What is metal frame dry lining?

Metal frame dry lining replaces timber studs with galvanised steel sections — typically British Gypsum Gypframe or Knauf profiles. Track is fixed to floor and ceiling, studs clip into the track at 600mm centres, and boards are screwed to the studs. The result is a partition that is dimensionally stable, won't twist or shrink, is non-combustible (so it helps meet Part B in escape routes), and produces a truer wall than timber because every member is factory-rolled to the same gauge.

Where we use it in Maidstone:

• Commercial fit-outs at Maidstone riverside, Lockmeadow, Fremlin Walk retail, the A229 corridor offices, and the Allington/Boxley business parks — metal stud is the default for any partition over 3m long
• Healthcare and education projects (Maidstone Hospital MTW NHS Trust sites, local schools): the non-combustible construction and the clean services cavity are mandatory
• HMO separating walls: independent metal stud decoupled from the existing structure is the standard way to hit 40 dB Rw between bedsits without ripping out the original fabric
• Acoustic upgrades in Maidstone town centre flats where the original 2000s-vintage partition underperforms — adding a metal stud skin in front of the existing wall is often cheaper than replacing it

For most domestic work — a new bedroom wall in an Allington semi, a wardrobe stud in a Bearsted bungalow — timber is still fine and a touch cheaper. The crossover point is usually around partition length, acoustic requirement, or fire rating rather than pure cost.