Partitioning houses with style

By Pocyline Karani

In 1888, Augustine Sackett worked around with plaster and layers of paper and ended up producing a board that would eventually bear his name, ‘Sackett Board’. This is the original gypsum board.

Little did he know, a century and a quarter later, that his contraption would emerge as an ideal partitioning wall just like the traditional concrete masonry blocks.

Trends in the construction industry have made Sackett’s invention an ideal material for potential homeowners who would rather build than buy a home especially with the pressure to do more with less.

This light partitioning is used to enhance office dÈcor

A square metre of a concrete masonry wall weighs up to 250kg.

Gypsum plasterboard weighs a measly 25kg. In addition, there is no need for costly footers or foundation modifications since it is erected directly onto a poured concrete slab.

modern drywall

Brenda Bhoyyo, a local interior designer, says partitioning is a recent trend in building of private homes.

"It is faster to construct," she says. "Picture this: just after erecting the exterior walls of your home in whichever design, instead of the traditional masonry concrete blocks to carve up the various rooms of your home, use the modern drywall or gypsum board for partitioning and, in the span of a few days, the house is ready."

The erection of conventional partitions is labour-intensive, time-consuming and needs considerable preparatory work. It is thus more expensive.

Further, it does not allow flexibility for changes during the life of the building. In order for electricians and plumbers to do their job, they have to chisel the wall to perforate it so as to bury cables and pipes, which is a time consuming task.

"This building technology in gypsum is one of several available locally," says Mbuthia. "If adopted, it will help solve the challenge of availing affordable housing for the poor and the chronic homeless."

building technologies

The rising cost of materials such as steel and cement are some of the reasons that are forcing builders to take shortcuts, some of which have cost lives.

According to Mbuthia, any available opportunity to save construction costs should be taken advantage of.

A living room partitioned with gypsum . Photos: Martin Mukangu/Standard

"Millions are invested each year to develop time and cost effective building technologies," she says. "Modern drywall or gypsum boards are becoming a common feature in the construction industry because it is strong, modular and easy to assemble. It is particularly popular for installing internal walls and ceilings in private houses, offices, hotels, public buildings, schools, factories, hospitals and shopping malls."

According to Bhoyyo, gypsum is popular and flexible.

"Quite a number of finishes can be achieved with gypsum and the options are limitless," she says. "They include wall paste coatings and aesthetic materials. Hanging artwork is thus made easy as one does not have to interfere with structure."

In addition, the walls do not echo as compared to stone walls, making it ideal for constructing a sound studio. A Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating shows that it is as effective as that of concrete masonry, which diminishes noise between units.

It is possible to achieve a higher STC by insulating the walls using a layer of glass fibre, which is a soft cloth that will significantly increase the sound damping ability of the separation wall.

"This works best especially for bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms," says Mbuthia.

Fire resistant

Constructing the partition typically involves a stud (metal or wood) with two layers on either side to create the wall. It is then spackled (plastered), sanded and painted to the desired finish.

Safety is another important advantage of partitioning with drywall as most are fire, impact and even earthquake resistant.

With technology, partitioning boards are highly fire resistant and thermal insulated, enjoying various adaptability to meet special construction needs such as earthquake security, economical and low weight of construction.