When furnishing a home, a person seeks to create an original and cozy interior. Insulation of rooms today has become not as popular as before. Modern interiors suggest a smooth transition from one room to another, while it is customary to use arched openings. They come in a variety of shapes, bringing rooms together, but at the same time making them separate.
Main types of arches: from classic to avant-garde
Considering the types of arches, you should become more familiar with all the varieties of such structures, among them the following options should be distinguished:
- classic;
- romance;
- trapeze;
- portal;
- modern;
- ellipse;
- semi-arch.
The most common today is the first variety, which can be successfully entered into any interior. As for romance, such arches have a rectangular shape, as well as rounded corners. Most often, arches in this style are installed if it is necessary to arrange a wide opening.
Trapezoid speaks for itself and representsdesign, made in the form of the figure of the same name. Considering the types of arches, you can understand that among others, rectangular portals are the most common, which, when making corners, do not require additional labor. But it should be remembered that such an opening will not be appropriate in every interior.
More options
Somewhere between the portal and the classics are modern arches, they have a rounded vault that tends to a rectangle. The radius of the circle can be different, but more than half the width of the opening. This type of arches looks good in rooms with low ceilings. The most common types of arches are those mentioned above.
But if you want to make the interior unusual, then you should choose an ellipse that has a large radius of curvature. An example of asymmetric arches would be a semi-arch. One part of it will repeat the portal, while the other will be a modern or classic kind of arch. Experts do not advise choosing classic designs if the room has low ceilings.
Implementation of ideas: choice of materials
All types of arches that were mentioned above can be made from different materials, among them:
- stone;
- wood;
- drywall;
- brick.
One of the most malleable is drywall, and if it is moistened, the material will take any shape. This allows you to fix the structure until it dries. Converting Sheetsdrywall, you can reinforce them to a pre-designed frame of metal profiles.
The radius must have a certain rounding. In those places where the sheets were joined, they must be covered with putty, and at the next stage the base is protected with a finishing material. Working with sheets of drywall is very simple. And if you have certain skills, you can create an arch yourself.
Luxury solutions: wooden arches
Quite often, wooden arched openings are compared with ordinary doorways, but the former differ from the latter only in wide architraves. Such interior openings can give an original look to any interior. Among the additional advantages, practicality should be highlighted, because the surface will be less damaged. You should not choose wood for making an arch if temperature and humidity changes are quite frequent in the room.
In this case, the wooden opening in the form of an arch can soon become covered with cracks. You can eliminate this possibility by processing the material with special compounds. Modern wooden arches are more resistant to negative influences, because they are glued layers of lumber. This solution will be cheaper, but the quality will not be inferior to solid wood arches.
Modern design solution: stone arch
If you are not interested in any of the above materials, you can choose stone or brick. The outer surface in the latter case is tiled, which can imitate stone. This method is suitable if you have to decorate an existing opening.
If you plan to change the configuration of the opening or intend to carry out equally large-scale repair work, then part of the wall around the arch can not be covered with plaster, leaving a brick on the surface. Stone masonry is an alternative solution.
Making a drywall arch
Having considered the types of arches, photos of which you can find in the article, you can start making your own arches. Most often, home craftsmen use drywall for this, as it is affordable and malleable in work. When the master has no experience, experts advise him to make a classic radial arch.
To do this, prepare a certain set of materials and tools, among them:
- drywall;
- arched corners;
- metal profiles;
- hacksaw;
- self-tapping screws;
- electric jigsaw;
- putty.
When purchasing drywall, you will need to stock up on two sheets, the width of each of which will be 1.2 m. The thickness should be equivalent to 12 mm. You will need a canvas of arched drywall, the thickness of which is 6.5 mm. In this case, you should choose drywall, which is designed to create arches. This requirement is due to the fact that this material bends well when wetted. With hishelp you achieve the desired shape.
Reinforced arched corners must be prepared in the amount of 2 pieces, while metal profiles - in the amount of 5 pieces. Four of them should have dimensions of 27X28 mm, they will go to the manufacture of guides. One will serve as a rack profile, and its dimensions will be 27X60 mm. This element is necessary for the frame structure under the arch.
For cutting metal, you will need scissors, as well as a hacksaw. Take care of the presence of a clerical or construction knife. All types of drywall arches are made using self-tapping screws, dowels and screwdrivers, which are necessary for attaching the frame to the wall. In addition, you will also need an electric drill, as well as a jigsaw, otherwise the drywall will have to be cut by hand. For final work, putty, spatula and paint should be prepared.
Preparatory work
Considering the types of drywall arches, it is recommended to evaluate the photos of already created structures first of all, because they will allow you to understand how the opening will look after completion of work. Before starting, it is recommended to practice on a small sheet of cardboard. This requirement applies to beginners who have not previously encountered manipulations involving drywall sheets.
At the next step, you can start measuring the width of the doorway. After that, the width is measured on one sheet of the sheet with a straight line. The desired piece is cut off. The same principle is used to preparesecond canvas. Cutting drywall should be done with a sharp clerical knife, but experts quite often use a construction knife. To do this, a line is drawn on the wrong side, after which the sheet turns and breaks along the notch. The edges can be trimmed with a knife.
Markup
On the cut sheets, it is necessary to mark the center of the axis. In order to get a semicircle, you can use a compass or a protractor. You can make a compass yourself, for this you use a self-tapping screw and a cord attached to it. A pencil is fixed at the end of the rope. The length of the lace should correspond to half the width of the drywall sheet, this will allow you to get a perfect semicircle shape.
Work methodology
After carefully considering the types of door arches, you can understand which one is best to choose. At the next stage, according to the markup, you need to cut off a semicircle, and you can use an electric jigsaw for this. The stencil is marked and another shape is cut out on another canvas. Using scissors for metal, it is necessary to prepare guide profiles. Drywall sheets will be strengthened on them.
As soon as the profiles are ready, they are fixed to the wall. Fixation should be carried out in increments of 20 mm from the edge of the opening. Dowels must be used for this. On this we can assume that the arched frame is ready. Private craftsmen today use a variety of types of arches in an apartment, photos will allow you to understand which form is better to choose. In this example, a classic arch is considered.
As soon as the frame isready, you can lay drywall sheets on it, which are screwed with metal screws. The distance between them should be 150 mm. Self-tapping screws need to be sunk a little. To form an internal arched frame, the next step is the installation of a guide profile. If it is not possible to bend the guide, then it is necessary to make cuts using metal scissors.
Jumpers in the amount of 7 pieces are installed on the edges of the drywall. To strengthen the structure, they are installed on self-tapping screws, they will act as a screed for sheets. Now you can close the arched opening. To do this, the length and width of the circumference of the future arch is measured, and a strip of the desired size is cut from drywall. The final strip of the canvas is fixed with self-tapping screws in increments of 5 cm. Then the canvas is puttied, and after the layer has dried, you can proceed to the final processing.
Conclusion
Having studied all the available types of arches in the wall based on our article, you can understand which option is best suited for the interior of your apartment or house. Such designs can have a variety of configurations, and the final decision will depend on the aesthetic preferences of the owners. Other materials are sometimes used as alternative solutions, among them metal, chipboard and MDF should be distinguished, but in this case, the arches are usually sold ready-made or can be made to order.
