Transforming partitions: technical description

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Transformable partitions for an office or sales area are the ideal tool for combining or zoning space when you need to turn a small room into a mini-office system or a conference room in a few minutes.

Types and applications

A wide variety of transforming partitions produced in our time can be divided into two classes. The first of them is represented by sliding walls, consisting of separate panels. If necessary, they can be pulled out manually one by one from the storage (parking) place. The second class includes sliding partitions made of the same panels, but connected to each other by hinges. For this design they were nicknamed "accordions". They can be installed with both ceiling and floor rails. In contrast, sliding walls are attached exclusively to the ceiling. Based on this, their undeniable advantage is the parking space, which can be located anywhere, for example, around the corner, in a niche or other convenient place for the user.

There are transformable officepartitions, which are made in such a way that they can be removed upward, namely in the above-ceiling space. However, they are most often not able to provide sufficient sound insulation, and in modern sliding walls it sometimes reaches 52 dB. This figure is comparable to the soundproofing of brickwork, which is 56 dB.

Technical description

Transformable partitions have a base in the form of a guide rail with a parking area. It is always securely attached to the ceiling, as it bears all the load on itself. At the same time, the floor remains practically unused. Only those parts of the locks are attached to it, with the help of which the partitions themselves are motionlessly fixed.

Sections can be used as swing doors, because their bottom fastening is made in the form of a latch. Such a lock can fix the partition in the desired position, and also allows it to rotate up to 180 degrees. Special holes are made in the floor for fixing the latches, which are closed with lids having a spring mechanism. Such plugs are necessary in order to prevent dust and dirt from entering the structure itself.

The modular structure of transforming partitions allows you to design parking areas for a specific web width, as well as for almost any room configuration. The sections are attached to the rail, and it, in turn, to the supporting overhead structure, which is held on the ceiling by studs, which allows you to set it strictly horizontally and ongiven height.

Pros and cons

The advantages of transforming partitions include the following factors:

● easy to use;

● rational organization of space zoning;

● reliability and durability;

● compact when storing (parking) doors;

● the ability to use individual panels as swing doors for ventilation or passage.

As for the disadvantages, they include the complexity of installation and a relatively low degree of sound insulation, which, however, can be improved if special retractable seals are used. Experts recommend designing the partition in advance, as well as installing it before the general finishing of the room begins.

Frequently used materials

PVC is considered the most democratic basis for the manufacture of partitions. Plastic profiles are perfect for decorating both budget and expensive interiors. In addition, they are easy to care for, and resistance to high humidity greatly expands the scope of their application. PVC profile partitions can be installed not only in the bedroom, but in the kitchen and bathroom.

Frames for partitions are often made of aluminum, as it is a very flexible and durable material, besides it is very resistant to deformation. Such a profile can be used separately, but sometimes it is combined with plastic or wood when it is necessary to give the structure special strength andhardness.

Use of glass partitions

Most often, such structures are installed in shopping malls, where they play the role of shop windows. Perhaps this is the best option to attract a large number of buyers. Now it is not uncommon for transforming partitions to be completely folded down during the operation of a retail outlet. As a result, the buyer can freely enter the store without looking for a door and without going around long windows. At the end of the working day, the partitions are stretched and thus the trading premises are closed.

Transformable glass panels can be used not only indoors but also outdoors. In the first case, they are used to form separate zones, and in the second - as facade partitions. It should be noted that for the production of such panels, made on any basis, be it wood, plastic or metal, the type of glass does not matter much, since the frame itself is a guarantee of the strength of the partition.

All-glass panels are another matter. For their manufacture, only the safest materials are used, which include triplex and tempered glass. To verify their reliability, you can compare their characteristics. The reason for the safety and strength of a material such as triplex is that a special film is glued between two layers of glass, and if the panel is damaged, the fragments do not scatter, but remain fixed on it. The reliability of tempered glass is also undeniable, since it hassurface tension and when it breaks, fragments with non-sharp edges are formed.

Acoustic sliding partition walls

The designs of such panels are much more complicated than glass ones. However, elegant and light canvases cannot provide reliable soundproofing of the newly created premises. Usually their indicator does not exceed 12 dB. In soft partitions, which are equipped with special anthers, sound insulation reaches 20-30 dB. In order to significantly improve this indicator, it will be necessary to complicate the design, as well as increase the mass and thickness of the canvases.

For example, to increase sound insulation from 40 to 50 dB, it will be necessary to at least double the weight of the canvas, which will be 50-60 kg / m². Mobile walls can be considered real "heavyweights" in this area. They provide soundproofing of 53 dB, but their transformation is much more difficult: not only do each of the modules need to be put in place, but the canvases also need to be pressed tightly against each other and fixed with a special key. It is very important to remember that the installation of acoustic partitions should only be entrusted to professionals, as improper installation can significantly reduce the soundproofing properties of the structure.

Soft sliding partitions

More than 10 years ago, the production of transformable partitions was launched, which outwardly resemble a curtain. They consist of a hidden frame, covered with several layers of material with good soundproofing properties, and trimmed with eco-leather. When folded, their surface is a soft wave, while its minimum size is no more than 20% of the width of the opening itself. Perhaps this is the most comfortable and beautiful transformer that allows you to use it both in office interiors and in a cafe or even in an apartment!