Hygienic Protective Partition Wall Ideas for Cafés, Restaurants, Public Establishments and Offices

The safe reopening of the workplace is of utmost importance in a post-pandemic period. Employers and business owners need to put measures in place to guarantee a healthy working environment that doesn’t only prevent the spread of coronavirus but also promote hygiene.

While the provision of wall-mounted hand sanitizers and company-branded face masks are crucial to protecting workers’ health, protective partition walls can also reinforce social distancing.

Partition walls are no longer considered as mere trends in corporate offices. Their popularity has skyrocketed in recent times, especially as they add extra protection layers in shared spaces. Every business owner needs to seriously consider installing them as a matter of urgent public interest.

This article shares several partition wall ideas suitable for public spaces. Apart from improving overall hygiene, these styles and designs can also beautify the workplace.

Let’s start by looking at the common materials for partition wall designs.

Types of Partition Walls

Here are some of the most common types of partition walls:

Glass Partitions

Glass partitions are common features in organizations known for contemporary aesthetics, such as offices. It allows more natural light into the workplace and gives the environment a modern touch.

Glass also provides excellent prevention against the spread of respiratory droplets that may contain germs and viruses. The material can withstand harsh chemicals that may be present in disinfectants, making it a great choice for workplaces, especially environments with low traffic.

Aluminum Partitions

Aluminum partition walls are arguably the most abundant options with a vast range of styles and finishes. They also offer great flexibility, allowing them to be combined with other materials (such as blinds) to create sleek walls.

This type of partition wall is highly durable, making it ideal for organizations or workplaces with high traffic. Their opaque quality means they offer a high level of privacy than glass, but they don’t let in natural light.

Wood Partitions

For organizations, such as restaurants and cafés, seeking a combination of a classic and traditional look, wood partitions offer that fine blend.

This type of partition gives the environment a natural feel without losing its classiness. Wood partitions are available in veneer, glaze, and other finishes.

The major downside to wood or timber partitions is the lack of durability. Wood partition walls are not your best option if you live in a highly humid area. Also, they are susceptible to insect infestation unless properly treated.

Metal Lath

Metal laths are thin structures used in combination with timber or steel frames to securely hold them in place. The walls are surprisingly durable, sturdy, and can resist fire. Typically, soft-cast steel bars, channels, and wires all combine to hold the material together. For better heat and sound insulation, the material is plastered on both sides.

Concrete Partitions

Concrete partitions are the most secure and rigid partition walls. They are thicker and may include steel bars in the middle for increased strength and durability.

Concrete partition walls are fire-resistant and sound-proof. However, they are not movable so consider this type of partition when you want to build permanent structures.

Safe Boards

Safe board partition walls are a combination of corrugated frames and plexiglass. The boards are fitted into holders and used as a standing or hanging partition.

Safe Boards are lightweight and mobile, making them ideal for restaurants, cafés, salons, and other public establishments, such as barbers’ shops.

PVC Drapes

PVC drapes and pipe systems are versatile, see-through partitions that work as temporary walls, room dividers, pathways, and more. This option is a suitable choice for startups looking to save money on partition walls without compromising functionality and effectiveness.

Installing PVC drapes will create a conducive atmosphere for work because the materials are sound-proof. In addition, they are effective at minimizing the spread of germs and viruses through the air.

Set up doesn’t require additional hardware. All you have to do is hang them up using hooks and loops to form safety screens around different workstations or spaces. Many models come with rails, so it is easy to open and close the curtains.

Flexible Separation Curtains

Separation curtains are made from fire-resistant materials and are the go-to choice for offices that want to create aesthetic floor-to-ceiling partitions. This partition wall is highly customizable and can be combined with curtain rails that accentuate your existing décor.

These curtains offer great acoustic isolation, and blackout options can be added to them to prevent light and increase privacy.

Benefits of Partition Walls

Partition walls provide certain benefits to the workspace, regardless of the type. Here are some of the advantages.

  • Hygiene: In more recent times, protecting people’s health in public spaces is a top consideration across the world. Community-based establishments can use partition walls to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets that may cause health issues. In that case, the partition walls serve as shields or guards that help contain or slow down air-borne contagions.

  • Practicality: The workplace is dynamic with constantly shifting needs. Therefore, it is wise to choose temporal, mobile walls that can be easily restructured to suit new demands. Partition walls are simple to install, dismantled, and even relocated to accommodate different needs without creating too much mess and inconveniences. This makes it easier to deal with changes such as an increase or decrease in staff strength or a significant change in your departments’ size.

  • Aesthetics: Partition walls can dramatically enhance your work environment, making it more visually pleasing. The construction and style come in various styles and finishes, giving you the chance to choose options that complement your existing décor. You can even take things further and have them branded with your company logo or finished in your company colors.

  • Privacy: Some materials for partition walls offer excellent acoustic isolation in addition to being opaque. These temporal walls are ideal for creating privacy where private discussions can be held, such as official meetings.

