How to remove a plaster archway

We recently purchased a 'new' home. It was built in the early 80's in the brief period when archways were all the go. We were lucky enough to score 6 of them.

After about 2 months we decided we couldn't stand them any longer so I thought I would have a go at squaring them up. It turned out to be exteamly easy and something anyone could do.

I had no idea how the archways were made and what timber was behind them in the wall. I assumed it was just plaster and if I cut around it I could just smash it out.

I wasn't really sure what size to make the new opening. Obviously the width has already been established, but I wasn't sure of the height. I thought I might want to put a door in the hole one day so figured I would base it on a standard door size (2040mm plus plus 20mm for the jam). With a level, I very carefully drew straight lines on the plaster around the arch to suit the standard door size. Then using a plaster knife started to carefully cut along the lines.

I was reasonably apprehensive with the cutting - after all I didn't really know what I was doing. After about 10 minutes I had cut right along the lines and the plaster above the arch was now free. I then bashed this plaster out. To my supprise right around my cut out was timber framing. The archway is actually built inside a door frame. This was fantastic - I thought I was going to have to put a nogan across the top - but it was already there.

The plaster on the other side of the wall came out much quicker now that I sort of knew what I was doing. I didn't bother drawing lines - but instead just cut along the timber frame. I have no idea how the arch itself was made. Somehow they managed to bend the plaster and the metal angle around its edge to form the shape. I'm sure it took someone a lot of time and skill to create it. It only took a hammer and tin snips to get rid of it.

With the arch completly gone and the timber door frame now visible, it was now time to neaten it up. This was simply a matter of nailing plaster board to the timber frame, running external angle around the edge and plastering it all up.

After a few coats of plaster and a few sands the job was finished. Well sort of. To my wife's and asthmatic children's delight, it took the next 2 months to get the plaster dust out of the house. Note to self : put some drop sheets down next time.

When we moved into this house there were 6 arch ways. Now there are none. All 6 were built the same way - inside a door frame. 3 of the arch ways we simply squared up, 1 we put a door in, 1 we filled in with a wall. The last was in our front entrance. We decided to make a feature of this one and boxed it out.

Apart from the dust, this was a very easy project and has made a huge difference to the look of the house.