Benefits of Metal Bathroom Partitions in Commercial Restrooms

When you’re building or renovating commercial restrooms, the material you use determines how long your bathroom partitions will last. You can choose from multiple options — including laminate, solid plastic, and phenolic toilet partitions. However, metal toilet stalls have several advantages to consider.

Let’s closely examine the different types of metal partitions that exist to help you decide the best fit for your commercial restrooms. 

Types of Metal Bathroom Stall Partitions

Stainless and powder-coated steel are the most common metal materials for commercial bathroom stall partitions. Here’s a quick overview of each type.

Stainless-Steel Toilet Partitions

Stainless-steel bathroom partitions have a sturdy core and high tensile strength, making them durable. Additionally, stainless steel is a combination of iron and chromium. When combined, these elements make bathroom partitions resistant to corrosion. 

Furthermore, many businesses prefer this material because of its appearance, which gives a restroom a modern, stylish look. This makes it suitable for a public bathroom on just about any business’s premises. The best part? You can personalize the material’s appearance by choosing from different finishes.

While stainless-steel toilet partitions are more expensive than phenolic and plastic partitions, you get real quality in return.

Powder-Coated Steel Toilet Partitions

Coated toilet partitions are made by placing a piece of cardboard between two thin pieces of steel. As a result, such partitions are light but strong, and their weight makes them easy to move around during installation.

Moreover, the surface of these partitions contains a high-quality substance called thermoset powder coating, which makes them less likely to fade or corrode. The coating also makes them resistant to high temperatures.

Powder-coated steel partitions are not as strong as stainless steel, but they are more affordable for businesses with tight budgets. These partitions are also available in many colors, including black, white, charcoal, and dark khaki.

10 Benefits of Metal Bathroom Partitions

1. Fire-Resistant

ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, sets fire standards for materials, including toilet partitions. It groups materials into three classes depending on their fire resistance:

• Class A: Highest level of fire resistance
• Class B: Moderate level of fire resistance
• Class C: Lowest level of fire resistance

Metal bathroom stall partitions, such as ones made from stainless or powder-coated steel, are ranked as Class A. They’re more fire-resistant than the solid plastic partitions in Class B and laminate bathroom walls in Class C.

2. Customizable Finishes

Powder-coated metal partitions are available in various colors. Whether you prefer textured shades like sandy beach and pepper dust or bold solids such as black and burgundy, you’ll find something to suit your needs. 

If you want a shiny look that’ll make your bathroom stylish, you can get stainless-steel partitions in leather grain, diamond, or satin finishes from One Point Partitions. With this customizability, you can personalize the appearance of your bathroom partition walls to match the decor in your commercial restroom.

3. Durable

When you’re looking for long-lasting toilet partitions, it’s difficult to find a strong, durable material that’s better than metal. For example, toilet stall walls made of stainless steel are designed to withstand scratching, forceful door slamming, and everyday wear and tear. Their chemical composition makes them corrosion-resistant, so you can use them for years without worrying about rust.

Additionally, metal partitions are not vulnerable to rot, termite damage, or warping, and they’re also fire-resistant. This ensures your toilet cubicles retain their structural integrity and aesthetic appeal for a long time. 

4. Hygienic

Metal partitions have smooth, nonporous, stain-resistant surfaces. As a result, they don’t have holes that trap dirt or germs, reducing the risk of bacterial growth on their surfaces. Cleaning them is also fast and easy — a major advantage in commercial bathrooms, where regular sanitation is important. 

In addition, metal partitions don’t get damaged when you use water or mild cleaning chemicals because they’re corrosion-resistant. This allows you to maintain a hygienic environment. 

5. Environmentally Friendly

Metals are generally more eco-friendly than materials like plastic. Take steel, for example. Because it’s stronger than plastic, it has a longer lifespan if you maintain it properly. You’ll need to replace it less frequently, which translates to less landfill waste. 

Besides that, steel is the most recyclable material in the world. This means that instead of ending up as waste, old partitions can be reused to create new ones. This minimizes the need to extract more raw materials from nature, reducing the environmental impact of mining. 

6. Cost-Effective

Metal bathroom partitions may seem more expensive than plastic or laminate materials. However, you’ll find that they’re often more cost-effective over time if you consider their long-term benefits. 

For instance, metal partitions are highly durable because their strong cores can effectively withstand blunt forces, and their chemical composition makes them resistant to fire and corrosion. So frequent repairs won’t be necessary. Also, you won’t need to buy new partitions often. This reduces your long-term maintenance and replacement costs. 

While the upfront cost of a metal bathroom partition can be high, you get what you pay for if you buy from a trusted supplier like One Point Partitions. Cheaper options might appear budget-friendly in the beginning, but you have to ask yourself whether they’ll end up costing you more down the line.

7. Maintainable

Maintaining metal bathroom dividers requires less work than most alternatives for several reasons. First, their smooth, nonporous surface makes them easy to clean. Also, partitions made of steel effectively resist corrosion, minimizing the need to deal with rusted toilet walls. 

Besides being corrosion-proof, routinely cleaning metal partitions with water won’t cause warping or swelling, because such partitions are moisture-resistant. You can also use mildly abrasive powders to remove stubborn stains without damaging the partition’s surface. Other materials, like laminate, build up residue or get discolored if you use abrasive cleaners on them. 

Another advantage of metal partitions is that you don’t need to wash them daily to preserve their beauty and ensure your public restroom remains hygienic. For a restroom that gets only a few users daily, cleaning the metal toilet stalls once a week may be enough, but high-traffic bathrooms will likely need more frequent maintenance. 

You need to remember that harsh chemicals, like bleach, acidic cleaners, and alkalis, can damage the surface of your metal partitions. For regular cleaning, stick to warm water and a mild detergent (consider adding kerosene into the mixture when dealing with stains like grease). To remove tough stains like mineral deposits on your bathroom partitions, you can use abrasive cleaners such as Ajax. 

8. Aesthetics

One of the biggest benefits of metal bathroom partitions is that they help you strike the perfect balance between functionality and style. Their bright, reflective surfaces can give your restroom a modern look to enhance the appearance of your bathroom’s internal design. For example, warm wall colors (e.g., pale yellow or beige), decorative wooden elements, and soft lighting inside the restroom can beautifully complement metal partitions. 

Metal partitions also make a bathroom feel more welcoming. You can customize their aesthetic appeal by choosing from various finishes and colors to fit your design. 

9. Easy to Install

Powder-coated steel partitions are lightweight, making them easy to move around during installation. Where you buy your metal bathroom dividers will also influence the ease of installing them. For instance, some partition suppliers offer “standard” kits that aren’t personalized to your particular restroom’s design, making installation more difficult. 

Reliable sellers consider the exact dimensions of your space. So when you buy from them, you get custom toilet stalls that perfectly fit your bathroom’s layout. They also provide clear, step-by-step installation instructions and tutorial videos to make the process as straightforward as possible.

10. Versatility

Metal bathroom partitions are suitable for a wide range of applications. Whether you own a gym, a commercial building, an office space, a retail store, a church, or a restaurant, metal restroom stalls suit just about any commercial premises. They’re available in various colors, dimensions, and types to meet different restroom layout needs and design preferences. 

With the benefits of metal bathroom partitions at your fingertips, choosing the right material for your commercial toilet stalls shouldn’t be difficult. But when you are ready to purchase, make sure you buy only from a reliable supplier to get the best value for your money.

One Point Partitions is a U.S.-based supplier of commercial toilet partitions. Get a custom quote today!