Performing finishing.
For many developers, in addition to the functionality of the partition, one of the main criteria is their aesthetic appearance and ease of finishing. Skillfully matched to the type and shape of the partition, the finish can not only decorate the interior, brightly illustrating the advantages of the facing materials used, but will allow you to hide some of the flaws in the finish if necessary.
Masonry partitions can be either plastered or left unfinished.
A very interesting effect is given by a “bare” (without plaster) wall erected from facing or clinker bricks. If other materials were chosen as the wall material for the partition, then they should be impregnated in order to ensure reliable protection of the front surface from the penetration of dirt and moisture. In most cases, stone partitions are covered either with a layer of thin-layer gypsum plaster (if they have a sufficiently even plane), or with a layer of thick-layer cement-lime plaster, which is able to hide all existing irregularities and masonry errors.
Due to the uneven surface, brick partitions are usually covered with a layer of cement-lime plaster, the thickness of which is at least 1.5 cm. To level the surface of the partition, gypsum-fiber or plasterboard plates can also be used instead of the plaster layer, which can be screwed onto a pre-prepared frame or stick directly to the wall. When making partitions from concrete blocks, it is recommended that they be laid on a thin seam, which will ultimately allow you to get a fairly flat plane that can be easily finished even with thin-layer plaster. Many professional builders still recommend finishing partitions using traditional thick-layer plasters, as this will significantly improve their soundproofing characteristics.
Partitions built from hollow large-format porous ceramic blocks are best finished with cement-lime plaster, since thanks to it you can easily hide the seams between the blocks and their corrugated surface. For partitions made of expanded clay concrete blocks, which are massive and more effectively dampen sound vibrations, gypsum plasters are perfect. Practice shows that it is easiest to finish partitions made of silicate bricks. Such a partition has more accurate dimensions (with high-quality masonry, it is possible to obtain a deviation of linear dimensions of no more than 1 mm) and a fairly smooth surface, so that it can be covered with a layer of gypsum plaster having a thickness of less than 5 mm. In addition, a silicate brick partition can be puttied, sanded with grout, primed, and then a layer of gypsum final putty can be applied to this base. Given the fact that silicate brick has a fairly high moisture resistance, then such partitions can be left completely unfinished.
Finishing frame partitions is quite simple, then only if they are built with high quality. In this case, in such a partition, it is enough just to putty the joints of the sheets, and if drywall sheets are used as sheathing, then the reinforcing fiberglass tape will additionally have to be sealed with putty. Due to the fact that there is a special chamfer on the surface of the drywall sheet on the edges, the puttied joint will be in the same plane from the entire surface of the sheet. Gypsum fiber boards have straight end edges, so their joining points do not require additional reinforcement with a mesh, a layer of putty is applied exclusively in the seams. This surface is much easier to level. After the putty has completely dried, the joints should be carefully sanded.
We draw your attention to the fact that this operation is quite simple, but at the same time very dirty, as it is accompanied by a large amount of dust, which settles in a thick layer not only in the repaired room, but throughout the house. Traditional vacuum cleaners are not suitable for its removal, it is necessary to repeatedly carry out wet cleaning in all rooms. This should not be forgotten, for example, when carrying out parallel repairs, such as painting or varnishing surfaces.
The workplace must be carefully protected with a plastic film, but even in spite of all the protective measures, you will not be able to avoid the general cleaning of the entire house. One of the disadvantages of frame partitions is that if the partition is not made properly, then, despite even well-treated joints, they will stand out, crack over time, and it will be quite difficult to disguise them when painting. In addition, partitions located in wet rooms are more prone to cracking at the joints. Possible changes in the design of the house. In most cases, the developers adapt the material and location of the partitions specified in the project to their individual needs, but few of them think about the possible consequences that may arise as a result of these changes.
As a rule, the project of the house should contain complete information about the partitions: material, dimensions, exact placement, binding, as well as the way they are finished. Of course, you can not only change the size, their location, but generally abandon them. You can also change the technology for their implementation, so instead of a frame partition, build a stone one or vice versa. You can make minor changes yourself, but most of them are best coordinated with the designer in advance, despite the fact that the partitions do not bear the load, but they still load the floors with their weight. Most often, already at the stage of partitioning, it is necessary to change the technology of their implementation. So replacing a stone partition with a frame one will be completely “painless”, since it has much less weight and better soundproofing characteristics. Unfortunately, this type of partitions has less resistance to chiseled loads; they can withstand objects not exceeding 60 kg.
For this reason, heavy equipment or objects, such as a heating boiler, are best hung on a masonry partition. In most cases, even before the start of construction work, it becomes necessary to change the location of the walls, this is mainly due to the desire to reduce or increase the volume of some rooms or allocate additional space, for example, for arranging a pantry or dressing room. If all these changes are made on the first floor, then by and large it does not matter much. On the second and subsequent floors, these changes are insignificant only for frame partitions, they can be arbitrarily placed, rearranged or removed on any floor, as they are lightweight.
The only thing to pay attention to in this case is the truss structure, the racks of which can be hidden in the thickness of the partition. If such a partition is displaced, then the racks may be in the middle of the room. The foundation along the stone partitions located on the second and higher floors must be additionally reinforced. Such a partition cannot simply stand on hollow floor blocks, it must be placed either on a reinforcement rib or on a beam. A stone partition on a monolithic floor slab with cross-reinforcement can be placed anywhere, since such a floor at any point has sufficient bearing capacity, and all loads and weights are evenly distributed over the entire floor area.
Particular attention should be paid to unplanned (unplanned by the project) openings in partitions, such as doors, windows or decorative ones, they should never be underestimated. To equip such an opening in a stone partition, it is not enough just to cut or punch it, it must be reinforced with a jumper. In a frame partition, such an opening must be further strengthened with a profile that is installed along vertical slopes. The function of a lintel in stone openings is most often performed by a steel beam, in frame-type partitions – by a horizontal metal profile (usually a UA profile).
We hope that the material in this article will help you competently and at no extra cost to choose the best material for partitions that will have sufficient functionality, have excellent soundproofing characteristics, and will also help you save additional money, because this desire is natural at every stage of construction.