Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Temporary Walls
(Updated October 3rd 2022)
Temporary walls are a great way to divide or partition a space without real construction. They're temporary - easy to assemble and disassemble as and when your space needs change, and come at a fraction of the cost of constructing an actual wall.
Changing the decor of a space to fit your changing needs is doable, even fun at times. There are tons of cute inspirations you can get off social media, magazines, and whatnot. But what if your space adjustments don’t stop at moving around some pieces of furniture, changing curtains, or adding some plants? What if you need to build an actual wall to divide a room into two or section-off a space?
Yeah, that’s breaking the limits of interior décor and venturing into the architecture territory… or is it? Before you go down the anxiety spiral of scary renovation thoughts, let’s talk about temporary walls.
What Are Temporary Walls?
A house is generally made of load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls. Walls that are a part of the structure, i.e., they support the roof or the floor above, are load-bearing. On the other hand, walls that simply divide the space into rooms, without contributing to the structure, are non-load bearing.
Temporary walls are like the regular interior, non-load-bearing walls but:
- They don’t fall under the ‘architecture construction’ category. They’re usually added on as a part of the interior design.
- They can be assembled, removed, and re-assembled without damaging the existing structure (barring a few drill holes perhaps). Hence they’re ‘temporary’.
- They can be modular and may not necessarily need finishing.
- Some DIY temporary walls can be assembled with ease and without any expertise or equipment.
Why Would You Need Temporary Walls?
There are times when the layout of a space just doesn’t do it for you, right? Then there are those times when needs arise and you have to find a quick solution. Here are several reasons to use a temporary wall:
A New Addition To Your Home
Life’s uncertainties can do a number on you sometimes, especially when your beloved ‘space’ is invaded by a new, sometimes unexpected addition to your household. It could be a relative, a friend in need, or even a newborn!
Temporary walls are a great way to add an extra room in your apartment. So if you’re stuck renting a studio with an annoying roommate, a temporary wall could be your savior.
Set Up A Home Office
The pandemic left a lot of us with – ‘woah, this WFH can really be a thing!’ But unless you can stay sane eating, sleeping, and working out of bed, you’re going to need a dedicated workspace, perhaps even a small office room without distractions. Temporary walls might be a great way to invest that WFH stipend to create a productive home office.
If you’re looking to create that dream home office without any tools, contractors or hassles, our Freestanding L-Shaped Room Kit is your best bet. It’s completely freestanding, which means no damage from drilling, and no grilling from your landlord!
Transform or Finish Your Basement
With temporary walls, you can transform your messy, disorderly basement into a nicely organized space sectioned off for different purposes like laundry, storage, gym, etc.
In Your Small Business
Running a small business is a reason to be proud but it’s not always fun- what with all the bootstrapping and tight workspaces! But temporary walls can be super useful if you want to create a consultation or appointment room, meeting room, waiting area, or pantry.
Need For a Flexible Room Layout
If your space needs change every season but you have just the one space to work with, temporary walls can be a great option. Assemble a meeting room to win over clients and disassemble when you need a nice, open space for a product sale.
Screen Off Long-Lasting Renovations
God help you if you’re getting renovations done while using the space simultaneously!. Temporary walls can be that saving grace to hide the mess and dirt while the contractor drags on your reno project for longer than you can bear.
Do You Need Permission To Use Temporary Walls?
Always check the local building codes before you get too excited and build a temporary wall! Pay close attention to the relevant stipulations on fire, light, and ventilation, especially if you’re building walls with doors or walls that go all the way up to the ceiling.
On the other hand, freestanding walls, screens, and dividers technically count as furniture, so they may not need permits. However, if you’re renting a space, it’s always best to check with the landlord to be sure rather than sorry. Check out our post "Do Temporary Walls Require a Permit?" Here's What the Experts Say for more details.
What Are Your Options For Temporary Walls?
Build From Scratch
If you’re a DIY expert and have some time and carpentry skills to spare, you can build a temporary wall by dry-fitting a frame of two-by-fours with some wall and ceiling studs, and covering it with some drywall sheets. It’s the cheapest option out there but it requires a fair bit of effort. The quality of your wall would really depend on your skill level and the materials you use. Also, beware that there’s some drilling and nailing involved (and its consequences!)
Pressurized Walls
These don’t involve any nails and screws but are fixed in place with the pressure of the adjoining walls and ceilings. While they’re relatively sturdy and clean-looking, they need a lot of precision to build. Pressurized walls can be expensive and they require experts to install them in your space.
Modular Temporary Walls
These are a sort of DIY version of pressurized walls that work with a similar mechanism where they’re ‘mounted’ on the adjoining walls with a few screws on each side. They come with studded metal tracks that can be laid along the floor and adjoining walls, and modular connecting units that form the wall. Imagine ‘adult lego’.
The modular temporary walls at DIYversify are super-easy to assemble and they require no tools or contractors. Plus, they look clean and slick and give you the ‘real wall’ feels. When you’re done with the additional room, simply disassemble the modular units. These DIY temporary walls will leave no damage on your existing walls, floor, or ceiling, except for a few minor drill holes that can be easily patched up.
Use Screens And Furniture
Where you don’t have permission to build temporary walls, or where you can do with some light, visual-dividing, screens, and furniture (like book racks and storage units) are your best bet. Room dividers count as furniture and they offer a lot of flexibility as they can be moved around with ease.
