STARC Systems

Temporary drywall takes a crew through framing and finishing before the wall does its job, then gets torn down and thrown away when the project ends. A reusable panel system drops in as a sealed, code-ready barrier and comes back for the next 50+ jobs on the calendar.

Let's look at how temporary wall installation actually works, step by step, so you know what to expect before crews show up.

What You'll Need Before Starting

A clean temporary wall installation starts with four inputs in place before the crew arrives:

An accurate measurement of the space, including floor-to-ceiling height and doorway locations
A cleared, swept work area with a clean floor line
A two-person crew, the standard configuration across STARC commercial installs
A laser level for long runs, though standard panel systems need no specialized tools beyond that

Time required: A two-person crew installs roughly 100 linear feet of panel wall in about an hour, a figure we've documented directly across our own installations. A drywall partition covering the same footprint takes multiple days once framing and finishing enter the schedule.

How Temporary Wall Installation Works: Step by Step

Step 1: Measure and Plan the Layout

Walk the space and record floor-to-ceiling height and every doorway or equipment opening before a single panel arrives. Panel systems like STARC's RealWall™ adjust from 6 feet 10 inches to 10 feet 3 inches, so most standard ceiling heights need no custom cutting.

Pro tip: Note any curved walls or wall-mounted fixtures now. Step 5 later covers how STARC's flex corners handle them.

Step 2: Clear and Prep the Work Area

Remove debris and furniture blocking the floor line where the wall will stand. Panel systems seal at the base rather than screwing into it, so a single piece of grit under the bottom gasket is enough to break the airtight seal and blow an ICRA walkthrough later.

Pro tip: Check for uneven flooring or wall irregularities like handrails before setup. STARC's filler panels fit around these obstacles and keep the airtight seal intact.

Step 3: Set the First Panel and Anchor Point

Position the first panel against the anchor wall or structural point and lock it into place. This panel establishes the line for every panel that follows, so getting it plumb here saves rework later in the run.

Pro tip: Use a level on this first panel specifically. A few degrees of drift compounds across a 100-foot run and shows up as a visible lean by the far end.

Step 4: Lift, Latch, and Lock Each Panel in Sequence

Lift each subsequent panel into place next to the one before it, then latch and lock the connection. STARC panels use a lift-and-drop interface that locks seams mechanically, with no tools or adhesive in the process.

Continue down the layout, panel by panel, until you reach the next corner or doorway.

Pro tip: Keep the crew moving in one direction across the run. Panels lock into their neighbors on both sides, so a misaligned one can't be shifted after the run continues past it.

Step 5: Install Corners and Intersections

At any corner or wall intersection, swap the standard panel connection for a corner unit or T-intersection, and set that corner piece first.

STARC's flex corner and wall accessory options telescope from 15 to 90 degrees to handle curved walls or unusual angles, and multiple flexible corners in sequence can enclose a fully curved wall.

Where a jobsite needs to connect multiple containment walls at a right angle, a T-intersection handles that connection directly.

Keep the panel-to-wall gap within STARC's specified tolerance for a tight seal, since wall interfaces telescope horizontally and vertically to close small gaps against walls that aren't perfectly plumb.

Pro tip: Dry-fit the corner piece before locking it down when the layout includes an unusual angle. The corner's angle locks in when the panels connect on either side.

Step 6: Add Doors and Access Points

Install a door wherever the layout calls for access. STARC offers three door types (hinged, sliding, and double), each with an adjustable threshold and sweep for uneven surfaces.

The hinged double door's full opening measures 72-7/8 inches by 91 inches, with the active leaf alone at 36-1/2 inches by 91 inches. It adjusts in the field to swing in or out and change hinge sides.

The sliding door is self-closing and adjusts from 6 feet 10 inches to 10 feet 3 inches. It needs at least a door's width of panel to its left to support the outer end of the rail.

Pro tip: Confirm swing direction and hinge side before installation day. Locking in the configuration up front keeps the crew on schedule. STARC's engineers answer the top door questions from real installs if you want the edge cases before you spec.

