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The front door of
your home can be inviting and welcoming, saying in effect,
"Hey, come on in!"
Once your guests come inside, you have another opportunity
to make them feel welcome. |
The doorways that connect your
foyer with the rest of your home give you a second chance
to make a first impression on your guests.
It's very simple to convert a typical rectangular doorway
into something extraordinary with an arched entry. |
Start by considering the look for
your new arched entry. The arched entry specialists at
Curvemakers
make it easy to create arched entryways with their arched
entry kits. |
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| When your new entryway materials are ready for installation, it's time to remove the existing casings and jamb. Use a sharp blade on a utility knife to cut through the caulk around the edges of the casing. This will prevent damage to the paint on the surrounding wall when the casing is removed. |
To keep from crushing or breaking through the wallboard, drive a wide putty knife behind the casing. Then tap in a wide spoon-shaped pry bar and pull the trim gently away from the wall. |
Once you've opened up a gap, switch to a curved pry bar for more leverage and movement. |
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| Now that the casing is loosened, remove it from the wall. |
It's not unusual for the casing to pull away from the nails, leaving them still embedded in the wall. A pry bar or hammer will pull them out, but again, pry against a wide putty knife or piece of scrap lumber to keep from damaging the wall. |
Typically, the doorframe or jamb
is nailed into the framing at several points. The nails
are usually driven through shims. The quickest way to
free the frame is by cutting through the nails, using
a reciprocating saw with a multipurpose blade that's designed
to cut through wood and nails. |
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| With all the nails cut, the doorframe tilts right out of the opening. You may need to remove baseboards if they extend all the way to the doorway. |
You may find that an outlet or
switchplate is too close to the opening and obstructs
one of the sides of the new archway from slipping into
place.
Turn off the power at the circuit breaker and remove the
switch from the electrical box. Cut into the wallboard
to gain access to the wiring. |
Don't push the blade straight
into the wallboard; cut at a 45-degree angle so the piece
you remove will fit back into the wall without pushing
through.
Remove any staples holding the armored cable in place,
and pry the electrical box bracket free from the wall
stud. |
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| Now, in order to move the switches
farther from the rough opening, screw two-by-fours, one-by-fours,
or some other combination of wooden spacers to the stud.
Then remount the box to these spacers. Be sure to leave
enough slack in your cable to move the switches. |
Once you test the wiring, it's time to replace the wallboard. First, screw some cleats or backer boards into the inside of the drywall, at the edges of the opening you've cut into the drywall (all sides except for the side that butts up against the doorway, that is). Part of the wood should stick out into the hole. |
Then, using 80-grit sandpaper, create a small bevel around the opening and on the edge of the patch. Then attach the drywall patch to the cleats with several screws.
This technique stabilizes the joint. Along with the bevel, this allows you to make a completely flush repair without the need for tape. |
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