# Curved Drywall Corners



## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

We were recently approached by a local architect who wanted us to create a stand-alone product for making very tight corners in drywall. The corners shown in the attached pics have in internal radius of 4" and an external radius of 8".
My questions for all you expert drywallers are:
Would you buy this as a commercial product?
What dimensions would you want available (length, radius, angles)?


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*Curved drywall*

Nice bend! Is that 1/2" stock?

JW


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

No. It's not drywall, it's a stand-alone product that's compatible with drywall. It is the same thickness (1/2" or 5/8") and can come with or without edge taper.
We originally made it as a one-off for a local architect who wasn't satisfied with the current options for making tight corners. But it was so well received that we are going to sell it as a commercial product. So far we have right angle 4" internal corners, 8" external corners and a 180 degree bull nose corner to wraparound the end of a stud wall. 
We are still trying to figure out what a full product line should look like but (hopefully) these three are a good start.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

That's funkadelic:thumbsup: You should have come out w/ that in the '60's


I wanna see Bass wrap crown around that

edit--- It looks like there's no framing in the corners.??


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

This was just a short demo wall to show the product. It is two stick walls perpendicular to each other. They are actually joined by several 45 degree braces (cut from 2x1s) inside the walls, just to keep things rigid while we put screwed the corners and drywall in place. Once the corners are screwed down their strength takes over (course if this was a normal wall, it would be more rigid from being fastened at the top also but we built our little demo on a sheet of plywood so we could move it afterwards). 
Sandwich panels are pretty strong as Kim is demonstrating in the other photo, standing on one of the bull nose sections spanning between a couple of 2x4s.


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## taper71 (Dec 5, 2006)

Its a good Idea if you have trim pieces that you could use with it. You would have to manufacture trim pieces for the finishers to be able to market it for residential.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

I'd buy some. I'm pretty sure I could sell these to a couple of my contractors.


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## MAD Renovations (Nov 18, 2007)

Neat product..... I am sure there would be a market for it.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*How do you cut it?*

Can it be cut easily?

JW


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

Yes it is easy to cut.
The neatest way, whether trimming ends or edges is a table saw with a fence but it also cuts easily with a sharp blade - Just need to be sure to cut through both skins before trying to snap it because the skins are much stronger than drywall paper.
[email protected]


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Great idea! :thumbsup: 
I'd love to checkout this product. I think it could be a good fit in some of
our custom commercial jobs for restaurants and hotels (vinyl cove base will curve right with it).
Keep us posted fulcrum1.


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks Sir Mixalot.
We will post a datasheet on our website shortly. 
Hmm, seems I'm not allowed to post a URL....
Or email me and I'll send you one [email protected]

Chris


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Definitely a commercial target market.

You might want to develop a little stamped steel corner brace that would take care of the framing issues (think steel studs).


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## Heritage (Mar 20, 2007)

I'm actually excited about this product, that could open up a bunch of possibilities I've never tried before. 90 degree corners ARE SO YESTERDAY.

There's a brochure I have somewhere in my office from the last time I went to the builder's expo of drywall accessories/channels, etc. that made a bunch of cool designs possible (but it couldn't do this)...can't remember the name.

If that product can hold up (paper separating/finishing issues/cracking/etc.)...I see a very bright future for your product. Best of luck, keep us posted.:thumbsup:


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks Heritage,
You are spot on with the "If that product can hold up (paper separating/finishing issues/cracking/etc.)..." comment.
The most difficult part of the development was figuring out what surface would give us the same adhesion as drywall to mud. We made and tested hundreds of different products. And in the end the perfect material was ...... drywall face paper!


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Looks very cool.:thumbsup:

The only thing that comes to mind is the joints are so close to the radius that finishing would be a little difficult.


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks for the comment Big Shoe.
We had a lot of debate on this with the architect, the local drywall distributor and above all the drywallers. As always there is a degree of compromise. It was desirable for the corners to fit onto a double stud so the straight portion after the curve was pretty much fixed at 2 1/4" (thickness of 1 1/2 studs).
With a 2" taper that pretty much means the joint comes up to the start of the curve. We were concerned about that so we sat and watched the drywallers taping and mudding. On the outside 90 degree corners and the 180 degree bullnose it didn't seem to be a problem at all. The start of the curve is on plane with the straight drywall so they just spread mud and finished as normal. The inside corner is a little more tricky as you have to avoid being over too far and having the mud cut into the curve. The drywallers did a great job and only grunted and swore a little so it seems we are ok but since the whole point of the product is to make like easy and reduce hours on the jobsite I'm all for continuing to tweak and improve as we go forward. Other than a little extra material, the only downside I see is that if we make teh legs longer to get the joint further from the curve, we run into the need for an extra stud under the joint.
All opinions welcome!


