Frequently Asked Questions

We feel it is very important to point out that we are one of the very few UK manufacturers of this type of product and this provides many advantages in a dynamic and competitive market. Recent investments in new manufacturing facilities and equipment, allow us to offer market leading benefits such as: -

• We do not have to rely on a potentially unreliable supply chain. We actually make the products.
• Being a UK manufacturer, our carbon footprint is reduced as product is not being shipped and trucked over long distances from overseas factories.
• We can save time in the procurement process by being flexible and adaptable should specifications or site conditions change.
• By not using intermediaries, we can offer the most competitive rates in the market.

Within our technical team we have highly trained CAD technicians and many years combined experience of designing and advising on sliding folding partition layouts to facilitate the maximum space utilisation in a scheme.

In addition to our design and manufacturing capabilities, we have extensive experience of installing our products utilising highly skilled installation teams located nationally.

Sound is an oscillation of air pressure which, within the context of a room, can be reflected, refracted or attenuated. When selecting the performance rating of a room divider or partition, sound attenuation (insulation) is the main criteria.

A partition’s sound insulation performance is stated as a weighted sound reduction index expressed as R_w in accordance with BS EN ISO 717:1.

Dividers Modernfold Ltd manufacture a range of products providing sound attenuation levels ranging from R_w 39 dB to R_w 56 dB, where the higher value represents the upper level of sound insulation according to laboratory tests.

To provide a comparable level of sound insulation, partitions are tested to an internationally recognised standard BS EN ISO 140:3 in certified laboratories to determine the weighted sound reduction index dB Rw in accordance with BS EN ISO 717:1.
It is important to appreciate that the specified dB Rw value is arrived at by a laboratory test under controlled conditions. The partition is tested between two acoustically independent rooms, which means there is no sound leakage.
On site conditions present further challenges in the shape of abutments, soffits and floors, which will transmit sound through the structure and is known as flanking sound. This structure borne transmission of sound has the effect of lowering the sound insulation between adjacent areas below the laboratory tested value.

It is generally accepted that on-site sound insulation tests almost always result in a derogation of the laboratory test level, due to the infinite potential variances in the in-situ conditions mentioned above.

The negative variance between the laboratory test and the practical site performance can also be affected by the addition of pass doors or vision panels in the construction of the partition.

A sliding folding partition consists of a number of individual panels supported by an overhead track system. As there is no floor support or tracks, the overhead track supports the full loading of the partition and therefore requires significant fixing to the structure above the line of the partition.

This is usually carried out by the use of pre-fabricated brackets which are fixed to the structure at pre-calculated intervals, depending on the weight of the partition and the material being fixed to. The most common materials experienced in the overhead structure are steel, concrete and timber. Whilst we can advise on the loading values of the partition and the number and spacing of the brackets to be used, it is the responsibility of the scheme’s structural engineer to determine whether the structure being fixed to is adequate.

Further examples of stacking options and track fixing methods are outlined in the Technical Section of this site.

Individual panels can be finished in a number options with the most popular surface finishes being melamine, laminate, wood veneers, paint and various wall coverings (vinyl, paper etc.). However, more specialist surface finishes such as pin-board, magnetic dry-wipe, sound absorbing boards and perforated sheet steel can also be accommodated.

We are currently implementing an environmental management system to ISO 14001 and would expect to achieve full accreditation by early 2012.