How to make a semi-arch from plasterboard with your own hands

Plasterboard semi-arches are a chic way to give your house personality. This element of design has the power to elevate an ordinary doorway into something visually captivating and elegant, facilitating a seamless transition between rooms. The finest aspect? This is a look that you can accomplish on your own with a little perseverance and inexpensive tools.

We’ll walk you through the process of making a plasterboard semi-arch in this guide. This project is completely doable with careful planning, regardless of your experience level with do-it-yourself projects. You will discover how to precisely measure, cut, and shape the plasterboard to create the desired arch.

By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll be fully informed about

Necessary tools and materials

You will need specific tools and parts to complete the work successfully and to a high standard, but first you must create a design diagram using the measurements and determine how much material is needed, leaving room for a small reserve.

For the task at hand, you require:

1. GKL boards with a thickness of 9 to 12.5 mm. If you plan to create a structure with numerous bends and tiered layers, then for rounded areas it is advisable to choose a special arched plasterboard with a thickness of 6.5 mm.
2. Frame details. The lathing can be erected from a metal profile or a wooden beam. The first option is more preferable, since it can also be subjected to simple processing to obtain the desired shape. In order not to bend the elements yourself, an arched profile is purchased.
3. Lighting: cable, LED lights.
4. Facing. To create a single surface, you will need putty, primer and a metal perforated corner, which can be replaced with a reinforcing mesh.
5. Self-tapping screws for plasterboard for metal or wooden profiles.

• To process plasterboard and create a frame, you will need a construction knife, an electric jigsaw, a hand saw, a drill, a screwdriver, metal scissors, attachments (crowns), bits, saws and drills.
• To mark surfaces and parts, you will need a tape measure, a square, a meter ruler, pencils or a marker.
• For subsequent facing – a container, a set of spatulas, a grater, a grinder or a hand block, brushes.

In order to bend elements, a needle roller might also be needed. It is acknowledged that the devices are chosen in accordance with the selected technology.

Installation of the frame

1. The location of the rounded side of the semi-arch is determined. All measurements are taken, a detailed diagram is made.
2. If the structure is erected in a finished opening, then metal profiles are placed on top of each edge. The side elements of the structure descend along the vertical posts from the previously installed parts: on one side, their size will be minimal (due to the lack of a bevel), and on the other, they will be equal to the level of the future arc.
3. When creating an interior partition with an opening in the form of a semi-arch, the base is initially formed. For this, guides are run from the top and bottom for mounting the vertical posts, fastened together with jumpers.
4. Next, a bend is created from the profile: the side parts are cut using metal scissors into two identical parts for each side. But not the entire section is subjected to such processing, but only a part from the middle of the opening.
5. The fragments are fixed with a flat surface down. The first edge to be installed is the straight one: it is inserted into the profile installed on the side and secured with screws. The center of the opening is determined, at the level of which a lintel is installed, connecting the element with the part located above and providing rigidity. The remaining edge is put under the required radius and fixed.
6. The profile is installed on the reverse side in a similar way. Lintels are fixed between all the fragments, providing maximum reliability.

A semi-arch doorway appears far more impressive if the structure is high, spacious, and allows for unrestricted passage. However, this might necessitate enlarging the current space, which needs permission.

The profiles are installed with a small indentation from the edge that matches the thickness of the gypsum board once the opening has been prepared.

Making a plasterboard semi-arch is an easy DIY project that gives any space a sense of sophistication. You don’t need expert assistance to shape and install a beautiful, curved archway that complements your room if you follow these easy steps. This tutorial will walk you through the process using only simple tools and materials, making it simple for anyone to turn a plain doorway into a feature that draws attention.

Preparing the drywall

Two stages of additional procedures are carried out with your own hands.

Drawing a semi-arch

The most accurate way to complete the process is with a fiberboard or HDF template.

1. To reduce costs, the structure can be divided into two parts. From a straight section, measurements are taken point by point to the middle of the frame, where a mark is made with a marker. The obtained data is transferred to the drywall scraps, from which the parts are cut out.
2. The second part is created using a template: for this, a piece of fiberboard is fixed according to the mark from the center to the edge. The height of the fixed part should coincide with the end of the bend.
3. An arc pattern is created along the inner part.
4. The element is removed, the desired shape is cut out and transferred to a sheet of drywall. The excess is cut off using an electric jigsaw.
5. The second part is also created according to the template.

Alternatively, you can use a lot of measurements to draw a semi-arch on drywall, but this is a more difficult method to use because the structure may bend in a smoother or sharper way, which is not always possible to calculate.

Note: A cable is laid and drilling locations are marked if lighting is assumed to be present.

Bending the sheet

To obtain the lower contour of the future semi-air, this procedure is required. The GKL plate can be bent in a variety of ways that are chosen based on the circumstances. Conveniently, the opening’s space is also separated into two sections: the bending is processed, and the straight section is completed.

1. Cutting with a knife or cutter. This option allows you to get almost any degree. The part of the drywall is cut by the desired size, its wrong side is divided into parallel lines with a step from 1 to 5 cm perpendicular to the length. The grooves in the form of the letter V are cut with a knife, reaching the front part of the cardboard, but not damaging it. Alternative – cutting with a cutter to a depth equal to the thickness of the sheet minus 1-2 mm.
2. Flexion with a needle roller and water. Such a procedure is most often performed using a template, but if you are careful, you can bend the part immediately along the contour. To do this, the back side is repeatedly rolled with a tool until it acquires a perforated appearance and is moistened. But water is applied without excess, so as not to damage the structure of the sheet. After 15 minutes of processing, the plasterboard can be bent to the desired shape.

If you have no prior experience doing this kind of work, you should try it with scraps.

Installation of gypsum board

The structure is not very difficult to assemble:

1. A base is mounted on the frame, creating the outlines of a semi-arch. Fastening is carried out with self-tapping screws, which are recessed flush with the surface. Marks are made to determine the location of the lamps.
2. Next, according to the dimensions taken from the resulting structure, the part is cut out and bent.
3. Based on the selected method, a radius is created, the element is fixed with screws.
4. Holes are cut for light sources.

The end product ought to be a semi-arch that just needs to be puttied.

Plasterboard semi-archs are an easy DIY project that can give any area a sense of sophistication. A few simple tools and supplies will allow you to turn an outdated doorway into a chic feature for your house.

You can accomplish a professional-looking outcome by paying close attention to the instructions, taking your time at each step, and measuring precisely. This project lets you add personality to your living area without having to undertake major renovations because it blends creativity and practicality.

Making a plasterboard semi-arch is a satisfying project, regardless of your level of experience with do-it-yourself projects or if this is your first time attempting home improvement.

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