Freestanding vs. Mounted Room Dividers – Which One Do I Get?

This is one burning question that a lot of our customers come to us with – what’s the difference between freestanding and mounted partitions? Which one’s better? Which one should I get?

If you’re stuck at this point too in your quest for the perfect room divider for your home, office, or any other space, we’re here to navigate you through it! In this blog post, we’ll break down the key differences between freestanding and mounted room dividers, and compare their benefits and drawbacks, ultimately guiding you towards a decision that’s best for your space and requirements. So let’s get right into it. 

What are mounted partition walls or room dividers?

Mounted partitions are temporary partition walls that are anchored onto existing walls with the help of mounting channels to provide sturdiness and stability. Yes, this means that their installation is going to involve a few drill holes on the existing walls, but no, it does not mean they’re difficult to install. Most of our customers can assemble mounted room dividers in a few hours, with nothing but a drill and screwdriver!

Pros of mounted partition walls

Because they’re attached to the existing structure, mounted partitions offer a stable and robust dividing solution.

Seamless appearance
Mounted partitions can integrate seamlessly with the existing walls, giving you a cohesive and visually pleasing appearance. In fact, because our temporary walls look just like real walls, they almost look like they’re a part of the existing architecture, not add-ons at all!

Low-cost and efficient
These dividers don’t require additional anchor panels to support them, which makes their design simple and efficient. This makes the general cost of mounted partitions about 10-15% less compared to their freestanding counterparts.

Cons of mounted partition walls

To secure a mounted partition in place, you’ll need to drill into the existing walls. This may not be ideal for renters who’re restricted by renter regulations, or for those who prefer a less invasive installation process.

Slightly less flexible
While you do have the flexibility to take them apart and reposition or remove them, they’re relatively less flexible when compared to freestanding partitions. The drill holes may need some filling and patching too when you remove them.

Require anchoring to existing wall(s)
These partition walls are not viable in situations where there aren’t any suitable walls available for anchoring. For example, you may want to leave one end free, or your open plan may just not have existing walls nearby. In such cases, your only option is to go with freestanding dividers.

Bestselling Diyversify mounted partition walls

• Mounted L-Shaped Partition Wall With Door
• Mounted T-Shaped Partition Wall With Doors
• Mounted Straight Partition Wall With Door
• Mounted U-Shaped Partition Wall With Door

What are freestanding partition walls or room dividers?

As the name suggests, freestanding partitions are temporary walls that stand freely and independently, i.e., they don’t require the support of an existing wall, or mounting of any sort. The support comes from the anchor panels, which give the freestanding walls a slight L, C, I or T-shape for 3-dimensional stability. This means you don’t need any drilling in the installation process (except, of course, for installing the accordion door if you’re getting one, and even in that case, the drilling is on the partition wall). Your existing walls remain completely untouched!

Pros of freestanding partition walls

Freestanding partitions offer you the ultimate DIY flexibility to transform your spaces at will. They can be quickly and easily assembled, disassembled and repositioned as your needs change.

Excellent option for renters
They’re the perfect room division solution for renters since they don’t require any drilling into the existing walls. So, there’s less cause for conflict with the renter regulations.

No drilling required
They leave behind absolutely no damage to the existing walls, which gives them a huge advantage over mounted partition walls.

Cons of freestanding partition walls

While freestanding walls are stable- thanks to their anchor panels, they’re relatively less stable than the mounted partitions that anchor directly into the existing walls. 

Slightly more expensive
For the same area of division, freestanding walls have a bigger footprint due to the anchor panels. This makes their cost about 10-15% higher than that of mounted partitions.

Require anchor panels
There’s some amount of trade-off when it comes to aesthetics because freestanding dividers don’t fix right into the existing walls to give you that seamless effect. They do tend to look like add-ons, especially because of the anchor panels.

Bestselling Diyversify freestanding partitions

• Freestanding L-Shaped Partition Wall With Door
• Partition Room Divider
• L-Shaped Partition Room Divider
• Freestanding Partition Wall With Door

Freestanding vs. Mounted Room Dividers – A head-to-head comparison

So which one’s the ultimate winner?

Honestly, this depends on your specific situation. If you have no restrictions and don’t mind a few drill holes on your existing walls, mounted partitions are your go-to for stability and optimal pricing. On the other hand, if you don’t have the walls for anchoring, or can’t risk damaging them, then freestanding partition walls are your best bet.

While both – our mounted and freestanding partition walls are 100% DIY and they both offer you flexibility and adaptability, your best choice will depend on the various factors we’ve listed above. We hope this post clarifies the confusion and leaves you armed with the power to make the best decision!

Still unclear as to what type of partition wall will best suit your unique space? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Our expert space designers will assess your space and specific  space requirements to come up with custom solutions.