How to Maximize Your Space
By: Mark Wilson

Does this sound familiar? Your congregation is growing, but your building is not. What can you do to maximize your space utilization? The church leaders and the building committee need to understand the needs of the church, the direction of the church ministries and the amount of square footage needed for each function.

Do a walk-through of the church and see if there are more efficient ways to use the space available. Can a large fellowship hall be converted into several classrooms? Can a large conference room or multi-purpose room be divided into smaller offices or educational space?

The key to getting the maximum number of functions for square footage available could be to use moveable or operable walls. With operable walls, you can control how your space is utilized. On Sunday, when you need more educational space, simply pull the operable walls into the configuration you need to supply the amount of classroom space you require. Later in the day, for a church social or meeting, just retract the wall into its storage area, and you now have the maximum space available for use. You can imagine how moveable wall systems will greatly increase the effective use of space utilization.

Types of Moveable Walls
Depending on the room layout, operable walls can be set up on different room configurations. There are four basic moveable wall types.

1. Individual panel operation
These are manually operated single panels that can negotiate right turns. Individual panel operation requires a stack unit(s) for storing panels. The stack unit(s) will need additional overhead structural support to carry the weight of the moveable wall.

2. Center hung pair operation
These are manually operated paired panels that travel on a straight run track. Moveable wall shall consist of panels hinged together in evenly matched pairs (groups of two). The hinged pair operation is simple to install and operate and is the most utilized product for space management.

3. Center hung continuously hinged manual operation
These are manually operated continuously hinged panels that travel on a straight run track. Operation shall consist of panels hinged together in a continuous panel train.

4. Center hung continuously hinged electrically operated
These are electrically operated continuously hinged panels that travel on a straight run of track. Operation should consist of panels hinged together in continuous panels train. The train of panels is moved by an electric motor with a drive unit. Electrically operated wall systems are total automatic with limit switches that shut the electric operator off when the panels are extended across the opening or stacked in their stored position. This configuration is best used in a multi-purpose room or gym when a large span is being divided.

All of these walls are mounted from a top supported track system. With today's precision manufactured rails and trolleys, the operation of these walls is very quiet and move so effortlessly that nearly everyone in your church would be able to extend or retract the panels as needed. As a general rule, it is best to keep the operation as simple and straightforward as possible in order to simplify the design of the overheard structure that will support the wall panels. Straight-run applications are typically more user friendly, which translates into quicker set-up times and less wear and tear on the panels and track.

Stacking/Storage Arrangements
There are four basic stacking or storage arrangements for operable walls. These will depend on the type of wall system you chose and the configuration of the room. The terms used are fairly self-explanatory and are based on how the panels are stored in relation to the track.

* Perpendicular: when the panels are stored perpendicular to the top track.
* Parallel: when the wall are stored parallel to the track
* Remote: when the panels are stored away separate of the main run of track
* Center: when the panels are stored on the centerline of the top track

The type of wall you need will vary depending upon how complex the operable wall system configuration needs to be. Most companies recommend operable wall systems more than 16 feet in height should consist of individual panels with a curve and diverter track system or center hung continuously electrically operated wall system.

Sound Control
Another consideration for an operable wall system will be sound control. You will need to answer the following questions. What is the room being used for? What will be the level of noise in the room? What other materials will be used in the construction of the room and the furnishing of the room?

After you have answers to these questions, you will be able to decide just how "soundproof" the operable wall system needs to be. Wall systems are acoustically rated by their STC rating. The Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a single number rating system, which measures the sound insulation value of a partition, door or window. The STC rating ranks the sound transmission loss or noise reduction performance of wall systems. The higher the STC rating, the more effective the sound insulation. As an example, a 2x4-stud wall will have an STC of 33, where a 12-inch brick wall has a STC rating of 54. Moveable wall systems can be designed with STC ratings from 40 all the way up to STC 55. Remember that there is no such thing as a soundproof moveable wall. Be aware of the materials used in the design of flanking paths. Flanking paths are leaks in the construction of a moveable wall through which sound will travel. Sound can travel through the air handling ductwork, above the ceiling and track, or be transmitted through the flooring material.

Finishes & Accessories
After you have chosen the types of operable wall system and the STC rating, you can pick the accessories and options that come with these products. There are hundreds of color choices in vinyls, fabrics, vertically ribbed carpets, and wood veneers to complement your buildings décor. These materials are chosen and factory applied to the exacting quality standards used in the design and manufacture of operable wall products.

The finishes you select are an important decision, and, while you focus on the material type and color, make sure you choose covering materials that are Class A rated in accordance with ASTM E84 fire safety standard.