Step 7: Seal the Ceiling Line

Close the gap between the top of the panel run and the ceiling using an over-the-door panel kit or ceiling grid clips. For high or open ceilings, ceiling braces extend up to six feet beyond the panel top to anchor into the structure above. Without this seal, dust routes through the plenum instead of being contained. The wall below can look tight and still leak that way.

Pro tip: Run a smoke pencil along the finished ceiling seam before crews start demo. Visible smoke tracks any leak the visual check missed.

Step 8: Walk the Perimeter and Verify the Seal

Check every seam, corner, and door threshold before crews start dusty work on the other side. This final walk-through catches the small gaps that cause most containment failures before they become a mid-project problem.

Healthcare facilities have real cause to be strict about this step. Roughly 5,000 people a year die from healthcare-associated infections tied to construction and renovation work, which is why ICRA walkthroughs treat a sealed perimeter as a patient safety requirement.

The system's compliance ratings only hold if the seal is verified. RealWall, LiteBarrier™, and StackBarrier™ meet ASTM E84 Class A for flame and smoke spread, and the line exceeds ICRA Class IV/V for infection control.

Pro tip: Verify negative air pressure with a manometer at this point if the project requires it. Confirming the differential now, before dusty work begins, catches a weak seal while it's still easy to fix.

What Makes Installation Faster or Slower

Layout complexity drives most of the time difference between a straightforward run and a complicated one. A single straight wall with no doors installs faster than a layout with multiple corners and several access points.

STARC's system uses general labor, so a crew installing panels for the first time moves close to the same pace as an experienced one once they've assembled a handful of sections.

That same labor advantage is what lets faster setup keep the schedule from slipping, since most delays trace back to how the site got started rather than what happened mid-project.

Ceiling height also affects speed. Standard ceilings within the system's adjustable range install fastest, since panels need no cutting or custom fitting. Height extensions and ceiling braces for unusually tall spaces add setup time and still beat framing scaffolding for drywall at the same height.

What This Looks Like on a Real Job Site

At Central Maine Medical Center, the maintenance team needed to renovate active hospital space without shutting down operations nearby.

Brian Campbell, the hospital's Regional Manager of Maintenance and Construction, estimated a comparable drywall partition would have taken up to two and a half days to build.

The STARC panel installation moved fast enough that ED staff kept working in the adjacent space during setup, with no dust or debris crossing into the active bays. Once demolition started behind the wall, the noise suppression held.

RealWall's foam core and precision-sealed joints block up to 40 dB (STC 21), keeping demolition noise on the work side of the wall.

Matching the System to the Job

The steps above apply across STARC's full lineup, but which system fits comes down to the job. Long-term work, high-visibility spaces, and occupied hospitals where finish and sound-blocking do the heavy lifting: that's RealWall.

LiteBarrier takes over when panels have to move often, phase to phase. For code-driven work, FireblockWall™ is the fire-rated option. StackBarrier handles tall spans up to 40 feet, covering atriums, airport concourses, and data halls that go beyond standard panel range.

Explore STARC's full product lineup to match a system to your layout, or request a quote to get installation timelines for your next project.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does temporary wall installation take?

Temporary wall installation with a two-person STARC crew covers about 100 linear feet and takes roughly an hour. That same footprint in framed drywall takes up to two and a half days once taping, finishing, and painting enter the schedule.

What's the hardest part of installing a temporary wall?

The hardest part of installing a temporary wall is sealing the ceiling line. It's where containment typically fails, even after a clean panel install. STARC's ceiling grid clips and over-the-door panel kits close this gap directly, and healthcare facilities look for this detail specifically during ICRA compliance walkthroughs.

Do I need specialized trades to install a temporary wall?

It depends on the system. Reusable panel systems, including STARC's, install with general labor. A drywall partition still needs the full skilled-trade sequence: framers, tapers, and painters.

Can STARC handle curved walls or unusual layouts?

Yes, STARC can handle curved walls and unusual layouts. Flex corners telescope from 15 to 90 degrees for curves and irregular angles, and filler panels fit around handrails and conduit while keeping the airtight seal intact.

What if the ceiling is too high for standard panels?

If the ceiling is too high for standard panels, STARC ceiling braces extend up to six feet beyond the panel top to anchor into the structure above. That works for atriums, open plenums, and other spaces where direct ceiling attachment isn't practical.