  • Natural Light: Some partition walls, particularly glass, allow more natural light into the workspace. This makes for a more airy, energized, and brighter work environment that positively impacts workers’ morale.

  • Cost-Effectiveness: Partition walls, especially the temporal, movable options, are very cost-effective in terms of dividing a work environment compared to building solid walls. In most cases, they are not too expensive and can easily create different types of space. Adding partition walls can considerably increase efficiency in the workplace and, in turn, increase productivity.

Partition Wall Ideas for Organizations

The work environment varies depending on the type of activity that goes on there. Corporate offices are a bit different from restaurants and other public establishments.

The ideal office space should support maximum concentration to allow workers to give their best. Dividing up an office space in a pandemic era serves more than one purpose. First, it minimizes the spread of viruses and air-borne disease between workstations, and secondly, it reduces the noise level in the environment and offers increased privacy.

On the other hand, a restaurant, salon, or café does not require the type of low noise level applicable in office environments. A manufacturing plant will even have a higher noise level than a barber’s shop or café.

In other words, partitioning the different types of work environment requires different approaches or partition wall ideas. While one type of workspace may focus majorly on hygiene and aesthetics, another environment will combine health, aesthetics, and functionality.

Although not as important as health and safety, partition walls in an office environment can beautify the workspace (depending on the style used). Equally, adding temporal walls in an office with an open floor plan, or floor decals to encourage spacing, can increase functionality, making the environment conducive and leading to better job output.

The above is also true for other work environments, except for reducing noise levels. Here are some of the common partition wall ideas that are suitable for the different work environments.

Eco-Friendly Designs

Wood partitions can be combined with plants placed in strategic positions to create an overall eco-friendly workspace. The idea is to create a near-natural environment that helps workers to connect with nature while carrying out their official duties or day-to-day tasks.

An eco-friendly partition wall is cost-effective, but most importantly, it reinforces the need for sustainability. It is also a loud message that the establishment prioritizes the safety of the environment.

Frameless Glass Design

Frameless glass partitions are simply elegant and capable of giving workspaces a spacious feel. Merely incorporating these partitions in the work environment adds an air of cleanliness, perhaps because they let in more light or maybe because they are so transparent they feel very clean. Whatever the case, frameless glass partitions are aesthetically pleasing and stylish.

If you use this type of partition, remember to apply manifestation films, which serve to draw attention to the glass and prevent unfortunate incidences.

Flexible and Aesthetic Design

Offices and public establishments that require visually attractive shapes and colors will find this type of partitioning suitable for their needs. The design combines wall panels with acoustic screens to create unique temporal walls.

Both elements are intricately joined to form a partition wall with an appealing blend of colorful designs. The wall can be repositioned whenever the need arises.

Choosing the Best Partition Wall for Your Needs

meeting room partition wall concept

Give some thought to the following considerations when choosing a partition wall for your organization.

Flexibility

Concrete and wood partition walls are excellent choices in terms of robust options. They are denser dividers, making them more fitting for permanent solutions.

On the other hand, aluminum and glass partition walls are more flexible and mobile. Taking them apart to suit your establishment’s growing needs is a lot easier. Also, they can be reshaped more easily to create new spaces or divide existing spaces.

Privacy

Think about the visibility of the partition wall. Do you want to let in natural light? Is complete privacy an overriding consideration? Is it okay for people on the other side of the partition to see what you are doing on the inside? The answers to these and more questions will help you decide whether to go with transparent walls (such as glass) or opaque options (such as concrete or wood).

Economic Value

Restructuring or reconstructing the work environment is more cost-effective and practical with partition walls.

Consider options that won’t require shutting down your business for long periods when you want to restructure your space. Also, you want to avoid tearing down existing walls when your business needs shift, and you have to reconstruct your space to accommodate the changes.

Aesthetics

A partition wall’s visual appeal is among the top considerations for choosing a specific type of partitioning for your organization. In fact, before the coronavirus pandemic, aesthetics tend to be a major concern for most businesses (coming only second to functionality). That’s because the overall look and feel of your establishment is part of your branding.

Even in the post-corona period, aesthetics is still instrumental to how people perceive your business. Therefore, take some time to think about what is visually appealing before deciding on the best partition wall for your business.

Here are a few questions to consider:

  • Are you more concerned about creating a roomy work environment, or you want something more compartmentalized?
  • Do you prefer a more stylish, modern look or something more traditional?

Generally, glass and aluminum partitioning are more suitable for creating spacious concepts with a modern touch. On the other hand, wood will be your best option for building compartmentalized and traditional workspaces.

Final Thoughts

Creating separation and dividing up spaces for designated workspaces in the office or any public establishment is a lot easier with partition walls.

Although the original idea leaned more towards creating privacy and a conducive environment in the workplace, partition walls are now required for organizations to open their doors to the public.

Of course, functionality and aesthetics are important, too. Still, the health and safety of workers and patrons must be given priority when considering the different partition wall ideas for the workplace.

Learn about partition walls here, and more about Floor Safety Decals here.