flexiblefullpage
billboard

Radius Walls: Bending Drywall and Curved Trowels

Bend drywall with water and bleach, finish the surface with an adjustable trowel
May 22, 2023

This video demonstrates the step-by-step process of creating curved radius walls for a utility room with pocket doors. The main steps involve

  • Moistening the boards
  • Double layering for fire rating
  • Bending and securing the boards
  • Filling cracks and gaps and achieving a smooth finish

Here are the details on the main steps involved...

Moisten the drywall

To prepare the boards for bending, the presenter dampens them using a bleach solution. Bleach eliminates the risk of mold when sandwiching wet drywall together. Alternatively, an alcohol-water solution or white distilled vinegar can be used to achieve moisture, but the customers might wonder why it smells like Subway inside the house.

Double Layer the drywall for fire rating

Since the utility room requires a fire rating, two half-inch boards are used for the radius wall. The double-layering is necessary to meet the fire safety requirements.

Bending and securing the drywall

Use drywall screws to secure the drywall in place, gradually bending the sheet while ensuring the studs hold the shape. This step requires precision and care to maintain the desired curvature without cracking the drywall.

Finish the surface

After the boards are secured, the presenter identifies angular imperfections in the bend. Hu uses a curved trowel from Innova Tools to fill in these troubled areas with mud. This process ensures a smoothly curving solid base for the subsequent coating. The presenter mentions their plan to use a sprayer to apply multiple coats to the radius walls, which will yield better results compared to hand-floating.

catfish1