Accessories incorporated into the panels make them a functional part of the room space-writing surfaces, recessed marker trays, and tackable surfaces are available. ADA compliant pass doors with lighted exit signs enable you to move from room to room even with the panels extended.

Choosing a Manufacturer
Now that you know what you want in an operable wall system, how will you find a manufacturer? Most manufacturers will have local or regional distributors that will take the time to come to your church and meet with you. They have the knowledge and experience to inform you about the options available for a moveable wall system and will help you choose the correct system for your space division needs. They can also provide you with price quotes and drawings that will make clear what the final system will look like installed in your church. Most manufacturers will have a customer service department that is available to help churches research the wall systems and their accessories. Many manufacturers offer different options for sales and installation for churches. Contact the manufacture for details.

Moveable/operable wall systems are a great, cost-effective means to maximize your space utilization. You will able to turn a fellowship hall into several classrooms. During the day, make a multi-purpose room into a private meeting room on one side and hold a luncheon on the other, and then back to a gym for youth volleyball that night.

Mark Wilson is the brand manager for Kwik-Wall, www.kwik-wall.com.

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Using Flexible Room Dividers to Maximize Space
By Rich Maas

The good news is that you've done a great job in helping your ministries grow. More children are attending Sunday School, and more adults are learning in Bible Study classes. The youth minister reports similar gains in participation of programs for teens.

The bad news is that your available space is not growing to keep up with the demand. You have begun a fundraising campaign to help expand your current facility. However, it will be 18 to 24 months before the new space can be occupied, and 3 or 4 months after that until it is truly complete.

What can you do?

The answer is to make better use of your existing space with portable room dividers. This type of divider can not only be efficiently used to help solve space, time and budget problems during your current "crisis," but also easily be moved (if needed) to your new space and utilized there after the construction is complete.

Portable room dividers can be used to easily set up "instant" Sunday School classrooms and Bible Study areas, to create VBS rooms, or to help solve a myriad of other space issues. Most commonly, these dividers can be used in fellowship halls, family life centers, basements, converted sanctuaries, multi-purpose rooms, or other open areas. Many creative youth ministers and pastors have expanded the roll of portable room dividers to even include their use in gymnasiums.

Also, with portable room dividers, you can easily change both the size and the shape of the rooms on a moment's notice.

Portable room dividers are available in two basic types: with casters and without casters. By its very nature, a divider on casters is easier to move from one end of the room, or facility, to another.

Regardless of whether you decide to use portable room dividers with or without casters, the fact remains that you will obtain an most efficient use of your valuable floor space with portable room dividers.

Rich Maas is vice president of marketing for Screenflex Portable Partitions, www.screenflex.com.

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Partitions and Accordion Doors
By Melissa Rosson

You can satisfy a variety of needs, from basic sight separation to sight and sound separation, with operable partitions and accordion doors. When choosing an operable partition or accordion door, consider the space of your application and how the wall operates. Also, check out the wall's acoustical performance. Today, acoustical control is a critical factor in virtually every type of environment. The right wall system, in conjunction with complementing architectural elements, can help produce excellent acoustical control.

Single panel operable partitions offer great versatility for space division needs. For large openings, storage in remote pockets, and in complex partition layouts, the single panel is the partition of choice.

Paired panel partitions, or panels hinged together in pairs, offer efficient operable partition option. Top-supported or floor-supported configurations, the center-hung, paired panels are perfect for straight-line openings and offer quick easy set-up.

Continuously hinged panels can be electrically operated and are designed for straight-line openings. They operate smoothly and quietly across openings, as well as provide efficient and convenient separation.

Accordion doors provide quick sight and sound division. They are quick to install, easy to operate, and simple to maintain. They are an economic answer for many space division needs.

With all the accessories available today, material, surfaces and options on partitions and accordion doors is endless. Whether you require fire ratings, security packages, recycled and recyclable content, acoustical specifications, design elements and more, you will be able to meet your requirements.

A variety of skin and finish options are also available to appeal to the aesthetic and performance needs of your facility, anything from wood veneer, steel skins, marker board, plastic, vinyl, fabric and more to satisfy your needs.

Operable partitions and accordion doors transform interior space requirements to meet current and future demands. Partitions increase revenue potential by allowing room size to be tailored to each event. Partitions provide sound control through a wide range of acoustic ratings without fixed wall constraints and allow for efficient use of floor space and personnel.

Melissa Rosson is the marketing coordinator for Modernfold Inc., www.modernfold.com.