What to make partitions in the house: 6 options

In this article, we will review which material is better to choose for the construction of interior partitions. Let's compare the characteristics: durability, ease of use and, of course, prices.

This material will be relevant to those who have moved to a new apartment or are making repairs in their own, and there is a need to redevelop with additional partitions. Such work can be done both by yourself and hire construction workers. If you will be making partitions yourself, we recommend that you study the materials before making a choice. But even in the case of hiring workers, in order to be sure that you were advised of good material, it is better to study all the points thoroughly as well. After all, you then still have to live and use this partition.

Popular materials and designs of wall partitions

Popular materials and designs of wall partitions are now:

1. Brick, thickness 120 mm.
2. Gas block, thickness 100, 150 or 200 mm.
3. Expanded clay concrete block, thickness 90 mm.
4. Silicate tongue-and-groove block, thickness 80 mm.
5. Gypsum tongue-and-groove slab (PGP), thickness 100 mm.
6. Drywall

All this is sold in hardware stores or directly from manufacturing plants. Car delivery is very developed now, so it will not be difficult to get the right products at the right time.

So, let's look at the pros and cons of each material.

brick partition

Brick is a well-known material. It can be ceramic or silicate. Hollow or full-bodied - ordinary. For the construction of partitions, a hollow brick is quite suitable. One brick with a size of 250 × 120x65 mm. weighs 2.5 kg. Its strength is enough to hang heavy interior items on the partition. During masonry work, it is easy to prick to the desired dimensions with the help of a mallet. But the very application of the solution and leveling the level takes a lot of time.

If a partition is needed to delimit space and create a separate room, dressing room, ironing room or any other room, it is also important to pay attention to sound insulation. The requirements for soundproofing walls in the Russian Federation are regulated by SNiP II-12-77 "Protection from noise", the permissible Rw index of interior partitions for is 43 dB, regardless of the class of housing. A plastered brick wall 150 mm thick has an Rw of 47 dB (source https://docs.cntd.ru/document/456050583).

How much does a brick cost? On average, the price in the Ural Federal District in retail stores and factories varies from 17.25 to 23.50 rubles per item. The cost of building one meter of wall in this case is around 660 rubles (excluding other consumables). To do this, we calculated how many pieces contain 1 sq.m. walls. Formula: 1 m² / (Length * Material Height).

Advantages of a brick partition:

• durable
• Easy to cut

Cons of a brick partition:

• The complexity of masonry, the need to mix the mortar and its thick layer, hence the dirt in the room
• The complexity of plastering

Partition gas block

Aerated concrete is a modern material; not only houses are built from it, but also partitions in apartments are made. Light weight and cutting with a hand saw, as well as masonry work using foam adhesive in a balloon or cement-based mineral thin-joint adhesive, allow you to quickly build a wall. As for sound insulation, it is of course lower than that of a brick, because aerated concrete is a more porous material. According to one wall materials factory, a 100 mm thick aerated concrete partition wall with a density of 500 kg / m3 has a sound insulation index of 39 dB. If you plan to hang heavy interior items on a partition made of aerated concrete, then keep in mind that heavy hinged structures cannot be hung on it. And besides, you need to use special fasteners for porous materials - it is sold in hardware stores and does not differ in price from conventional fasteners. The size of the block is large enough, it speeds up the process of building a wall - 625x250x100 mm.

What is the price gas block? On average, the price in the Ural Federal District in retail stores and factories varies from 76.56 to 80 rubles per item. The cost of building one meter of wall in this case is around 524 rubles (excluding other consumables).

Advantages of a gas block partition:

• A light weight
• Easy to cut with a hacksaw
• Can be mounted on foam glue (no dirt in the room)
• Ease of plastering (smooth surface of the block and a thin layer of plaster)

Cons of a partition from a gas block:

• It is undesirable to weigh heavy objects
• Requires special fasteners for porous materials

Partition from expanded clay block

Also, for the construction of interior partitions, you can use expanded clay concrete block with a thickness of 90 mm. This thickness is enough to build a reliable structure on which you can hang the necessary things. As for sound insulation, manufacturers do not have calculated data on this indicator.

