When it comes to walls, you probably don’t give them much thought. However, walls definitely deserve our appreciation. They provide us privacy, keep our ceilings up, and insulate our homes. 

But what are the different types of walls?

Ultimately, there are really only exterior and interior walls. However, we can dive deeper and learn about the different types of wall materials and designs. And that’s what this article is all about.

So if you would like to learn more, then keep on reading and we will walk you through the different types of walls that you definitely need to know about!

Load-Bearing

A load-bearing wall is one that is built with durable, sturdy materials. This can be steel, brick, concrete, or thick wooden beams. A load-bearing wall is going to hold up the weight of the home above it.

It works by distributing weight down to the foundation.

In outdoor spaces, it is common to come across retaining walls. These are also viewed as load-bearing. Instead of holding up house materials, this kind of wall is actually holding back the earth.

It is able to manage the lateral pressure of the land that is underneath it.

A retaining wall is built based on the layout of the slope behind it. The budget and ground-water conditions will also affect how a retaining wall is constructed. 

In a lot of states, retaining walls of more than four feet in height need to be built by an engineer who understands how all of these factors come together. 

Non-Load Bearing

Walls that do not hold flooring up above are considered to be non-load bearing. These walls are used to divide an area into smaller areas and are sometimes referred to as curtain, partition, or panel walls. 

Because these walls are used to split up areas while not holding up large amounts of weight, they can be built with more delicate materials.

You might not see the large beams that are associated with load-bearing walls. 

Usually, panels are built with sheet rock and two-by-fours. There is usually insulation in between. You might also see partitions that are made with sheet glass, wood, steel panels, facade bricks, hollow bricks, or terracotta.

Partitions are a lot less important to the structure of the house than load-bearing barriers. Due to this fact, they offer a good amount of potential when it comes to remodeling.

You can get rid of materials to make an open space.

You can also add a window or sliding barn door without fearing for the integrity of the home. Also, it’s pretty simple to put up a partition in a room because the process is not as laborious as load-bearing walls demand. 

Glass Partition Walls

A glass wall is a glass panel that is also a transparent divider. It is made out of high-quality safety glass and doesn’t support any weight. The main point of these walls is to let daylight into the room, provide an open space, and manage the space. 

Glass partition walls are made frameless or with an aluminum frame. Either of these two kinds of glass wall systems can be used and the main difference between them is aesthetic. 

It is common to find these walls in modern houses. They are usually located in offices and can create some sense of separation while maintaining the functionality of the space. 

Interior Wall

An interior divider doesn’t need to manage heat as much as an exterior wall does. Instead, the main job of an indoor wall is to hold weight and to divide rooms.

Indoor walls between unheated and heated rooms in the house, such as a wall between an unheated garage and a living room, will have to regulate temperature efficiently. 

 Indoor sections have to be finished differently than the outdoor sections of a home. Indoor finishes don’t need to stand up to natural elements like wind, direct sunlight, and rain.

Because of this, indoor finishes are usually more fragile than outdoor finishes.

For example, indoor pain is usually made out of latex. This is very good paint but it does not hold up well against rain.  

Exterior Wall

The structure of an exterior wall is going to depend on the method of construction. The different types of structures include insulated concrete forms, structural insulated panels, poured-in-place concrete, precast concrete, steel frames, or wood frames. 

The wood framing is common and traditional. However, if too much wood is used then the thermal efficiency will go down. 

Steel is usually used in areas where there are a lot of termites. Concrete barriers are also a popular alternative to lumber. 

Folding Walls

Folding walls and doors allow you to take advantage of exterior environments. You can expand your interior areas and turn them into exterior ones with these structures. If this sounds interesting to you then make sure to learn more about folding walls. 

The Importance of Knowing About the Different Types of Walls

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what the different types of walls are. As we can see, there are all kinds of walls. And the more specific you get, the more options you have available to you.

If you are looking to put up new walls, make sure you consider the budget, environment, and purpose of the walls.

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