What material would I use to create an S-shaped wall?

Hi,


I have a renovation underway, and one important aspect for me is to have an internal wall which instead of being straight, is rounded like an S from one side of a room to the other.


The guys who were asked to quote on plasterboarding have thrown their hands up at this, so can anyone suggest a bendy material that would do the job? It needs to extend up almost two floors, and attach directly to the underneath of the roof (no ceiling), and possibly to be able to contain insulation, though this is perhaps not essential.


In the past builders have come to quote and have not objected to the possibility of the "bendy wall", so this is now late in the day, a couple of weeks before the rest of the plasterboarding is to be done, and I need to find a solution pronto.


I'd greatly appreciate any input please. Thanks.

Oh great, thanks Hilary.

That sounds abit like the Sipporex blocks...they have a notched side (a bit like Lego) and they can be easily carved/sawn to create different joining angles....and I think you can actually buy pre-formed curves. They are also quite light so you probably could use them on wooden floors...

There are alot of online demos...

Dear all,

many thanks for your inputs. I'm off to find out more about the suggestions you've all made. Someone also mentioned some very light bricks / brick-like things that when piled on each other can be made in various shapes and although strong would not be too heavy for a wooden floor. That remains a bit mysterious for me.

Thanks again for chipping in - big help. Suzy

I researched this product when converting a doorway opening into a window....works well with curves is light,quick & easy to handle and reasonably priced...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-A0xfuPd7w

Any time mate!

PS I still remain proppa working class with calloused hands unlike the lily fingered colleagues who probably thing a pointing trowel is for serving ice cream!

Respect! as I believe the youth of today say.......

Oh yes, I went into the academic world to escape the possible fate of eventually being recruited into my father's building business for which I made a pretty fair portion of child/youth labour but holds me in good stead. In the house I had for just over 30 years I had a circular bathroom. I built and installed it myself, plasterboards admittedly. We have 'wobbly', untrue walls here and I find putting up Fermacell as easy. In fact I cut the boards with a circular saw, using a diamond or thin kerf blade. Well measured pencil lines and a guide with the blade set to cut roughly 90% through the working on to the frame works for me. I'm not just a pretty book writer ;-)

Brian, I believe this is one where your academic career hasn't so far involved you in building curved walls, whereas I have with others refurbished several hotels with designer curved walls and even ceilings.

The plasterboard can be curved quite an amount down to about 1.5m radius by wetting it down and putting into a frame to develop the curve and left until dry. Being a public buildings these had to be double thickness plaster board for fire regulations so done a fair bit of this but it takes time.

Kerf cutting the others if done right can also allow them to be curved but as you say some plastering to make it a fluid curve rather than a series of tangents. Because Wedi panel has the glass fibre and cement skin it forms a better curve for say tiling etc.

http://us.wedi.de/_shared/_pdf/us/wedi-Building-Panel.pdf

I just hope Suzanne charges her builders for the classes in how to form curved walls as her guys will be learning on the job if they don't all run away and hide.

Fermacell for sure. It is not flexible, plasterboard is more flexible but that is very limited, it depends on your S but OK for a gently curved wall, so would need to be cut to flex round. Fermacell needs to be cut as John says, then use Fermacell filler to round it off. It is also a lot easier and better to plaster (we are using chalk plaster) than conventional plasterboards as well. It is generally better than plasterboards for this kind of thing.

Order from: www.monisolationecologique.com/nos-produits/24409-fermacell

It is cheaper than at bricos or builders' yards, is delivered because this is an online only company. I have an account and buy all my wall lining and insulation from them now. If it is for soundproofing as well, use hemp or wood fibre, they both have the density, absorbency and also last longer than synthetic insulation.

Is there a need to insulate an internal wall or is it for sound deadening?

Plasterboard can be curved, you don't state the radius you would like? The surfaces of the cardboard on the plasterboard are wetted down and then it's formed into the curve and allowed to dry.

You could also use Fermacell board which is in some french Brico's (Leroy Merlin) our way. This is stiffer and heavier and takes impact better so maybe better in your situation. Kurfing cuts are made in the board and then it can be flexed to shape, there maybe some filling to do to finish.

You could also Kerf cut MDF although personally I don't like MDF.

Or Wedi foam boards (LaPeyre)

http://www.british-gypsum.com/white-book-system-selector/systems-overview/specialist-partitions/gypwall-curve is a quick clean option. Otherwise you would need to make a wooden frame ect which is now probably outside your time frame. You also need to consider things that should have been done at first fix - wiring and the like. Good luck