How much does a claydite block cost? On average, the price in the Ural Federal District in retail stores and factories varies from 30 to 80 rubles per piece. The cost of building one meter of wall in this case is around 748 rubles (excluding other consumables).

Advantages of expanded clay block partitions:

• Strength
• Fastener reliability

Cons of a partition from expanded clay block:

• The complexity of masonry, the need to mix the mortar and its thick layer, hence the dirt in the room
• The difficulty of cutting with a grinder and dust
• The complexity of plastering

Silicate block partition

Silicate tongue-and-groove partition is a relatively new type of material. At the same time, the word "silicate" is familiar to many, because silicate bricks have long been on the construction market. The partition consists of lime, sand and water. Gaining strength in high pressure and high temperature autoclaves. A dense and non-hollow structure allows you to fix any cabinet or other structure anywhere in the partition. The sound insulation index is 55 dB, which is better than that of a brick, gas block or GWP.

How much does a tongue-and-groove silicate partition wall cost? On average, the price in the Ural Federal District in retail stores and factories varies from 121 to 252 rubles per item. The cost of building one meter of wall in this case is around 559 rubles (excluding other consumables).

Advantages of a silicate partition:

• Strength
• Fastener reliability
• Good sound insulation
• Possibility of laying on foam-glue or on mineral thin-seam cement-based
• Easy plastering due to flat surface

Cons of a silicate partition:

• The complexity of cutting grinder

Gypsum tongue-and-groove slab (GWP)

How much does a tongue-and-groove silicate partition wall cost? On average, the price in the Ural Federal District in retail stores and factories varies from 252 to 280 rubles per item. The cost of building one meter of wall in this case is around 798 rubles (excluding other consumables).

Advantages of gypsum tongue-and-groove board:

• A light weight
• Easy to cut with a hacksaw
• Quick installation
• Ease of plastering (smooth surface of the block and a thin layer of plaster)

Cons of a gypsum tongue-and-groove plate:

• The complexity of cutting grinder
• Low strength
• It is undesirable to weigh heavy objects

Drywall partition

Drywall is a material from which you can make a partition of any thickness. After all, for this you need to mount a frame of metal profiles, and then drywall itself is already attached to them. The material is available, relatively inexpensive, allows you to quickly make partitions in any part of the apartment, with the exception of wet areas - in bathrooms. Due to its softness and fragility, you cannot hang something heavy on it. But such partitions for the most part play an aesthetic or dividing function, and not a hanging one.

Advantages of plasterboard partitions:

• It is possible to give any shape of the partition
• Easy to cut
• Quick installation
• Ease of plastering

Disadvantages of drywall partitions:

• The need to install profiles
• Low strength
• Do not carry heavy objects

Note to those who plan to make a partition in the apartment

According to paragraph 7.20 of SP 54.13330.2022, redevelopment associated with the transfer of wet areas in apartments is prohibited. Namely, “According to the apartments, such redevelopment of the bath and toilet is not allowed, in which they will be above the living room or kitchen neighbors from below, with the exception of duplex apartments, in which a bathroom and toilet can be installed directly above the kitchen of the first level."

Bathrooms in ordinary apartments are separate. But even if the bathroom is combined, its dimensions in rare cases allow you to build partitions there. But if they allow, then again, according to the Joint Venture "Stone and reinforced stone structures", then only from full-bodied ceramic bricks. As for the kitchen areas and the construction of partitions there, a normal level of humidity is usually maintained in living quarters. If you use the apartment for its intended purpose and do not arrange regular floods there, you can choose any material from our rating for the construction of a partition.

*Prices as of 09.11.2022 according to construction and trade retail chains. Tyumen.