ᐅ Interior Walls: Solid Construction or Drywall?

Hello everyone,

Although this topic has come up several times in the forum, I would like to start a new thread because I haven’t found anything similar.

We are still looking for the right construction company. At the moment, there are two options: one company builds all interior walls using solid construction, while the other builds load-bearing walls solid and non-load-bearing walls as drywall. I have done some reading and think both approaches have their pros and cons. I am open to both and would probably go with whichever option the general contractor (GC) prefers.

The site manager of the GC using drywall walls told me that the interior walls where cables are routed become very thin if drywall is not used. Is he trying to scare me, or is there some truth to that? The site manager also made it clear that he would personally always prefer drywall because of the easier cable installation. As a client, that doesn’t really matter to me.

Besides the usual wiring, I definitely want LAN cables (RJ45, CAT7) installed throughout the house. Maybe even a KNX system. Could drywall actually be the better solution because of this?

There is probably no ultimate answer here. I have come to appreciate drywall partitions because of their flexibility. This starts with structural changes and is especially important when you need to quickly run cables or install outlets, switches, or lighting fixtures. With proper insulation, thermal and/or soundproofing is not an issue. You just need to make sure to properly seal vapor barriers and membranes afterwards.

Which walls are we talking about (material, thickness) and what will be installed in them? How many walls are actually non-load-bearing?
I didn’t find the channels for electrical wiring particularly deep, and even a 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) wall cut from both sides is not paper-thin. Most of the cable runs in our case are not inside the wall but under the screed anyway. You always have a chase under the outlet, and it needs to be able to accommodate the cables for that area.

Gregor_K schrieb:

The construction manager from the general contractor responsible for the drywall partitions told me that the interior walls become very thin where the cables are installed if you don’t use drywall.

Where the wall is chased, it initially becomes thinner. That is correct.
However, it is then plastered over and the original wall thickness is restored. Since non-load-bearing interior walls – as the term indicates – only serve the purpose of dividing rooms, the plastered wall later functions exactly the same as a wall without chases. There is no difference in performance.

Both drywall and solid construction work very well. Choose the method your builder is most experienced with.

Drywall construction is simpler when mounting light objects, as you can just screw directly into the drywall with drywall screws. For heavier items (TVs, wall cabinets, washbasins), the situation is different because you might need cavity anchors (not necessarily required with thicker drywall of 2.5cm (1 inch) or double-layer drywall). It is also practical in that a drywall partition might be somewhat easier to remove or relocate as a DIY project. However, this is just theoretical for me, as I have not actually done it myself.

In terms of sound insulation, I don’t have a direct comparison in my house (no drywall partitions, only a ceiling to the roof), but compared to the non-load-bearing walls in the condominium, these are actually denser than the non-load-bearing porous brick walls in the house.

Thank you for your feedback!

I haven’t decided yet whether to use Poroton or aerated concrete. As mentioned above by [B]SaniererNRW123 regarding drywall, I would also choose the type of blocks preferred by the general contractor.