Partitions

Housing requirements change along with changes in the family. Therefore, the right is the one who, when reconstructing an apartment or building a cottage, prudently ponders various redevelopment options, and without prejudice to the main capital structures.

Someone needs to break through the wall and visually expand the space of the home or make a convenient passage. And to someone on the contrary – to partition off a huge hall, turning it into several cozy rooms. It is not always necessary to import mortar and cement for this. Quite strong and reliable walls can be made in different ways. But first, let’s clarify how the wall differs from the partition. The wall is a capital bearing structure made of brick, concrete, reinforced concrete (frame of the house). The wall cannot be demolished or openings made in it without the special permission of the design organization. In contrast to the main bearing walls, partitions are non-bearing, or rather, self-supporting structures. They are installed on reinforced concrete slabs, beams in any place and in any direction, therefore, must be lightweight, meet the requirements of strength and resistance to mechanical stress.

Distinguish between transforming and stationary partitions. Types of transforming partitions: soft folded (curtain type), rigid single folded, rigid double folded, single-piece retractable, composite retractable. They are used to temporarily divide (or combine) rooms, such as a living room, dining room or entrance hall. The simplest partition is an ordinary screen. A special type is the interior transforming partitions-wardrobes, partitions-walls, sliding wardrobes. They are good because they can be placed anywhere in the apartment, moved, giving a new layout to the house in accordance with the changed needs of the family. This is a great find for a modern interior renovation.

Stationary partitions, as their name suggests, cannot be moved. They are made stable, sometimes replacing the wall, and more often performing zoning tasks or simply decorative functions. Consider what materials they are most often made of.

Brick partitions are easy to manufacture, have good fire-fighting, sound-insulating properties, high moisture resistance, do not require the obligatory involvement of a lifting mechanism during installation and can have any shape, which is important in the interior of a modern house. They are usually plastered on both sides, thoroughly rubbed, preparing for painting, tiles or wallpapering.

To reduce the weight of a non-capital wall, it is advisable to use an effective hollow or porous scuttle brick, however, for bathrooms, bathrooms, kitchens – only corpulent red (white silicate is unsuitable). To increase stability, they are reinforced vertically and horizontally.

Aerated concrete, gypsum fiber, etc. partitions. When arranging dividing structures, larger elements are also used, for example, gypsum concrete, foam concrete, slag concrete, honeycomb and other slabs, the sizes and weights of which vary in a fairly wide range. Plates are usually installed in one layer and plastered or covered with another finishing material. The racks of door frames in partitions made of panel materials must be through, flange from floor to ceiling.

In recent years, many construction companies and firms have been offering interior partitions with ready-made solutions. These panels, easily assembled into partitions, come in a wide range of colors and are available with finished surfaces imitating marble, wood and other materials. Firms guarantee their necessary durability and ease of maintenance.

Plasterboard partitions – These are drywall sheets that completely cover the racks. This is how such a partition works: a metal frame made of rack-mount profiles is attached to the supporting structures of the building and covered with gypsum panels. For better heat and sound insulation, the frame is installed on a polyurethane or rubberized tape, and a layer of mineral wool or glass wool is placed between the panels. There are no restrictions on the length of the partitions. But their height depends on the thickness of the steel racks, their type and the distance between the racks. In the calculation of the partition, it is necessary to include the size of the load that will be hung on it. The thickness of the gypsum sheet, the thickness and type of frame depends on this..

Drywall is good because the wall turns out to be smooth, it can be painted, pasted over with wallpaper. Although without additional finishing, the walls look finished. In addition, drywall is a fire-resistant material. It has high vapor and gas permeability: this means that the partition “breathes”. If you strengthen the frame, it can withstand heavy loads. The material allows you to make partitions of any configuration. The bad news is that ordinary drywall is afraid of water. Therefore, such partitions should not be installed in rooms with a humidity of more than 90% (even if the drywall is moisture resistant).

Aluminum and PVC partitions are a frame made of an aluminum or PVC profile, into which a “filler” is inserted (glass, plywood, laminate, wood, drywall). The filler is attached to the frame and does not completely cover it. These partitions are similar in design, strength and installation method. They can be combined: one PVC panel, the other aluminum. Aluminum partitions are more popular in offices than in residential buildings.

Modern technologies make it possible to bend an aluminum frame, so it is possible to make partitions of any configuration from it. Any kind of filler in curved frames can also be used: all fillers used today, including plywood and glass, lend themselves well to bending. Partitions on a PVC frame cannot be curved, you cannot make an arch, bends.

Partitions made of aluminum and PVC are lightweight, they are not afraid of frost and water. They can be made sliding and monolithic. But you cannot hang loads more than 3 kg on them, otherwise the partition will be deformed.

Wooden partitions – it is a frame assembled from a veneered profile (or solid wood) with different filling. The only difference from an aluminum partition made of wood is the material from which the racks are made. The most popular material is our native oak. But at the request of the customer, they can be made from some exotic species, for example, from mahogany or ebony. Or you can choose cherries, pears and more. An array, MDF, chipboard or plywood is placed in the frame of the partitions. The finishing of the product is the most diverse – from tinted coatings that do not hide the texture of the wood, to covering paints, now fashionable white varnish.

They are good because they are made of environmentally friendly material. Since wood lends itself easily to carving, you can make partitions of any configuration, and even increased strength, withstanding more than 150 kg of load. But on the other hand, the tree requires careful processing, is afraid of water, it has insufficient sound insulation. In rooms with wooden partitions, it is necessary to observe a constant temperature and humidity regime, otherwise it will “lead”.

Less common partitions made of natural stones, and partitions made of glass blocks. We introduced you to the properties of these materials earlier..

You need to choose the material based on the tasks that you set for yourself. If, for example, a partition will separate the bath from the toilet and bidet, it is better to take waterproof plastic with opaque glass (stained glass). If you want to divide a large room into several small ones, but at the same time you do not need the partitions to be absolutely soundproof, you can put transparent (glass) partitions in aluminum, plastic or wooden frames. In some cases, for example, the differentiation of the living room, kitchen and dining room is effectively carried out by open openings or transparent decorative metal or wooden gratings, light walls not for the entire height of the room. In any case, consult a professional.