Room divider partitions are often used in universities and colleges to divide space when needed or to amplify or downsize a room, specifically class rooms and lobbies. They are also used at high schools in gymnasiums and in auditoriums to make room for more people or to shrink the space if a performance is being put on. These types of room partitions are considered more of a commercial application versus a home application, they really are not made for home use. Installation of these in an office setting where you have conference rooms and other types of shared offices as well as in any kind of school or industrial business are almost always done by the manufacturer or a contractor is hired to do the job.

A primary reason and good one at that is that these kinds of room dividers are used because they eliminates the need to have to build extra interior walls that may need to be changed in the future. This means saving money on a budget, more versatility and less need for change over time to the structure of the building interior. Things that would need to be changed if new walls had to be built every few years would be electrical, support beams and possibly even minor plumbing depending on what kind of wall it is and where it is located. Here are a few cons and pros to think about if you are considering these partitions for your next big project or remodel:

• Be warned that tracks for this particular kind of partition run on the floor and on the ceiling. The partitions themselves usually fold in order to be moved into a new order around the available space or to be stored away. They do stay fully on the track, allowing for 180 degree rotation most of the time causing minimum trouble, but remember to allow yourself at least 15 minutes before a class or a function to get them organized the way you like.
• Be aware that to keep a budget low and on schedule you will more than likely want to go for a light material partition and cover it with cloth of your choice for “decoration”. This cloth is usually rated for long time use and has been tested by the manufacturer and is usually cheaper than using any other material. Unfortunately room divider partitions do not come as adorned as decorative screen room dividers, therefore you will need to play with track colors, frame colors and cloth colors.
• If you are set on having more of an aesthetically pleasing look in some kind of office or conference room and your budget allows for it there are other kinds of materials that are available for use. Be careful when choosing glass and metals as these usually intrude on privacy in offices and in conference rooms and can be very distracting. Glass is a visual invasion of privacy and some metals or steels can echo sound making conversations or meetings very public.

Last but not least you want to make sure that you are getting a good quality product that is rated for commercial application and that meets all code requirements and building codes as well. You can usually find all of these out with your city hall and your building manager.