hammer drill, screwdriver and drill;

Tool for installing a plasterboard arch

• building level;
• pliers;
• roller;
• gypsum putty and spatula;
• primer;
• sanding paper;
• pencil and tape measure.

Next you need to prepare the opening for installation new design. First of all, you need to eliminate the door frame - this will help to significantly increase the opening area. After dismantling, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface from various flaking materials, dirt and dust.

After completion preparatory stage start installing the arch. Start by assembling and installing the structure frame.

We construct the arch frame

The construction of an arched frame consists of the following steps:

We install drywall on an arched frame

After the arch frame is installed, it needs to be sheathed with plasterboard. Start with the side parts: screw the prepared sheets to the metal guides with self-tapping screws in increments of 15-20 cm.

Advice. Screw in the self-tapping screws so that their heads “sink” into the drywall - this way they will not interfere with the work. finishing works and in the future they will not spoil the appearance of the arch.

Next, you need to secure the drywall to the curved top profile. This is the most difficult procedure, since the material, on the one hand, bends poorly, and on the other, can quickly deform under force. The best way out of the situation is to slightly wet the drywall and, carefully bending it, adjust it to the frame. When the required arch radius has been reached, attach the plasterboard elements to curved profile using self-tapping screws. Then the finished upper part of the arch must be connected with the same screws to the side walls of the structure.

We process and decorate the arch

The last stage of creating a plasterboard arch is finishing and design of the structure. The first procedure is performed in several stages:

1. Walk along the surface of the arch with sandpaper to remove all roughness and unevenness.
2. Attach the arched corners to the putty - they will hold the shape of the upper part of the structure.
3. Apply putty to all installation seams.
4. After completely dry putty again smooth out all the irregularities.
5. Cover the surface of the arch with primer, and after it dries, apply on top finishing putty and sand the structure again.

• finishing with wallpaper is a simple option with great possibilities: thanks to the variety of textures, colors and patterns, you can choose a cladding for absolutely any style. It is best to use non-woven ones - they are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also durable.
• painting – this decoration option is good for its practicality: the painted structure can be washed an unlimited number of times. Choose water-based paint– its colors are more saturated.

• covering with fabrics – non-standard finishing, which will give your arch a more noble look. The choice of fabrics is unlimited - from laconic cotton to exquisite jacquard.
• decorative patterns are a very easy to implement decorating idea: you only need template stencils, cans of paint, protective film and your own imagination.

A plasterboard arch is an effective and relatively simple way to transform the interior of your home. with my own hands. All you need is to follow the instructions and carry out all the work step by step. And the result will not keep you waiting long - you will get a distinctive and original doorway instead of the usual interior door.

How to make an arch with your own hands: video

Drywall arch: photo

How to make an arch in a doorway - choice of material

To create arched design You can use any materials: brick, stone, wood, metal and plastic. The former are distinguished by their heavy weight, and the latter by their high cost. The most popular and acceptable option is to install a plasterboard arch. It is a lightweight, environmentally friendly and practical building material.

This design has several advantages:

• strength;
• reliability;
• simplicity.

Its installation is not accompanied by large-scale work with increased noise and high consumption building material. It would not be amiss to note the affordable cost of all building elements used when installing a plasterboard arch and huge assortment in every hardware store.

How to make an arch in a doorway - preparing the doorway

Having chosen the type of arch to be installed, you can proceed to preparing the opening. First you need to get rid of installed structure, instead of which you want to build an arch. Remove the door and dismantle door frame. For this purpose, you can use a crowbar and a grinder. If the dimensions of the opening do not satisfy you, correct the situation. You can cut out part of the wall, or you can build a smaller structure by reducing the distance in the opening. The surface must be cleaned of chips, dust and pieces of concrete. To protect yourself from fungus and mold, treat the wall with antiseptic impregnation.

How to make an arch in a doorway - installing a frame

The main frame of the arch is made from the guide profile. Pre-prepared strips must be attached parallel to each other on both sides and to the top of the opening. Drill holes in the ceilings with which you will secure the profiles with dowels. Please note that the main frame must be installed with a retreat deep into the opening. The retreat should be equal to the thickness of the sheet of drywall and putty. Thus, the surface of the door arch will have one plane with overlaps.

To make the arc-shaped part of the frame, you will have to perform a “simple” manipulation: cut the side flanges of the profile and bend it to an arc. The cuts are made using a grinder or scissors at a distance of 50 millimeters from each other. We attach the resulting arcs with self-tapping screws to the main guides. A DIY plasterboard arch must be strong enough. To do this, you need to install stiffeners from the supporting profile.

How to make an arch in a doorway - an arched fragment of an arch

Using a tape measure, measure the length and width of the arc. Take a knife and cut a piece of drywall to suit the dimensions. Now, to bend drywall, you can use 2 methods:

• Get it wet. Suitable for creating slight bends.
• We make cuts every 10 centimeters. Use a building level to ensure the cuts are strictly perpendicular to the side edge.

The drywall needs to be turned over with the cuts facing up. Carefully give it the desired shape. Be careful and the drywall will quickly take shape. Start fixing from the top of the arch with self-tapping screws. Step by step, the sheet of drywall will take on its intended shape.

How to make an arch in a doorway - design

The formed and puttied arch needs additional decoration:

• Painting. The interior is painted with light paint.
• Wallpapering over the arch. This is a simple and affordable way.
• Finishing with stucco molding made of polyurethane. Skills will not be superfluous, but everything is quite simple, because all the elements are assembled and glued in stages. Assembly begins from the top of the arch. The side elements are adjusted to the required height.
• Finishing with plaster stucco molding. The method is similar to the previous one, however, by doing the work yourself, you risk making poor-quality seams and ruining the appearance.
• Masonry decorative stone. It is better to entrust this work to professionals.

Arched doorways add a distinctive architectural charm to your home design. Arches are designed for visual increase space of the room. Whether to do the work with your own hands or turn to specialists - everyone decides for themselves.

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 may 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.

Classic is different correct form 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 front 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 more or less simple design. Looks great in place of the former one balcony door, good when entering the office.

The “Romantic” style arch is more likely to be simply rounded corners (mostly masters call it that). Looks good when large width and not at the highest altitude.

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 play out in the interior, therefore it is used infrequently: for some non-standard designs.

One of the design options is trapezoid

It’s very similar to a regular opening, and that’s essentially what it is, only without 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 classic 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, they place smaller portals. 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 in different ways. This takes a minimal amount of time. Having decided on the shape, we proceed to installation. We attach a 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 profile for drywall or dry wooden block suitable size. Sometimes, if the wall is narrow, you can only select 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 saw for drywall, a saw for metal - with small tooth for a smoother edge, use a jigsaw (there will be a lot of dust). If the cut is not very even, we level it using a grater attached to it. sandpaper. 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 one in the corner perforated corner and smooth out uneven surfaces.

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 - great way do without profiles.

How to bend drywall

One important detail: standard wall plasterboard bends poorly. 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