No, ‘dividers’ don’t necessarily have to be those mid-century rattan and shoji ones! The world has moved on guys. Diyversify’s room dividers come with modern, classy-looking designs that can transform your space and give it that A-game it deserves. Plus, they’re modular and DIY, which means that they can be there as and when you want them and gone when you don’t!
Who Needs Temporary Walls?
Students Sharing a Room To Save On Rent
Cities like Boston, New York, San Fransisco, etc. have the maximum student population in the country, but also have, unfortunately, the highest rental rates. It’s not uncommon to see two roommates sharing a studio divided into two, or four students sharing a 2BR divided into four rooms with temporary walls. Making two rooms out of one with temporary walls helps students get their private rooms, yet save massively on rent.
Professionals Working From Home
Temporary walls offer an easy solution to creating a variety of home offices to support the work-from-home culture. For example, L-shaped partitions with doors can convert a spare corner of the bedroom or living room into a home office. By creating a solid, defined workspace and cutting off noise and distractions, temporary walls help increase work efficiency and productivity.
Parents Who Want a Separate Room For Their Infants
After the first 6 months of room-sharing with a newborn, it’s best to let them sleep in a different room to ensure a good night’s sleep for everyone. But given all the other expenses of a newborn, not all parents might be able to afford an extra room. Temporary walls are a quick, affordable way to create a nursery within an existing bedroom or studio.
Small-Business Owners like Spa and Salon Owners Doctors, Therapists, etc
Small businesses usually come cash-strapped with a lot that needs to be incorporated within a tight space. They also need room for flexibility, growth and experimentation. Temporary walls, especially DIY modular partitions can be used to set up meeting rooms, boss’ cabins, massage rooms, etc., at a reasonable cost and without the headache of dealing with contractors.
Offices Needing Flexibility
With changing workplace requirements, office layouts also need changes every now and then. Temporary walls allow for quick space changes without hampering work. Acoustic partitions can be used to create discrete meeting rooms or to block out noisy activities from quiet, focused-work areas to create truly collaborative workspaces.
If you’re looking to add some workstations in your office without compromising on a week’s productivity (or more!) on renovation, our T-Shaped Office Cubicle is for you! Available in custom sizes, it is ideal for sets of 2 workstations that can be connected with others. It’s a breeze to set up and move around as and when your office needs change - just a couple of hours of DIY work!
Renters Wanting to Make Layout Changes
Renting rules around layout renovations can feel very limiting, and there are only so many changes you can make by moving furniture around. Since temporary walls don’t go all the way to the ceiling, they’re usually considered as furniture changes and, are therefore legal for renters. Always best to first check if you and your landlord are on the same page though!
Schools and Teachers Wanting to Create Flexible Learning Spaces
Temporary walls can be used to optimize and enhance learning spaces for multiple uses, separate different kinds of spaces and set up temporary classrooms. They can also be used to achieve noise control and add vibrancy to learning spaces by acting as display boards.
Landlords Looking To Maximize Rental Income
Closing off a den to convert it into a room or dividing a large room into two - temporary walls are an excellent way to add an extra room to increase the rent and therefore boost rental income you earn as a landlord.
What Does It Cost To Build a Temporary Wall?
Temporary walls can cost anywhere between $800 and $3000 depending on the size, type, and quality of materials you use. The cheaper options trade cost for time and effort.
If you have the time, patience, and expertise, knock yourself out with building the temporary wall from scratch- it’s the cheapest. If you need an absolutely clean-looking wall installed, be prepared to shell out some dough for a pressurized temporary wall. Modular and DIY temporary walls fall somewhere in between. At a reasonable price, you can achieve that much-needed extra room, dedicated space, and privacy!
What Are The Advantages of Modular Temporary Walls?
You Can Make Instant Space Transformations
Modular walls can be assembled and disassembled easily within minutes to change layouts by adding a room or separating spaces instantly.
They Offer Long-Term ROI
Modular walls can be re-used, unlike drywall partitions. This means that they’ll continue to offer a bang for your buck for a longer time.
They’re Portable And Can Be Stored Easily When Not In Use
Simply stack the modular pieces on top of each other to occupy minimal storage space when you want the temporary wall to disappear.
Assembling Them Is a Fun, DIY Project
Modular walls come with loads of DIY fun that can be an exciting team activity with children, partners, roommates or workmates.
They Come In Any Size or Shape Imaginable
DIY modular walls come in multiple size and shape options. Whether you’re looking for a straight wall or a U, T or L-shaped one, modular temporary walls can be completely customized to fit your needs.
They’re Sustainable
Because they’re reusable and flexible, modular walls tend to be more sustainable when compared to drywall partitions that produce immense construction debris upon removal.
They Look, And Feel, Like Real Walls
Modular walls, especially from a good and trustworthy brand, look just like real walls! Despite being DIY, when assembled, their clean and sleek aesthetic makes them look like they’re professionally done, like any dry-wall construction.
To Conclude
Temporary walls are the solution to the changing layout needs of today. Whether it’s to partition a space or create that extra room within a room, they’re the way to go for a cheap yet aesthetic and easy option.
Want to partition a space or create that extra room within a room with temporary walls? Need help with the layout, room size or which modular wall option to go for? We’re here to help! Contact us, and our team of expert space designers will help you figure it all out.
