Arched doorways have been used to give building structures both strength and beauty. Changing a regular doorway to an arched doorway is a small remodel job which leaves a large impact on the room’s look. Nowadays, modern home construction techniques have eliminated the need for an arch’s strength, but the elegance and style of curving lines still bring the aesthetic appeal, character and charm to many homes.
Photo by David Mills Custom Homes – Discover entryway design ideas
Any handy homeowner can take on this project; however, it helps if you have some previous carpentry or drywall experience.
Lay out and framing for an arched doorway will use the same method no matter how wide the door is or what radius is desired.
You can add some beautiful arches to many areas: doorways, hallways, directly to the ceiling, over bath tubs, kitchen pass-thru, wall niches, flat walls, stairwells.
Materials and Tools:
-pry bar; putty knife; utility knife; claw hammer; tape measure; circular saw; drill; 3-inch screws
-drywall; drywall screws; joint compound; tray and broad knife; 220-grit sandpaper
-primer; paint; 4-foot level; hammer; nail set; spackle; Phillips driving bit; cardboard; reciprocating saw
Steps:
1 – Cover all furnishings in the area with plastic covers. Remove small items from the area.
2 – Cut through the paint adhering the door casing to the wall, using a utility knife.
3 – Slide a 4-inch putty knife between the wall and the casing. To remove the door casing, score the caulking between the casing and the drywall around the entire perimeter.
4 – Using a pry bar, loosen and remove the entire casing and pull it away from the wall. With a pry bar and a putty knife, carefully remove the baseboards. Use a claw hammer to remove any protruding nails.
5 – Insert a reciprocating saw blade between the rough opening and the doorway’s jamb. Run the blade down both sides and across the top to cut through the nails holding it in place. If your doorway does not have a jamb, use a utility knife to cut through the paint covering the doorway’s corners.
6 – Take exact measurements of the opening. You should measure from one side of the opening to the other and from the floor to the top of the opening. Also measure the thickness of the jamb. Take these measurements to a home-center store and select an arched-doorway kit.
7 – Dry-fit the archway, making sure it’s centered in the opening, and make marks on the drywall where the arch crosses the wall. After removing the trim, use the marks to measure for 2-by-4 blocking, and make the cuts with a circular saw.
8 – Then install the blocks in the corners-one each on the side jambs and the others on the top jamb with a drill and screws, and install the cross pieces. These pieces of blocking will be used for attaching drywall.
9 – Cut four pieces of drywall to the approximate size of the corners. Attach the panels of drywall to the corners with screws.
10 – Tape and finish the new drywall to blend it into the old drywall. Use a 4-inch putty knife to apply the first coat of drywall mud. Allow this coat to dry, and then apply a second coat using an 8-inch putty knife. Once the second coat dries, sand the surface smooth with a sanding sponge.
11 – Sand, prime and paint all three kit pieces.
12 – Lift the arched portion of the doorway kit up on the doorway’s top edge. If your kit comes with side columns, slide them onto the doorway’s sides. Hold a level against the columns to check for plumb. Slide the arched portion down until it rests on the columns. Secure the arched portion and columns to the wall.
13 – Finish your work. Caulk any cracks if necessary.
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