An arched door frame can make any doorway at home or at the garage look a bit more elegant. On paper, it’s a relatively simple and straightforward project to take. However, if you want your arched doorway to look great, there are several points of consideration to keep in mind.
1. Framing and Measurements
What can make any wooden arched doorway project daunting will be the arch itself. Due to its unique shape, you will have to have different measurements for the arch at various points in order to make it fit in the doorway.
For instance, if the length of the doorway is 32 inches, you must give it a rough clearance for the arch at 1 inch at the widest points, 3.5 inches at the middle points, and as much as 5 inches from the top for the tip. For extra support, you must have several struts at 2 inches wide placed at 8 points along the arch.
As for support, you could give it the standard door frame measurements of 2 x 2 inches at all sides and a length that matches the height of your entire doorway.
To make things easier on your part, you can refer to online woodworking plans and just adjust the measurements to fit your needs.
2. Materials and Tools
For this wooden arch frame project, you will need a miter saw. This type of saw is ideal since it can cut through curvatures with ease. Also, instead of nails, it is better to use galvanized screws as they can lock in to the material and stay tight for a longer period of time. This will also mean that you will have to use a drill to attach the screws to the frame.
Strong types of wood like oak and cypress are ideal for the door frame. However, for the arch, you may want to use a lighter type of wood. It is necessary for the arch to be strong enough to hold the weight on top of it but not be heavy enough to cause stress on the door frame itself.
3. Cutting and Assembly
To start things off, draw your plan at two boards of plywood. Make sure that both arches are identical to one another as they will form the top of the frame.
Use a miter saw and guide it through the curvature of the arch while cutting the board. Once done, you can then cut the 8 2×2 inch blocks and attach them in between the arches.
Once the arch is done, you can then attach it to the door frame at the lowest points using the screws. You can also apply wood glue along with the screws for a more secure attachment.
After the frame and the arch have been attached, the last thing to do would be to soften the rough edges at the bottom part of the arch as well as the door frame.
Once complete, all that is left to do is to attach the arched door frame to the entryway itself.
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