Magnificent arched vaults and highly artistic casing of columns, amazing spherical transitions and other architectural elements today become an integral part of the decorative design of the modern interior. Of course, the design and construction of structures with a cylindrical surface requires a creative, responsible approach and masterful execution, and a good half of the repeated bent elements from gypsum board should be made on high-tech equipment in the factory. However, there are times when it is required to perform similar work on the construction site without the use of specialized equipment. In this case, you will only have to rely on the skill and accuracy of the performers.
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Practically before everyone working with such incredibly convenient and universal building material, as gypsum cardboard, the question arises: "How to bend correctly and not to damage it?". Smooth outlines of arched constructions and spectacular multi-level ceiling structures, at first glance, seem an unattainable result for a domestic craftsman.
Externally brittle drywall is surprisingly obedient when bending, provided a large radius of curvature is created. To do this, the performer gently presses on the gypsum board and fixes it on the self-tapping screws. If the radius of curvature exceeds 1 meter, then this method of bending is suitable for any type of drywall.
There are 2 basic methods of plasterboard bending:
- dry bending;
- wet bending.
Both of these methods are equally common in the execution of finishing works, both allow to obtain an excellent result. So what are their differences and what are the main advantages? 
Dry bending
Before creating arched plasterboard structures, one should remember the main rule: drywall is usually bent solely along the length of the sheet, but not across the width. For the most part, when you buy stuff, sellers go to meet them and provide an opportunity to purchase not a whole sheet, but only the quantity you need. In addition to explicit savings, you will be spared the need to find a place to store the remaining material.
Often, those who perform repairs in an apartment or house with their own hands, do not even consider a lot of interesting design and stylistic devices, as they do not know how to bend drywall for an arch structure without damaging the material. Today we suggest you try to bend the drywall in the above way, using for this purpose an unnecessary sheet, the width of which does not exceed 60 cm.
If you are faced with the task of making a stepped construction, it is not at all necessary to use separate parts of drywall for this. To do this, it is sufficient to perform a neat cut with a milling cutter along the length of the fold. This incision greatly facilitates the folding of the material, and you can easily design the most complicated structures in the interior.
This method also allows you to answer the question you are interested in "how to correctly perform the folding of a drywall sheet with a small radius? For example, if you need to create a decorative outlet for a ceiling light or small light bulbs. "
D to do this, you need to make several parallel incisions with the cutter. If you do not have a cutter at hand, you can use an ordinary knife to make grooves.Then the finished workpiece should be carefully bent towards the cuts and the necessary configuration.
Since the profile for gypsum board will need to be given the same small radius, it is recommended to purchase good metal scissors, thanks to which you can perform a large number of high-quality cuts in the shortest possible time.
Specialists identify several ways of flexing the gypsum board to create arch structures with a bend radius of more than 50 cm. Dry bending technology is analogous to the described method, with the only difference being that parallel incisions are made without reaching a little to the opposite side of the cardboard. In this case, the frequency of cuts has a direct effect on the smoothness of the future bending.
Wet bending
The method of wet bending of plasterboard was the most widespread among professionals, working day-to-day with gypsum plaster arch structures and built-in niches.
This method is based on the statement that drywall is better and faster to bend if one of its side is subjected to thorough moistening. Then the sheet is superimposed on a special, pre-prepared template and fixed with adhesive tape. After the material dries completely, it retains curved shapes, and it can easily be fastened to the desired location.
To perform a quick and, most importantly, even moistening, you will need an acicular roller that should be rolled over the entire surface of the drywall sheet. However, you can use the most common awl. This technology is considered mandatory if you have to work with a moisture-resistant plasterboard.
The wet bending method can also be performed using a more simplified technology: before folding the drywall sheet, one of its sides is moistened several times. Then the workpiece is laid in the middle on one support or two - but already along the edges in such a way that the sheet begins to gradually bend under the weight of its own weight.
In this case, you can additionally take advantage of a small load, carefully monitoring the radius of the fold and the condition of the drywall. This method allows you not to wait for the complete drying of the workpiece, but involves fixing still wet gypsum board with the help of screws to the desired surface.
Before you do the work on flexing the plasterboard, pay attention to its thickness. The sheets with a thickness of up to 9 mm are most suitable for work. Using a thinner plasterboard to create decorative arched constructions may result in the need for a second layer. Therefore, each individual case requires a carefully weighed decision regarding the type and thickness of the drywall used.
Arched gypsum board
The market of modern building materials offers buyers a universal and environmentally friendly arched gypsum board, the thickness of which is only 6.5 mm. Its distinctive design feature is the additional reinforcement of the core with fiberglass, which gives the gypsum board an increased strength and a high level of flexibility.
However, its high cost, complexity and laborious work to impart the desired shape and fasten the screws, make the use of reinforced drywall extremely inconvenient and unprofitable.
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