How to bend drywall?

Each of us, when performing repair work at home, had various ideas for the original decorative design of one or another part of the room. Most of them seemed absolutely impossible to us, due to the occurrence of such a problem as bending drywall.

The ability to work correctly with drywall makes it possible to use such design solutions as installation of various arches, columns, curly ceilings... In the absence of proper skills, the false impression is created that only a professional can perform this type of work. However, this is far from the case, and our article will help you make sure of this.

Drywall is a type of building material formed from gypsum board and cardboard sheets. These sheets cover the gypsum on both sides. There are different types of drywall. Each of them is used, depending on the purpose of the room. Gypsum is included in the group of the least elastic materials, but at the same time it has the ability to change, depending on humidity.

The very process of folding drywall does not require special skills. It is only necessary to perform the work carefully in order to avoid breaking the drywall sheet, which will lead to its unusability.

Advantages of using the material:

• Possesses high ecological properties.
• Has excellent vapor permeability.
• Drywall is a 100% flat and smooth surface.

• Has high sound and heat insulation properties.
• Does not cause much hassle during installation work.
• Wide size range.
• Low specific gravity.
• Flexibility of sheets. This property allows you to create a variety of unique shapes in the interior.

Cons of using:

• In rooms with a humidity of more than eighty percent, the use of this material is impossible.
• Relative fragility, which significantly complicates the process during construction work, requiring special care and accuracy.
• The difficulty of using screws, self-tapping screws and other bolts on walls of this type.

Before proceeding directly to the process of folding the cardboard, it is necessary to decide how steep the desired bend will be. Depending on the parameter we have chosen, the method of performing this process will be selected.

The methods of execution depend on the bend radius and are subdivided as follows:

• A bend with a radius of one thousand to two thousand seven hundred and fifty millimeters.
• A bend with a radius of five hundred to a thousand millimeters.
• A bend with a radius of one hundred and fifty to three hundred millimeters.

Let's consider each of the described methods. As we have already found out, the first of the three methods is applicable to arcs from one thousand to two thousand seven hundred and fifty millimeters. The easiest way to create such an arc is to use the so-called dry method. Let's study it in more detail.

It contains several stages. The first step is to select the desired thickness of drywall.

In the ratio of thickness and radius, the following options exist:

• With a radius of two thousand seven hundred and fifty millimeters, drywall is used, the thickness of which is twelve and a half millimeters.

• With a radius of two thousand millimeters, the thickness is nine millimeters.
• If the bending radius is fifteen hundred and fifty millimeters, then the drywall sheet should be eight millimeters thick.
• The smallest thousand-millimeter bend in this category is made from only six and a half millimeter drywall.

The last of the options presented allows you to save a lot of time. when bending drywall, but the financial costs will have to be increased. The first three methods require more free time due to the complexity of the work.

After we have decided on the choice of the bending radius, we proceed directly to the bend of the drywall.

There are also two options here:

• The first of them fell in love with the townsfolk for its lightness, simplicity and small amount of time spent. The essence of this method is to fasten the section to the profile, which has already been bent and installed in advance. All manipulations to secure the section must be done slowly and carefully. It is also required to observe the step between fasteners, which is no more than fifty millimeters. The metal shears are used to achieve the desired curvature of the profile. With the help of them we make cuts on the profile.

• Now let's look at the second, more complex and time consuming method. Its complexity lies in the fact that it requires preparation of the layout of the desired fold, which is time-consuming. A feature of the structure being created is that its radius should be less than that of the future semicircle. The width, in turn, should be less than the width of the sheet that we will bend. This method makes it easier to bend drywall and increase the chances of leaving the material intact. After the template is ready (or you had it initially), with a careful movement, the sheet is bent in shape and remains in this position until the desired result is obtained.

Now consider the next option used in the manufacture of an arch with a radius size not reaching one meter. This method is popularly called wet. For this method, we need the following tools and aids: a needle roller; water; wide brush (roller or sponge can also be used); roulette; pencil.

When working with drywall, we will perforate it using a needle roller. Wetting is done with plain water and a wide brush or roller or sponge. When using a needle roller, the following recommendations must be observed: the needles should be no longer than half the thickness of the sheet we are bent, but at the same time not shorter than one third of it. If these proportions are violated, when using the first option, drywall will be damaged, in the second case, the desired result will be absolutely unattainable.

The part to be compressed is processed with a needle roller.

In this case, the needles will perform several functions at once:

• weaken the rigidity of the cardboard;
• provide access of liquid (in this case, water) to the gypsum core.

In the absence of a roller, it can be replaced with an ordinary awl. Of course, this does not save you time and is a rather time-consuming process, but at the same time it will be possible to save on the purchase of a special roller. The holes when using the awl are made alternately at a distance of ten to fifteen millimeters.

The next step is to wet the area we punctured with water. To do this, use a sponge, roller or rag (depending on your choice). We repeat the procedure for ten to fifteen minutes. Wetting is necessary in order to reveal the additional possibilities of drywall, namely, its flexibility. After drying, drywall absolutely does not lose any of its former properties.

Next, the sheet must be bent and attached with self-tapping screws to a previously prepared frame. We carry out manipulations carefully to avoid damage to the sheet.We leave it to dry for about a day. After drying, all technical properties will be preserved, and the drywall will remain in the position we need.

The latter method is applicable to bending drywall with a radius of one hundred and fifty to five hundred millimeters. This method is the most radical of all three. This is due to the small size of the sheet.

The process is divided into several stages:

• Using a knife on the back of the sheet, we make deep cross-cuts. We repeat the process every thirty to fifty millimeters. The step depends on the size of the arch. The smaller it is, the smaller the step and the larger, the larger the step, respectively. Ultimately, only a minimal layer of cardboard will be fastened into a single whole sheet.

• At the place prepared by us in advance, we fix the structure with self-tapping screws. Fastening should start from the middle of the structure, and end accordingly at the edges. Each slotted part is fastened. The disadvantage of this method is the high consumption of self-tapping screws.
• We produce high-quality filler for the entire structure (cuts, cracks).

The possibility of using a template is not excluded. This is due to the fact that after fixing our structure to the frame, it will be very difficult to putty all the necessary holes. But if you prepare in advance the surface for laying our sheet, the likelihood of sealing all the necessary grooves increases significantly.

Now you know how to properly bend drywall and turn it into the most complex and original shapes. It is not difficult to bend the gypsum board with your own hands at home if you approach this process with special attention and accuracy.

In the following video, you will learn how to bend drywall for an arch in a doorway.