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

Picture of that guy standing on it, would be a LOT more dramatic if it was about 80' feet in the air.

Just a suggestion


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Heritage said:


> I'm actually excited about this product, that could open up a bunch of possibilities I've never tried before. 90 degree corners ARE SO YESTERDAY.:thumbsup:


You have me chuckling. The first thing my mind went to was, "Rounded corners are so '60's." :laughing:

They were all the rage here and in California during that time. (along with stainless steel, neon lights, and glass block walls) I guess it just goes to keep on proving that there is nothing new under the sun... and that all sorts of fashions keep on revolving in repeating cycles, decade, after decade, after decade.


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## the hammer man (Sep 16, 2010)

what are the feature/benefits of this product?


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

Getting the product to market will be a challenge---You need to concentrate on the architects and designers---I think--

Those are the folks that will cause the contractor to buy them---Mike---


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

Hi Hammer Man, great question. I think there are many different benefits, specific to who is using it and under what circumstances:

For the installer it is a very simple and quick way to produce curved corners - it installs as quickly & easily as drywall - depth set screws, taping, mudding etc. So if curves are specified it can save a lot of time on the jobsite.

But before anyone installs curved corners someone has to have a reason to put them on the print. Here are a few of the advantages that cause them to be called out:
Aesthetics - sometimes just looking cool is a good enough reason!
Cleaning - An inside curve eliminates that nasty dead spot that's hard to get into to clean.
Longevity - Sharp outside corners, no matter how well done are prone to chipping over time. The outside corner and 180 degree wraparound eliminate the chipping points and can keep the wall looking good for longer.
Easing traffic - Rounding an outside corner helps traffic flow
ADA Access - I'll leave this to the experts but the rounded outside corner can make maneuvering a wheelchair (or gurney) through a tight space much easier. 
Another unrelated benefit is that these panels do provide good insulation. There is an increasing awareness of the thermal bridging effect of studs in an insulated wall. The effect is significantly worse in corners where multiple studs are used. We have lots of thermal image video of houses (new and old) where every vertical and horizontal external corner can be seen as a dark (cold) line. The insulation value of the curved panels helps fix that .
[email protected]


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## fulcrum1 (Sep 13, 2010)

*Curved corners for drywall*

Nathan, if this offends your site rules, then I apologize (go ahead & zap me or whatever....)but I had several people contact me to ask if after all the discussion we had actually decided to offer the curved corners as a commercial product.
The answer is yes :clap:
You can see them on our site but apparently I'm not allowed to tell you what that is - if you really want to know Google - Fulcrum corners curve - and we should pop up there somewhere.
We are working to get them in place with a couple of Mid-West distributors and will be happy to deal with anyone else directly.
Hopefully we'll get some cooler pictures to post in the coming months.
Please, please, please don't zap me.....


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

fulcrum1 said:


> Please, please, please don't zap me.....


I love it when they beg. :laughing:

Technically you probably deserve a spanking, but given the general interest in this product, I think we can let it slide just this once.

Take another look at the Posting Rules, and this part may help you be a bit more accessible:



> You may add a signature line to your account and it can contain a link to your company, phone number, and your name and title. No sales pitches or large fonts will be allowed.
> You may use your company logo as an avatar.
> You may fill out Your Profile info with all your company details so members can learn more if they desire to.


:thumbsup:


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## Hmrepairs (Sep 11, 2010)

Neat product. I've done this type of thing before with big pieces of ripped down PVC pipe, but that was just on an outside corner and the bottom of a boxed beam. I think in a few years this will be as common a product as a metal cornerbead. Good luck with it.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*Curved Walls*

The curved walls and such are great!

I meet the boys from Pac West and Curved Walls today. Curved Walls is a Canadian company building a similar product line I believe as you.

The possibilities seem endless with these pieces and some time.

The fellow from curved walls said that the coffered ceilings where almost 80 percent faster and offered more room for mechanical, HVAC and wiring than regular methods.

Curved Walls is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*More pictures of Curved Walls Drywall*

Some pictures of Curved Wall Construction...


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*Again with the pictures*

A few more action shots...


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