What Does Flanking Wall Mean In Construction?
What Does Flanking Wall Mean In Construction?
A flank wall in construction is a sidewall of a building that is not the front or rear wall. It is most commonly seen as the exposed side wall on an end-of-terrace property.
Flanking noise, on the other hand, is sound that transmits between spaces indirectly, going over or around, rather than directly through the main separating element.
This can allow sound to transmit through elements such as floor voids or floating screeds under the separating partition.
Flanking noise can be caused by any building element that penetrates or circumnavigates a separating element, such as flanking ceilings, floors and walls which continue past the separating element into the adjoining space.
It is important to consider flanking noise early in the design stage of new developments and detailing should eliminate or minimise its inadvertent downgrading of sound insulation.
What Are The Requirements Of Flanking Wall?
The requirements for flank walls in construction depend on the type of building and its purpose. Flank walls are sidewalls of a building, in contrast to the front or rear wall.
To maintain gable walls and flank walls, it is important to carry the roof out over the top of the end walls or raise the end walls above roof level to form a parapet capped with a waterproof material.
Flank wall problems such as bulging or bowing can be caused by inadequate connections to inner walls and floors, poor foundations, and water damage.
Remedying these problems can involve inserting steel plates or channels that connect an anchor buried outside to one attached inside the basement wall.
For bracing purposes, all exterior corners must be constructed as braced wall panels of the required minimum width according to IRC regulations.
What Is A Flank Gable?
A flank gable is the upper part of a side wall (or flank wall), usually triangular in shape, that comes to a point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
It is also known as a free end of a roof surface, such as that at the end of a gable or dormer. Flank gables are often not properly restrained and can be at risk of movement.
A survey team may visit a property to identify the root cause of bulging in large, solid brick flank/gable walls.
How To Install A Flanking Wall?
To install a flanking wall, one should maintain a 1/4″ gap along the perimeter when installing drywall on a ceiling or wall.
This reduces flanking to adjacent walls, ceilings, and floors. Clips should be installed within 6″ of the adjacent surface for both ceilings and walls.
Additionally, furring hat channel should terminate flush with the framed opening of each door and window.
To reduce sound flanking, one can use air-lock doorways, electrical outlets/switches with gaskets, and resilient mounts with caulk.
Furthermore, using staggered or double studs in wall designs and floating floors can help mitigate flanking noise.
What Materials Are Needed For A Flanking Wall?
The materials needed for a flanking wall installation depend on the type of wall being installed and the desired level of soundproofing.
Common materials used in flanking wall installations include resilient channel, drywall, gypsum concrete, wood, multiple layers of wood, and various other materials.
In order to reduce flanking noise, it is important to ensure that walls extend to the deck and that there is no more than a 1% opening in the partition.
Additionally, resilient channel should not be used on the same wall as blocking. Other techniques for reducing flanking noise include using staggered or double studs Green Glue Wood Stud Walls, caulking with resilient mounts, and isolating drywall with IsoMax clips.
It is also important to consider potential sources of flanking noise such as shared structural building components (e.g. floor boards, floor joists), structural joints (e.g. perimeter joints at walls and floors), plumbing chases (e.g. junctures between walls and floors), end of partitions, and objects mounted onto walls without using drywall anchors.
