Replies

1. 
   Philter | Dec 19, 2004 08:16am | #1

    Would it be like a pass-thru? There are a number of formulae I can get you, I need more info,cheers,Phil.

   Width of opening, distance left above the arch, drywall only,trim?

   'I've no desire to hang around with a bunch of upper-class delinquents, do twenty minutes' work and then spend the rest of the day loafing about in Paris drinking gallons of champagne and having dozens of  highly experienced French peasant girls galloping up and down my - hang on...' "Black Adder" (Rowan Atkinson)

1. 
   cobbleboy | Dec 19, 2004 10:41am | #2

   The opening will not be a pass thru.  It will simply be there for aesthetics.  The width will be around feet wide.  I plan on using a 9 3/4" glue lam header above the archway, so there should be about 10 inches from the ceiling to the top of the archway.  The walls are 2x4 studs and I plan on having a simple shelf for the bottom.

1. 
   BruceM16 | Dec 19, 2004 11:41am | #3

   I've installed 4 arches in my new construction, and although these are the first I've done, the approach I've taken seems not too difficult, assuming you want to finish with drywall.

   First, I figure out how much of a curve I want....from a long-sweeping minimal arch to a short radius round-top. To get a feel, I cut some scrap 1/2" OSB to the correct width and then scribed on a short radius arch, cut it, tacked it in place to the exisitng rough framing, stare at it, then take it down, cut a longer radius, tack in place, stare at it, and so on...until I get what I think is the best looking arch to fit the opening. And the method I use to mark the arch for cutout on the OSB is to use an thin (1" to 1 1/2" wide) 8' long ripping from a sheet of 1/2" plywood, with a nail in the pivot end and a series of holes in the other end just big enough to push a pencil through. The nail pivot needs to be exactly centered on the vertical center line of the arch.

   Once I've gotten that, I cut two such arches of 1/2" plywood and rip down some 2X4's to 2 9/16, then use them to frame in the arch. The arch 'header' is a ripped 2X4, with cripple studs spaced 12" O.C with the bottoms of these short studs angle cut to match the curve of the plywood arch. Each will be different and so each cripple has to be marked and cut separately. The outside width of the finished framed arch should be 3 1/2", so you can make it flush with existing wall framing.

   Once the framed arch is firmly attached in place and plumb to existing framing, bend two layers of 3/8" drywall to the underside of the arch and nail to the exposed ripped down 2X4's. Now, if your radius is short, you may have to use 1/4" drywall or soak the drywall first in water so it easily bends. I thought about getting some 1/8" plywood to nail to the bottom of the criples simply to provide a base to screw the 3/8" (or 1/4 ") drywall to...but with the cripples 12"OC, my arches came out fine.

   Then, your drywalling should lap completely over the existing wall framing and arch framing both vertically and horizontally.

   For the finished edge of the arch, you'll need to get curved corner bead...which can either be square edge or round edge

   I've found arches look nice over tub enclosures and from an architectual standpoint, they tend to help separate areas of your house, by giving you the feeling that you're going to a distinct and spearate part of the house when you walk into a room with an arch.

   Anyway, just my thoughts.

   BruceM