Squaring up archway entrances

[mickem]

Hi,
Im looking at squaring up a couple of archway entrances between rooms. What is the best way to go about this, maybe using a recip saw to cut the arch, adding a timber stud and re gyprocking over the top etc. If anyone has done this before can you tell me how you did it? Im not adding any doors, so width is not a problem, just modernising the look.
Thanks,
Mickem

[rsser]

Or wait ten years til arches come back into fashion ;-}

Get an electronic stud finder to see what's there first, or cut the plaster board off.

Beware of electric cables - I once cut a hole in the ceiling to put a flue through and came too close to a big surprise. Before the days of residual current switches.

[les88]

Hi,
Im looking at squaring up a couple of archway entrances between rooms. What is the best way to go about this, maybe using a recip saw to cut the arch, adding a timber stud and re gyprocking over the top etc. If anyone has done this before can you tell me how you did it? Im not adding any doors, so width is not a problem, just modernising the look.
Thanks,
Mickem

These arches are normally false i.e the openings are square with the arch added later . Draw a level line at the top of the arch from wall to wall. Hammer [tap] a nail in about 200mm from the center, if it is solid keep moving away and same again. You should be in fresh air, is so well and good. If you want to double check do the nail trick say 150mm above line and it should be solid because that is the lintel [head]should be. When you are satisfied all is well cut along the line, use and old saw, stanley knife etc. Check that there are no GPO,s or light switches on the wall.

[Barry_White]

When I built the arches in my place I cut two pieces of pine board in the shape of the arch and nailed them to some cleats fixed to the studs and the head and fixed them flush with the frame on each side of the wall. I then fixed the gyprock to the pine board and then fixed a narrow strip of gyprock around the arch and then finished of with the smooth edge.

Back when I did mine this was the way the builders were doing arches and the then the plasterer just came in and fixed his gypock to the pine board profile.

I would punch some holes around the edge of the arch and see what type of construction is in the arch by shining a torch in there.

I personally like the arches. Nice clean lines.