ᐅ Installing a new wall in an existing room of an older building

I am considering potentially buying an older apartment. It has a very large room (31m² (334 sq ft)). I am thinking about dividing it into two rooms by adding a partition wall.

I would like to get an initial idea of what needs to be considered in this process. Of course, I will also have a consultation with a professional, but to get a first impression of how practical this is, etc., I am turning to you.

So, my questions are:
- What should be especially taken into account when adding a partition wall in an older apartment?
- How about sound insulation? Is it possible to effectively reduce sound transmission between the two rooms so that even small noises don’t carry over from one room to the other?

Looking forward to your feedback.

Thank you

The easiest solution is probably to install a drywall partition (metal or wooden stud frame covered with gypsum fiberboard panels and insulation in between). This way, you are very unlikely to have any issues with the load-bearing capacity of the floor you build on. The wall can also be built relatively inexpensively by yourself and can later be removed fairly easily if needed. For sound insulation, make sure to use decoupling strips between the profiles at the floor and wall connections. Additionally, when choosing insulation materials, pay attention to their soundproofing properties and consider installing double layers of gypsum fiberboard panels on the stud frame—either on both sides or at least on one side.

It is especially important not to extend the wall all the way up to the ceiling. There must be a gap to ensure that no loads are transferred to a non-load-bearing wall.

I think the recommendation to use gypsum fiber boards (not drywall) is a good one. We also used only gypsum fiber boards (and timber framing), as I do not want papier-mâché in a wooden house. The old drywall panels here also absorbed the plaster water easily, and when you tear off the wallpaper, the drywall comes off with it. I find that very poor quality, aside from their fire performance.

As a first layer, you can also use OSB and then put gypsum fiber on top. This gives you more points to fasten the gypsum fiber screws.