The arch is one of the few constructiveinterior elements that do not lose their relevance, on the contrary, they are further developed in many modern styles. Before making a wooden arch in a house or apartment, you should decide what role it will play in a particular interior.
An arch made of wood can become realthe highlight of the interior of the room. Structurally, an arch is an opening in the wall, most often of a radial shape. At the same time, it performs two opposite tasks: it zones the space and unites it into a single whole, due to the openness of its design. An arch can easily make a heavy interior lighter and airier, and in a large room it will allow you to create several cozy or secluded areas without destroying the integrity of the space.
Basic forms and styles of arches
During its long history of development in differentIn different time and cultural conditions, the arch has acquired a variety of types and forms. The most common are vaulted arches, less popular are U-shaped or portal ones. Various variations of curvilinear arches are used mainly in non-standard rooms or avant-garde interiors.
The classic arch will look good inrooms made in the same style. The main stylistic directions in the construction of arches are classic, romanticism, modern. A classic arch is easy to recognize: it is distinguished by its precise and harmonious proportions and smooth lines. Natural materials are used in its decoration, among which wood is the most popular. In modern conditions, artificial products can also be used as an exception, but they must imitate natural ones. For luxurious or “airy” interiors, a suitable option would be an arch in a romantic style. Just like for the classics, the decoration is made only from natural materials. And the distinctive feature of an arch in the “modern” style is patterned decoration, non-standard shape and necessarily a wide opening or a large radius. Natural finishing is also often used for decoration, but modern artificial materials also fit in quite organically. Arches are especially popular in interiors decorated in oriental or Moorish style: in this case, they are easy to distinguish by their characteristic conical or prismatic vault and, of course, rich decoration with intricate shapes and patterns. Return to contents</a>
Arch in the interior of a modern apartment
If the arch is planned as an interiorelement in the design of the house will be one of the main ones, then at the design stage all the necessary calculations are made and construction is carried out taking them into account. But if it is necessary to make an arch in the conditions of a city apartment of small or medium area, with a standard ceiling height of 2.5 to 3 m, then it will be necessary to carry out certain works, the volume of which will depend on the shape of the future structure, its location, layout.
The arch-portal allows for more rationaluse the useful space of the apartment. The simplest option is a portal arch. As a rule, this role is played by an ordinary opening without a door. Due to this, it is possible to combine the space, for example, of a kitchen with a living room or dining room, a kitchen with a closed balcony, a room with a loggia, etc. This technique allows you to use the useful area of an apartment more rationally, eliminating "dead zones", but at the same time maintaining the functional purpose of each room. The construction of a vaulted arch in such conditions is a more complex and expensive process. You will have to not only finish it, but often build it from scratch. In cases where it is necessary to increase not only the height of the opening, but also its width, it is imperative to take into account that only partition walls can be used for this, the supporting structures cannot be dismantled either completely or partially. Sometimes, to make an arch, a partition between adjacent rooms is demolished, and the structure itself is made of plasterboard sheets. In this case, it is much easier to achieve the required shape and size, and the finishing can be done from a variety of materials. Return to contents</a>
Two variants of making an arch structure
When an arch requires expansion of an existing oneopening, then first the marking is done. Including for rounding its arch, which is easily done with an improvised compass from a strip and a nail. A hammer drill will also help in this matter, with which you should make through holes in the wall with an average step of 10 cm. In this case, the marking is done taking into account that the width and height of the working opening should be 3-5 cm larger than that of the future structure. After this, a circular saw or, alternatively, a sledgehammer is used to directly expand the opening by partially dismantling it. After the opening is ready, you can begin its finishing and decoration.
Arch diagram.This method is most suitable for rooms with low ceilings, up to 3 meters. If this mark is exceeded, the upper part of the opening is sealed with a form, for example, made of plasterboard, to form the arched vault. In this case, at the first stage, a rectangular frame is assembled from a metal profile or wooden blocks. The next stage is marking and cutting out a semicircle or other shape of the arched vault, the base of which can be made of fiberboard or plasterboard. Both parts of the arched frame are connected and fixed in the opening. The ends are sealed, the surface of the entire opening is putty, and then the decorative design of the arch is performed. Due to its certain flexibility, fiberboard is more suitable for making parts of the arched opening, but if plasterboard is chosen, in order to obtain the ideal shape, it should be sawn at a certain step, ensuring the curvilinearity of the form. Return to the table of contents</a>
Decoration and decoration of the archway
The most suitable materials can be used to decorate the archdifferent materials: from wallpaper and plaster to decoration with valuable wood species and natural stone. The choice, in this case, is determined by both financial capabilities and the style of the interior. The absolute favorite in this is wood, a natural material that suits almost any style. Some difficulty is the work with this material itself, especially if solid wood is used. Veneer or other wooden products can also be used in the design. If the details for framing the arch are made to order, then these are products from processed wood, usually valuable species. A more affordable option is to use ready-made kits for arches, their main drawback is standard sizes. The kit includes arch panels, internal plates for the arch and side parts of the arch, trims, connecting elements. When choosing a ready-made arch kit, the following data is needed: depth / height / width of the opening, and sometimes the shape of the arch. Installation of a ready-made kit for an arch is easy to do yourself. It is important to know that the work should begin with the design of the arch and then move downwards. Wood glue or PVA is used to glue the parts. The installation of the side parts and casings is carried out after their preparation: they should first be precisely adjusted to size, sawing or finishing if necessary.
