Internal Walls

There are two types of internal wall: structural party walls, which divide houses built side by side, and partition walls, which divide up the space within a house and may be loadbearing or non-loadbearing.

do it yourself internal walls

Party wall construction

Party walls, or separating walls, are shared solid walls which divide houses built side by side. Party walls separate the properties over the entire height of the building to prevent the spread of fire and provide good sound insulation.

Internal partition walls can be loadbearing or non-loadbearing, but are usually relatively lightweight and not more than one brick thick. Partition walls for houses may be made from brick, concrete blocks, hollow clay blocks, timber framing or cellular core wallboard. A plaster finish is usually applied to brick or block walls for a smooth surface.

Stud-partition walls

Timber-framed partitions called stud walls are common in new and old houses. They are usually made from 100mm (4in) wide sawn softwood. The vertical timbers, called studs, are placed 400mm (1ft 4in) or 600mm (2ft) apart from centre to centre. Diagonal braces may be included for strength.

Lightweight concrete blocks

Blocks are widely used for modern partition walls. They are made to course with bricks and are nominally 150 to 225mm (6 to 9in) high and 450 or 600mm (1ft 6in or 2ft) long.

The most common size used is 450 x 225mm (1ft 6in x 9in) and a range of thicknesses from 50 to 300mm (2 to 12in) is available — use the 100mm (4in) wide block for a partition wall. This size corresponds to standard brick bonding, being equal to three courses high and two bricks long. Blocks are grey in colour and are made from cement and lightweight aggregate. Their large size makes building a wall quick and simple. They provide good sound and thermal insulation and are fireproof. Fixings can be made at any point on the wall using special plugs, and services can be channelled into the surface. Blocks are cut easily with a bolster chisel.

Hollow clay blocks

Clay blocks are red in colour, may be smooth-faced or horizontally grooved as a key for a plaster coating, and are hollow. They make a lightweight wall that has good sound and thermal insulation properties and is fireproof.

Cellular-core wallboard

This manufactured wall panel is made from two sheets of plasterboard with a gridded cardboard core bonded between them. It is available in similar sizes to standard plasterboard sheets, and 57 or 63mm (21/4 or 21/2in) thick. The cell structure makes a light but rigid partitioning that is simple to install and can be decorated directly or finished with plaster. All fixings to this type of wall require a screwed cavity device  unless wooden plugs are fitted during erection. The plugs are short lengths of the battening used to fix the panels together. It is necessary to preplan the placing of the fixtures before the plugs are driven into the core from the edge. The face of the board is marked to indicate the positions of the plugs before the partition is assembled. Clear channels for cable or pipe runs before beginning assembly.

A plaster finish is usually applied to brick or block walls for a smooth surface. Stud walls are usually non-loadbearing, but they can carry a lateral load.

Stud walls offer a convenient duct for running services such as wiring, but because of their hollow construction special fixings are required when attaching anything to the surface.

Hollow clay blocks do not take nails well; fixings should be made with screws and suitable cavity fixings. Where nailing is required — for fixing skirtings or door linings, for example — solid blocks should be incorporated.