DIY plasterboard arch

A great way to give any space a distinctive touch is to make a DIY plasterboard arch. Plasterboard arches can add a touch of elegance and style to your home, whether you’re remodeling a room or just looking for a fun project. They’re a terrific option for do-it-yourselfers because they’re not only aesthetically pleasing but also quite easy to install.

We’ll walk you through the process of making your own plasterboard arch in this guide. We’ll go over everything you need to know, from selecting the appropriate supplies to putting the finishing touches. You can create a stunning, personalized arch that matches your interior design for your space with a little perseverance and simple tools.

One easy way to add a touch of elegance to your space without hiring a professional is to make a DIY plasterboard arch. You can create a custom arch that meets your design requirements and improves the appearance of any space by following a few easy steps. This tutorial will walk you through the necessary supplies and methods for building and plastering your arch, guaranteeing a seamless and effective project.

Types of arches

Let’s get straight to the point: a plasterboard semi-arch is the most unique and elegant option, while the "classic" is the most popular.

1. Round arch. A classic design, popular and easy to make. Appropriate for any interior, especially a classic one with high ceilings. Greatly reduces the original height.
2. Segmental. The joints of curved and straight sides can be angular or smooth. The first option is “for an amateur”, the second is universal. Suitable for spacious apartments with wide openings. Also known as “modern”.
3. Romantic. Imagine a doorway with slightly rounded corners. This is exactly what interior arches made of plasterboard in the romantic style look like.
4. Portal. In outline, this is an ordinary doorway, without frills, decorations, roundings.
5. Semi-arch. Looks like an arch cut in half. Found in classical, modern and romantic styles. A semi-arch made of plasterboard in the “portal” style is the same arch, only twice as narrow, in fact, a doorway without a door, so this option can be ignored.

Getting started

It will take roughly two days to complete the process, but it could take up to a week if you have no construction experience. Allocate time beforehand to ensure that you don’t have to end the drywall arch project before it’s finished. Assemble a list of supplies and equipment:

• GKL;
• Drywall fasteners;
• Metal profiles and guides or wooden elements (plywood, bars) for the lathing;
• Reinforcing fiberglass mesh (plaster);
• Measuring tool, simple pencil;
• Protective devices: gloves, glasses, respirator;
• Bucket;
• Grater;
• Screwdriver;
• Spatula;
• Construction knife;
• Metal scissors.

Once everything is ready, decide on the location of the structure. Although a do-it-yourself drywall door arch is a great option, your structure can be anywhere else.

Ensure that the space is properly ventilated and well-lit before beginning any work. Make sure you wear safety glasses and gloves, if needed.

Making a blank from drywall

Measure the area where the arch will be placed very carefully. Cut the sheet of drywall in accordance with the measured dimensions. Measuring the height from the span and the distance between the opening’s sides is essential. Although the type of structure depends on it, this is not the most difficult part of the work. The completed DIY plasterboard arch needs to be proportionate in size in order to look good in the space.

If you’re not certain that you’ve selected the ideal parameters? Using thick cardboard, cut out a blank and attach. Move aside and assess the outcome. If you like, mark the parts before cutting them out by laying the sheet on the ground or another level surface. If not, play around with the sizes.

Counseling! Put a screw or an awl into the sheet and tie a cord to it to create a clean arc. Put a pencil in the loop you’ve tied at the end of the cord. Take this gadget in place of a compass. You will need a longer cord the larger the arch’s radius.

Take into account the room’s humidity level where the structure will be placed. Ordinary plasterboard works well for a plasterboard arch in a warm hallway or living room, but moisture-resistant plasterboard is required in a damp room. If this requirement is not met, the structure will become brittle and will swell, distort, and take on an ugly appearance when exposed to moisture.

Arch parts

Six pieces total—two in the center with an arched cutout and four on either side. Cut out the first part, adhere it to the sheet, sketch the contours, and then cut out the second part using the generated template to make the sides equal. In the same way, the others. You will need to cut the top and side pieces of plasterboard for the half-arch, and the remaining portion should be cut using the template.

