How to build an Archway?

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67hunter

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I am building a breakfast nook, I've cut a hole in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. I now have the bottom and the sides framed.
My girlfriend now wants an arch at the top instead of just going straight accross.

Any suggestions on how to mark out the arch to cut? Also how do I frame it so I can attach drywall, how do I attach Drywall if it is curved?
 

Geniescience

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series of cuts

you can slice into the drywall with saw, making a lot of little cuts parallel to each other going about 2/3rd of the way through. Then you can bend it to match the shape you have built with plywood. I think it's called kerf cut.

david
 

Jadnashua

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Two layers of 1/4" drywall bends easier. There are various brands of stuff designed specifically for this. If you leaf through a "Fine Homebuilding" magazine, either on-line or in a store, you should see several.

If this is a load-bearing wall, it gets much more complicated building the structure.
 

Spaceman Spiff

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You can also soak the wallboard with water and it will become plyable. The USG handbook says that 1/2" dry will do a 12' radius, 1/2" wet - 4' radius (with 45 oz water, 12" stud spacing), 1/4" dry - 3' radius, 1/4" wet - 2' radius (30 oz water, 6" stud spacing). The book says to apply water to side only that is in tension (convex side). Apply water to one side and stack with wet faces facing each other. Cover with plastic then let sit for an hour before hanging.
 

Leejosepho

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67hunter said:
I am building a breakfast nook, I've cut a hole in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. I now have the bottom and the sides framed.
My girlfriend now wants an arch at the top instead of just going straight accross.

Any suggestions on how to mark out the arch to cut? Also how do I frame it so I can attach drywall, how do I attach Drywall if it is curved?

Cut a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood 12" x half the width of your opening, then use a flexible stick to make an arc the begins and ends at opposite corners. After cutting that arc, use the concave piece as a pattern for three more just like it, then fasten those pieces in the top of your opening. At that point, you can use the thin drywall already mentioned to cover the open hole, and you can nail it directly to the plywood and use drywall mud to scratch coat the plywood just as if it was drywall. To tape the edges, use paper tape, and cut to the center of the tape along one side every inch or so, then mud it all in and finish to taste!
 
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