Partition wall — connection to load-bearing wall

Junction function

Lightweight partition wall = internal non-structural wall on a CW steel frame (Knauf / Rigips W11 / W21 system). The connection to the load-bearing wall requires:

1. Slip tape (item 07) between the CW profile and the load-bearing wall — why: the load-bearing wall behaves thermally differently from the lightweight partition; without the slip tape, linear cracks appear in the plasterboard skim along the joint after the first winter.
2. Expansion anchor (item 06) fixing the CW profile to the wall — every 50 cm vertically.
3. termPIR® AL infill (item 02) in the cavity between the plasterboards:
   • Thermal insulation (if the wall separates rooms with different temperatures: heated + unheated pantry).
   • Acoustic insulation (Rw ≈ 40–45 dB for CW100 + 100 mm PIR; vs ~30 dB for an empty wall).
   • Fire insulation (REI 30–60 depending on plasterboard thickness).

Critical installation aspects

• Slip tape (item 07) — essential! 30–50 mm wide PVC / PE strip, fixed to the load-bearing wall before anchoring the CW profile; allows +/- 2 mm of movement without cracking the joint.
• Acoustic sealing tape (item 05) — at the profile-to-load-bearing-wall connection; prevents sound transmission through metal-to-concrete contact. Manufacturers: Rockwool Rockfix, Knauf Kafkalik, Isover Vario.
• CW profile (item 01) — selection based on wall height:
  • CW50 → max. height 2.75 m
  • CW75 → max. 4.00 m
  • CW100 → max. 5.50 m
• termPIR® AL thermal insulation (item 02) — thickness = profile thickness (50, 75 or 100 mm); push-fit installation in the cavity between profiles (not glued); no gap at the profile contact to maximise acoustic performance.
• Self-drilling screws (item 04) — typically 25 mm, for fixing plasterboard to the profile; spacing 25 cm in the field, 15 cm along the edge band.
• Plasterboard jointing standard — tape + Knauf Uniflott / Rigips Vario filler.

Documentation

Technical Catalogue termPIR® — Residential Buildings (Gór-Stal 2022), page 55 — Partition wall, detail of the connection to the load-bearing wall. Scale 1:10.

Components in this junction