Temporary Wall Systems for Safer Healthcare Construction Projects

Updated October 3, 2025

Renovating or expanding a healthcare facility comes with unique challenges. Unlike typical construction projects, hospitals and clinics must continue serving patients while protecting them from noise, dust, and airborne contaminants. This is where temporary wall systems play a critical role: they help infection preventionists, facilities managers, and contractors maintain safety and compliance throughout the renovation process.

Why Infection Control Is Non-Negotiable

Every construction project in a healthcare setting introduces risk. For example, dust and debris aren’t just an inconvenience — they can carry pathogens that pose a real threat to vulnerable patients. That’s why Infection Control Risk Assessments (ICRA) are mandated before work begins.

The right temporary wall system supports compliance by:

• Creating airtight separation between work zones and occupied spaces

• Limiting the spread of dust, debris, and contaminants

• Supporting negative air pressure and HEPA filtration

• Reducing noise disruption for patients and staff

Temporary Walls vs. Traditional Drywall

Drywall has long been used as a makeshift “temporary” solution, but it creates more problems than it solves:

• Labor-intensive to install and remove

• Generates waste and disposal costs

• Fails to meet ICRA requirements in many healthcare projects

• Causes delays that impact both contractors and facilities teams

In contrast, STARC engineers its reusable temporary walls for speed, safety, and reconfiguration. As a result, they install in a fraction of the time and can be reused across multiple projects—saving money while improving safety.

How Temporary Wall Systems Improve Healthcare Renovations

Healthcare projects often happen in occupied, sensitive environments. Whether it’s upgrading a patient wing, expanding an emergency department, or modernizing a lab, construction teams need containment solutions that adapt to unique site conditions.

Benefits of temporary modular walls in healthcare facilities include:

• Compliance: Meet ICRA Class IV/V standards with reusable systems

• Noise reduction: Minimize disruption in patient care areas

• Professional appearance: Present a clean, finished look instead of plastic sheeting

• Flexibility: Reconfigure walls as construction phases shift

• Speed: Install 100 linear feet in under an hour

Real-World Scenarios

• Patient Wing Upgrade: Facilities managers use RealWall™ to contain dust and noise, protecting vulnerable patients without disrupting adjacent care areas.

• Emergency Department Expansion: Contractors rely on LiteBarrier™ for quick setup, enabling construction while maintaining full operations.

• Laboratory Renovation: FireblockWall™ provides ICRA Class V compliance with one-hour fire-rated protection, meeting ASTM E119 requirements and infection prevention standards.

Compliance and ICRA 2.0

ASHE ICRA 2.0™ reinforces that infection prevention must be built into the earliest project phases. For healthcare projects, Precaution Class V is the highest standard—requiring dual barriers, continuous negative air pressure, and HEPA-filtered exhaust.

STARC’s temporary wall systems are designed to exceed these standards, giving infection preventionists and facilities managers confidence that their projects won’t compromise patient safety.

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Sustainability Advantage

Drywall generates significant waste, filling dumpsters with every demolition cycle. By contrast, STARC’s reusable walls can be deployed across hundreds of projects. The result:

• Lower total cost of ownership

• Reduced landfill impact

• Improved sustainability metrics for facilities reporting

Perspectives That Matter

• Facilities Managers: Ensure safety, compliance, and minimal disruption to patient care.

• Contractors: Save time and labor with faster installs, reuse panels across sites, and reduce costly project delays.

• Infection Preventionists: Confidently meet ICRA Class IV/V requirements with airtight containment.

STARC Solutions for Healthcare Construction

STARC offers a full range of temporary wall systems designed for healthcare renovations:

• RealWall – Noise-blocking, durable containment with a professional look

• LiteBarrier – Lightweight, cost-effective option for less complex projects

• FireblockWall – Fire-rated, ICRA Class V-compliant, ideal for hospitals and critical care areas

• StackBarrier™ – Tall, versatile containment for atriums, lobbies, or other high-ceiling spaces

Each system is engineered to protect patients, staff, and contractors while keeping projects on time and within budget.

Conclusion

Ultimately, healthcare renovations are too important to be left to drywall or plastic sheeting. With the right temporary wall system, facilities managers and contractors can protect patients, ensure compliance, and keep projects moving smoothly.

Renovating a healthcare facility? to discuss specifics and learn how we can help.