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How to Make Doorways With a Curved Arch

Curved or arched doors add architectural charm to a home. You have two choices for transforming an current door into an arch: Build a drywall arch without a door or add a transom arch above an existing door. The transom arch evokes the traditional arch design whilst retaining a conventional door. The drywall arch transforms a square, open door into an arch.

Drywall Arch

Drywall arch remodeling begins by removing the drywall on either side in a square or rectangular shape above the doorway. Do not cut an odd shape, keep it with direct lines with existing studs for financing and nailing whenever possible. Cutting square or rectangular shapes is recommended. If you can not cut it together studs, plan on inserting backer studs for following masonry alongside present studs if needed. Keep removing the 4-inch-wide strip of drywall along either side of the door all the way to the ground. After the drywall is eliminated, draw and cut the proposed arch from a piece of cardboard to be utilized as a template and place it at the doorway. The top of the arch should be flush with the horizontal header of the door. Assess for headroom and centering, after that fine-tune the arch by cutting it until satisfied.

Cut and Fit

Cut two pieces of 1/2-inch fir plywood with the cardboard template. 1 piece for the front and one for the back. Fit the plywood pieces on the door. Cut two-by-fours for backing if needed, and nail them with a 1/2-inch show or space along the inside edges so the plywood seams fit flush with the surface of the existing drywall. Insert additional two-by-four blocks as needed before both pieces of plywood are adequately backed. Nail the plywood to the framing with a nail gun for the best results. Cut two-by-four blocks and screw them 6 inches apart around the inside of the arch after the curve — with the ends of the blocks facing the inside of the arch — to provide the inside edge of the arch with backing for the following hardboard trim.

Finish It

Cut a strips of 1/4-inch hardboard — also sometimes known as Masonite — the same width as the plywood arch. Cut enough to encompass the bottom exposed edge of the arch, and on each side of the door all the way to the ground. Press it into place, bending it to fit the arch, and nail it to the blocks, and together both sides to the ground. The fundamental arch is currently complete. Cut drywall to fit the areas that you eliminated on either side of the arch. Let it overlap the arch along the underside with a few inches and nail it in place on each side. Use a reciprocating saw to cut the drywall over the underside after the form of the arch. In case you have some ragged edges, sand or file them off.

Trim It

Drywall can be moistened and bent to fit curves, but it is time consuming and has combined results. Drywall supply stores typically stock bendable drywall; save some time and effort and buy this kind of drywall. Cut enough to fit around the bottom of the strips and arch for either side. Bend the drywall to fit the arch and nail it in place to the hardboard. Insert the strips to the sides next. Finish by inserting bendable corner molding — also accessible at masonry supply shops — to either side around the arch and down either side to the ground. Finish with conventional tape and texture.

Hardwood Option

You may not wish to totally redesign a conventional doorway. Another kind of arch is made up of transom. A transom is a curved design with a horizontal bottom. Some doors have load-bearing headers and studs and and some do not. Consult with a professional to ascertain what kind you have. If you are lucky, the framing above the door is not load-bearing and can be removed together with the drywall. Otherwise, the transom design might not be worth the time and effort. After that’s determined, it is possible to build a hardwood arch by gluing thin pieces of hardwood around a plywood form. Insert a horizontal piece across the bottom to fill out the frame of the transom. Order glass cut to match and fit it inside the arch with bendable molding and silicone glue, or even have it installed by a glass store. Fasten the transom from the opening above the door and end it off with drywall around the perimeter.

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