Room Partition Walls Installation: Cost, Weight, Thickness & More

Room partitions can be used in various ways depending on your needs. They can divide up your home and help you make the most of your living space. Partition walls are great for dividing a room into two separate areas, or for sectioning off part of a room for storage, privacy, or to create a new workspace.

Before installing a room partition wall, it’s important to decide what you want to achieve. Different materials will be needed depending on how you plan to use the new areas. You can build partition walls from drywall, metal, wood, glass, or plasterboard, depending on the aesthetic and type of wall you need.

For example, if you want to create a private area in an open-plan room, you should use a building material that provides soundproofing. Likewise, if you want the new space to be warm, you’ll want to install the wall with extra insulation. If you’re simply looking to divide up a large room, or create a sectioned area, any type of wall will usually suffice, including those made of metal frames or glass.

Keep reading to learn more about room partition wall installation, including the costs, weight capacity, thickness, and types of partition walls.

What is the Room Divider Wall Called?

Room dividers are also known as partition walls or stud walls. They are usually constructed of plaster, brick, gypsum, glass, wood, metal, drywall, or concrete. Most people construct a partition wall to divide up a large room into two smaller rooms, or to create zones in an open-plan space.

Partition walls are non-load bearing and structurally only support their own weight. Shelves and hanging units can often be hung from partition walls, but it’s important to check the weight capacity prior to installation.

Most room dividers only hold between 66-88 lbs (30-40kg), with some walls holding more/less depending on what they’re made of. This usually means you can hang shelves, storage units, and food cupboards on stud walls. Partition walls made from bricks or concrete tend to have a higher weight capacity than plaster, gypsum, glass, or plywood walls.

Generally, planning permissions are not required in the US or UK to install a partition wall, provided you own the property and are not renting or living in a leasehold home. However, permission is required if the partition walls form part of an extension, rather than a room divider in the existing property.

What’s the Difference Between Partition & Panelling?

Partition walls and wall paneling are two very different things. Firstly, partition walls are installed to divide a room into separate rooms or zones. Partition walls are generally installed as a permanent fixture to a space, rather than a temporary feature. While they can be installed to improve aesthetics, partition walls are usually erected for practical reasons, like creating a new bedroom or lounge.

On the flip side, wall paneling is a temporary decorative feature added to existing walls. Usually made of plywood, plasterboard, gypsum, or bamboo, they add depth to a living space and create a pleasant aesthetic in bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, and lounges. While long-lasting, wall panels can easily be removed when redecorating without causing significant damage or change to a property.

Despite wall panels generally being fitted to boost aesthetics, they can also be installed for practical reasons. Certain types of wall panels can soundproof a space, increase insulation, and/or protect walls from moisture.

How Can I Partition a Room Cheaply?

The cheapest way to install a partition wall is to do the work yourself. When installing room dividers, materials can cost between $7-16 per square foot. Hiring a professional tradesperson to install a partition wall and source materials is more expensive and can cost between $400-$1,500.

Installing stud walls or room dividers is a DIY project that can be done by anyone with a degree of home improvement knowledge. Depending on the size of the wall, partition walls can usually be installed over a weekend, with a couple of days needed to apply finishes, as needed (including painting and sanding).

The material used will impact how much it costs to install your partition wall. Using brick, concrete, metal, and glass are the most expensive materials. Some types of wood can also be costly to use, like bamboo or treated wood panels.

The cheapest materials to use are untreated plywood, plasterboard, or gypsum. These have a lower weight capacity compared with brick or concrete partition walls. However, most types of plywood are not as strong as plasterboard or gypsum.

What are the Types of Partition Walls?

Room partition walls can be made from various materials, including wood, glass, metal, plaster, plasterboard, gypsum, brick, concrete, and fabric. Each material has its benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to choose the material that best fits the needs of the space.

When choosing the right type of partition wall for your property, consider how much weight you need the new wall to hold. Partition walls can be constructed to hold just as much weight as structural walls, but only when hardy materials are used, like concrete and brick. Plasterboard walls can be made sturdy, but only if erected with a strong metal or wooden frame with a high weight capacity.

Naturally, other materials, like glass, metal, fabric, and wood, won’t have a high weight capacity. Use caution when installing door frames, shelves, or cupboards on these types of partition walls. Thicker partition walls made from wood and metal can generally hold more weight than thin walls. Heavy shelves or units should not be hung from glass or fabric room dividers.

Type of Wall Partition	Advantages	Disadvantages
Brick	High weight capacity Permanent fixture	Costly to install Difficult to remove
Plaster / Plasterboard / Gypsum	Affordable solution Semi-permanent fixture High weight capacity	Can damage ceilings/floors during removal
Concrete	High weight capacity Permanent fixture	Difficult to install Requires refinishing after installation
Glass	Pleasant aesthetics Doesn’t require finishing	Cannot be drilled into No soundproofing
Metal	Pairs well with a modern décor Easy to remove	Can be costly to install Offers little to no soundproofing
Wood	Offers a natural finish Cheap and easy to install	Requires finishing Not a good fit for high humidity areas, like bathrooms or kitchens
Fabric	Unique aesthetic Boosts insulation and soundproofing	Unsuitable for hanging shelves or units Difficult to clean

Summary

Overall, installing partition walls is a great way to maximize space in your property. It’s also a relatively easy DIY project, provided you have some home improvement knowledge and the right set of tools. The most important things to consider before installation is the size, shape, and style of your partition walls, and how these aspects will impact your home.

For example, the size and shape of the wall can impact how spacious the new area feels. Installing partition walls should enhance the existing layout, not make it feel cramped or cluttered. So, try to map out the area first with tape or seek help from a designer to provide a 3D model of your new room.

Additionally, the style of the wall will have the biggest impact on your home’s aesthetic. You can get traditional partition walls, made from brick, concrete, gypsum, drywall, or wood, which are strong, sturdy, and act like regular non-load-bearing walls. Or you can get more modern walls that enhance your décor, like metal or glass.