Keep in mind that you need half as many parts if your arch is flat and lacks width rather than voluminous.

The next step is to assemble and fasten the frame. A frame composed of bars works well with wooden walls; for other surfaces, use metal profiles.

Making a base from metal profiles

Two pieces of metal profile should be measured, cut, and attached to a horizontal surface so that the top can be attached. The sides are the same. The length of the plasterboard interior arch’s sides is equal to the length of the strips. After installing the dowels, drill holes in a concrete wall and insert the screws. If the walls are made of wood or logs, you can screw them in, spacing them 12 cm apart, and you won’t need dowels. The screws are at least 40 mm long, but 50 mm is preferable.

Put in the plasterboard components after the frame is secured. Take a screwdriver and make holes in the sheet. An appropriate electric tool is one that has a torque sensor. Screw heads should not protrude or be recessed; however, if they are, putty can be used to level the indentations.

Suggestions. The thickness of the drywall is taken into consideration when choosing screws: smaller self-tapping screws work well for thinner drywall, and 3.5×35 is the best option for 12.5 mm sheets.

Sew the other side of the frame in the same way. The recommended distance between screws is 15 cm. If you screw them in less often, the fastening will not be reliable enough. Attach the profile to the curved edge of the structure, having previously bent it. This will ensure the rigidity of the arch. First, cut a piece of the required size with metal scissors, then make cuts on the sides at a distance of 12 cm from each other or more often, depending on how much you need to bend the workpiece. Attach the ends of the arc to the frame. Similarly, process the arch on the other side. This process should be done with gloves, otherwise you can cut yourself.

A plasterboard arch that you build yourself isn’t finished until its sides are secured with profile pieces.

Device of a wooden frame

A base made of wooden blocks and plywood is easier and cheaper to manufacture compared to using metal profiles. The length of the blocks is calculated as follows: subtract the thickness of the plywood and gypsum board from the width of the opening. Mark the arc on the plywood, cut out the part with a jigsaw. You will get the first plywood wall. Screw 7-9 bars to it. They will connect the 2 walls of your plasterboard arch in the hallway or elsewhere where you decided to make it. Fix the plywood wall in the doorway. Similarly, cut out and fix the second plywood blank. For fixing, use screws, screwing them in every 13-15 cm.

Attaching plasterboard components to plywood is the next step. In this case, plasterboard-specific screws are required.

Installing the arch

Preparing and assembling the arch is an important step. This is because in order to give the sheet a semicircular shape, it must be bent.

Though there is a choice in how to bend the sheet at this point, meticulous instructions should be followed when creating a plasterboard arch by hand.

Order of work:

1. Measure the length and width of the arc using a tape measure.
2. Apply markings to the plasterboard.
3. Cut out the part of the required size.

The drywall needs to be bent or made more flexible at this point. There are two methods.

1. Use a sharp knife to make notches on the paper layer of the drywall blank. Leave a distance of about 10 cm between the cuts. The notches should be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the side edge of the blank. After this, the sheet can be bent.
2. Put the part on a chair, puncture several holes in the paper layer. Using a sponge, moisten the punctures with warm water. Bend the sheet as required, wait until it partially dries (so that water does not drip from it), then continue working. Do not allow the drywall to dry out, otherwise it will lose its flexibility.

Counseling! Take care when bending the drywall to prevent breakage. If this occurs, the cracks will need to be filled with putty, but you can reinforce the individual parts.

If you installed the sheet using the first method (notches), make sure the cuts are facing up. Gently and carefully bend the component. A uniform bend free of creases and irregularities is the ideal.

The next step is to attach the curved rectangle, making sure the edges are correctly aligned, to both walls of the semi-arch or plasterboard arch. Should the rectangle prove to be longer or shorter than needed, modify the measurements or create an additional portion.

Use screws to secure. As you proceed along the entire arc, start by screwing them in at the top of the arch and work your way down to the edges. Employ a torque-sensor equipped electric screwdriver and space screws every 12 to 15 centimeters. Here, you have to exercise extreme caution because one mistake will mean that all of your hard work is lost. Put in the "mirror-like" screws.

