BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

160 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

Photography Brent Wilson, Chris Jones; styling Vanessa Tidy; project Greg Sparke

REMOVE AN ARCH

Gather your supplies

■Timber to suit wall thickness

forreveal,3x2.4mlengths

■Architrave to match existing,

3 x 5.4m lengths

You’ll also need

Spirit level; pencil; multi-tool;

hammer; old chisel; power saw

with fence attachment; sandpaper;

PVA glue; drill and bits; 50mm

wood screws; plastic packers; nail

gun and nails; combination square;

mitre box; construction adhesive;

wood filler; acrylic gap filler; Dulux

1 Step Primer, Sealer & Undercoat;

Super Enamel semi gloss (Vivid

White); Dulux Wash and Wear

low sheen acrylic

Here’s how

STEP 1Using spirit level and

pencil, draw a plumb line on wall

10mm from sides of arch and a

level line 10mm up from its highest

point. Extend level line 50mm past

plumb lines. Repeat for wall on

other side of arch.

STEP 2Using multi-tool, cut

through plaster along lines,

stopping at corner where they

meet. Use hammer and old chisel to

pull plasterboard off timber frame.

STEP 3Demolish timber frame of

arch, leaving only vertical timber

studs and horizontal beam in wall.

STEP 4Measure thickness of wall.

If there is no standard-width timber

to fit this thickness, go to the next

largest width. Using power saw

with fence attachment, cut timber to

width to match wall thickness. Sand

cut edge to remove saw marks.

STEP 5 To determine length

of timber reveal to line 1 side of

opening, measure from floor to level

pencil line on wall. Deduct 25mm

and cut reveal to length. Repeat on

other side of opening. Label each

piece for later assembly.

STEP 6 To determine length

of reveal across top of opening,

measure along floor on each side,

between where floor covering is in

good condition. (This is so whole

reveal will cover any exposed rough

flooring.) Add thickness of 2 side

reveals (here, 36mm) to determine

length of top reveal.

STEP 7 Sit 3 pieces of reveal on

edge next to opening. Spread PVA

glue on 1 end of 1 side, then butt

into top piece flush with 1 end.

Pre-drill and screw through top

into side using 50mm wood

screws. Repeat for other side.

STEP 8 Put reveal assembly into

position in opening. At bottom,

make 1 side of reveal cover any

rough flooring. Put plastic packers

between timber stud and reveal,

then use nail gun to nail through

reveal into frame.

STEP 9 Make reveal plumb,

packing between it and timber

stud as required. Repeat to secure

reveal on other side of opening.

Make top reveal piece level, then

pack to secure, and nail.

STEP 10 Use combination square

to mark edges of reveal 5mm from

face. At bottom of opening, make

a plumb cut on existing skirting

width of architrave (here, 90mm)

from this mark. Repeat for all

sides of opening.

STEP 11 Measure and cut

architraves so edge meets 5mm

line marked in Step 10. Use mitre

box to mitre corners. Spread

construction adhesive on back, then

nail into reveal and wall framing.

STEP 12 Fill nail holes with

wood filler. Leave to set then sand

smooth. Use acrylic gap filler to fill

gaps. Let dry. Apply undercoat to

filled areas. Let dry, then apply

2 coats of selected colour

(we used Vivid White), allowing

to dry between coats.

archwaydiy

For project supplies,

see Stockists page

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 7

STEP 8

STEP 9

steps

STEP 10

STEP 11

2. It’s quick to be square! All you
   need for this makeover is architrave
   and timber to suit the wall thickness.

Reveal

Architrave