Building an Arch in a Doorway..

[Thomarse]

I am hoping to replace an existing doorway with an arch way.

I can buy an ornate plaster type arch for the top arch, however my dilemm is this..

having taken down the old door casing, I am left with rough brick on one side and smooth(ish) brick on the other....

How do I go about creating a smooth, square, plastered finish on these two sides...I've seen the wire frame type bits for plastering but have no idea how id use these on the rough brickwork I have at present..

Any ideas or advice gratefully recieved!!!

Tom

[Alan]

Fit arch kit over existing brickwork, plaster over the lot to create a smooth finish.

Alan.

[sm_jamieson]

If expanded metal lath arch kit, stick it to the bricks with lumps of plaster or plasterboard adhesive, then plaster over it all. Simon.

[Kev]

I have the opposite problem, I have an arch that I want to get plastered. How do I make an edge, can I use the lath arch kit on an arch. My 1930's semi has an arched porch that is now inside as I have an extended porch at the front. I have knocked off all the old pebble dash and want to get the walls plastered but wasn't sure how to treat the arch.

Kevin

[sm_jamieson]

Hi, before you said you would get an ornate plaster arch for top, now you are saying you want to get the arch plastered. No matter, I guess you are just talking about plastering raw brick. Depending on the levels, you may need to use undercoat plaster on some or all of it, then a skim over the whole lot I would have thought. PVA the bare bricks, be them arch or sides, and plaster. On the underneath of the arch, you may want to nail in some expanded metal lath (or the arch kit itself) to improve adhesion, since its upside- down ! Since you are asking this, I guess you wont be doing the plastering yourself ? If you get a plastering in, we will know what to do. Simon.

[sm_jamieson]

Sorry, that's "if you get a plasterer in, he will know what to do" ! Simon.