Examine the structure before installing the plasterboard arch and make sure all the defects are fixed. Use a construction knife to adjust the edges if there are any irregularities. Proceed to the last finishing now.

Finishing finishing work

Before finishing, get the materials ready:

• coarse, medium and fine grain sandpaper;
• paper tape or reinforcing fiberglass mesh;
• putty.

The finishing procedure is simple. It wouldn’t hurt to thoroughly examine the structure once more as we are creating a plasterboard arch by hand, and mistakes aren’t always evident right away. Verify that the arch is sturdy and dependable. Verify that the wall above the aperture and the arch’s surface form a single plane. Now let’s get putty.

Choosing and preparing putty

You can use acrylic putty to save money, but it’s best to get a specific kind made for plasterboard work. It keeps the seams from cracking and gives them strength. Use a mixing attachment on your electric drill. The working solution should have a uniform thick consistency, similar to sour cream, rather than being runny. To avoid missing any crucial details, make sure you read the instructions before creating a plasterboard arch.

Suggestions. Putty should be worked with while wearing gloves and disposable work attire.

Using coarse and fine grain sandpaper initially, sand the surface.

Applying the putty mixture

With a rectangular spatula, work. This makes applying the solution to curved surfaces very convenient. During application, take care that no gypsum or cardboard fragments fall off the surface of the arch. If this occurs, take prompt action to get rid of them.

Putty should be used to fill in dents, depressions, and other surface flaws, such as the areas where screw heads are located. The excess putty should then be removed, and the surface should be level. Use a float to create a smooth, even rounding of the curved portion without any "creases."

Gluing the serpyanka

You can also use serpyanka and paper tape with equal success. Little imperfections must be covered up by pasting over joints and edges. Elegant plasterboard arches for interior spaces can take on any form, but their surfaces are always flawless. The pasted joints won’t break either. After measuring the length of the area to be pasted over, cut a piece from the chosen material. After applying the tape, begin pressing from the joint’s center outward to its edges. To prevent folds, make sure there is adequate tension. If they show up, take the tape (mesh) off and reattach it.

It is harder to paper a curved part than a joint on a level surface. "Wrinkles" will appear in the tape because a portion of it will wrap onto a section of the wall that is perpendicular. Just cut the tape in these locations, and it will adhere uniformly.

Now apply a layer of putty, and after it dries, sand it so that the mesh (or tape) is not visible. After the subsequent layer has dried, sand using fine-grit sandpaper. Apply the final coat after using a soft brush or cloth to remove any remaining dust. The coating will solidify after a full day.

You are now capable of creating a plasterboard arch by hand. Painting or hanging wallpaper is the only thing left to do. Alternatively, you could apply decorative plaster to the surface or go with a different kind of finish.

Step	Description
1. Planning	Decide the size and shape of your arch. Measure the area where you want to install it.
2. Frame Construction	Build a wooden frame to support the plasterboard. Ensure it"s secure and properly aligned.
3. Cutting Plasterboard	Cut the plasterboard to fit the shape of your arch. Use a saw or utility knife for precision.
4. Attaching Plasterboard	Fix the plasterboard to the frame using screws or nails. Ensure it fits snugly and is well supported.
5. Taping and Mudding	Apply joint tape and plastering mud to cover seams and screws. Smooth it out and let it dry.
6. Sanding	Sand the dried plaster to achieve a smooth finish. Clean off any dust before painting.
7. Painting	Paint the plasterboard arch with your chosen color. Allow it to dry thoroughly before use.

A DIY plasterboard arch can be a fun project that improves any room’s appearance. You don’t need a lot of experience or expensive equipment to get a professional-looking result if you follow the instructions.

To guarantee a perfect fit, don’t forget to measure and plan your arch carefully. Particularly when cutting and shaping the plasterboard, patience and attention to detail are essential. Take your time to make sure the arch is firmly fixed and to get the angles correct.

When finished, your plasterboard arch will function as a functional design element in addition to lending character to your room. This project can be manageable and rewarding with the correct planning and approach. Savor the procedure and the outcomes of your diligent efforts!

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