Replies

1. 
   jimatgreatwhite | Apr 06, 2002 06:23am | #1

   jim use some plywood and spacers to build your arches. cut two arches from the plywood and fill them with the blocks that are cut to the right size to make the arch the same thickness as your wall. there is also a product called fasttrac(?) that you just push into place, rock to it and spread the joint compound on.

   good luck, boy these colors are fun

   jim

1. 
   bostoncarp | Apr 06, 2002 06:43am | #2

   Thanks for the advice Wilfred.  What you suggested is close to what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure on how to fill in the bottom of either the sheetrock/plywood arch.

   This fasttrac you mentioned sounds like a good idea if it will save me the trouble of bending plywood.  Is this fasttrac something like a wire mesh and where can it be purchased?

   Jim

1. 
   scottyb | Apr 06, 2002 07:50am | #3

   Hi Jim

   Wilfred has the right idea but,the plywood should be flush with framing.The drywall goes over the ply to be flush with rest of wall.I have only seen fastrac at builders supply store.Also it was $4.50 per foot!Might be worth it if you don't want to tape.They make corner bead that bends without having to kerf it.How are you figuring your radii? 

                                                              Luck scottyb

2. 
   AlanRoberson | Apr 06, 2002 06:29pm | #4

   Fill the bottom of the arch with a couple of strips of old paneling - the stuff that's about 3/16" thick. You can either use 1/4" rock to go over that ( get it wet and lay it on a form if you have the time, that's the right way my sheetrock buddies tell me), or use 1/2" rock and score the back side every inch or so. This takes a little more time with the mud, however.

   If you're doing square corners (as opposed to bullnose) Trimtex makes up to an 18' long flexible archway - 4 &5/8" and 4&7/8" wide. they also have flexible bullnose corner beads. 1-800-874-2333

1. 
   bostoncarp | Apr 07, 2002 04:27am | #5

   Scottyb,Alan & Wilfred,

   Thank you gentlemen for your good advice.

   To figure the radii I'm simply going to temporarily afix a piece of plywood from jamb to jamb.  Drive a nail in the floor at the center of the opening. Attach a line to a pencil and tie the other end to the nail in the floor.  Pull the line taut to the lowest point in the center of the elipse and then scribe the the radii of the arch from the center to the left and then to the right on the plywood.  Hopefully, that will be my pattern.

   Sounds simply.  Hope it works.

   Regards,

   Jim

1. 
   scottyb | Apr 07, 2002 04:39am | #6

   Jim

      If you use the height of the jamb as your radius you will end up with really small arches. Maybe this is the look you want but,more often than not half the width of the opening is used for the radius.Try some different ones ,use cardboard cut-outs first.

                                                          Luck scottyb

2. 
   bostoncarp | Apr 07, 2002 05:48am | #7

   Scottyb,

   Thanks again!  The rough opening will is approximately 83" high.  I planned to drop that to about 10" so I wouldn't have the arches to small as you noted.  Thanks for info regarding the radii usually being one-half of the opening.

   Regards,

   Jim