If you are searching for new school restroom partitions, your top concern is ensuring the safety, privacy and comfort of your students and employees. For this reason, safety, durability and maintainability are the three most important factors to consider during the selection process.
Materials for Your School’s Partitions
The first step when selecting partitions for a school bathroom is to decide which material best meets your needs. One Point Partitions offers Phenolic, solid plastic, laminate, powder-coated steel and stainless steel partitions. Each material differs in composition, cost and color availability.
Phenolic
Phenolic toilet partitions have a solid resin core and are covered with a layer of durable melamine. Phenolic material features characteristics from both solid plastic and regular laminate, including long-lasting durability. Phenolic partitions have high resistance to germs and moisture.
Phenolic is highly customizable and comes in 11 different shades of brown or gray. Weathered finishes are available.
Solid Plastic
Solid plastic bathroom partitions are non-porous and moisture-resistant. Solid plastic is tough enough to withstand heavy traffic and holds up well to strong cleaning solutions — which is ideal in a school environment.
Solid plastic is available in sixteen different colors, including neutrals, burgundy, blue and green. Colors with speckled or confetti effects are also available.
Laminate
Laminate bathroom partitions are affordable and highly customizable. While high-pressure laminate is not ideal for high-moisture environments, it boasts the largest number of color choices available — 48 total — including solid and patterned options.
Powder-Coated Steel
Powder-coated steel bathroom stalls are durable, reliable, and our most affordable partition material. It is highly resistant to rust and corrosion, and many customers add a wax sealant for additional protection. Powder-coated steel partitions come in flexible sizes and 15 colors.
Stainless Steel
Although only one type of stainless steel toilet partition is available, the simplicity makes it a sleek, elegant design choice. Stainless steel is strong, germ-resistant and can withstand high-traffic. Compared to other materials, stainless steel also has the lowest environmental impact.
Tips For Achieving A Smart School Bathroom Design
Once you have chosen the material that best suits your bathroom’s needs, there are a few more factors worth considering.
Map Out The Bathroom Space
Note the dimensions of your bathroom and map out its general shape. How many stalls are you hoping to install in each bathroom? What obstacles will you need to take into consideration when installing your partitions? An example of an obstacle you might face is window placement, access to necessary plumbing and the direction the bathroom door opens.
If you are working in a men’s bathroom and are installing urinals, now is the time to decide whether you will need additional partitions for those, plus partitions for toilet stalls.
Mapping out your bathroom space before you begin is the best way to see how your chosen partitions work within the dimensions of the room. Advanced planning will help you avoid unnecessary hiccups during the installation process.
Work Within Your Budget
Once you know the number and size of your commercial bathroom partitions, see how those figures fit into your budget. Some partition materials are more expensive than others. You might need to make adjustments to your plans as necessary. Keep in mind that, although some materials offer a lower initial cost, they make up for it in with longevity and added durability.
Choose The Right Look For Your School
Although the color of your partition may not seem to be an important factor in school bathroom design, aesthetics matter to the perceived value of your school. This is especially important in private schools or college universities where every detail of your campus is taken into consideration by prospective students. A well-designed bathroom means students have an added level of comfort and security.
You want to be sure the color you choose for your bathroom partitions matches the colors in other parts of your school, including the floor and walls of the bathroom. The best way to see if a chosen color or material will match your school’s chosen aesthetic is by requesting a sample from a partition provider.
Offer Your Students Plenty Of Privacy
In 2015, one study found students who perceive a bathroom as dirty, unpleasant or insecure are less likely to use the bathroom during the school day. Many students went as far as to refrain from proper hydration throughout the day just to avoid a trip to the bathroom. Such behavior is not conducive to a thriving learning environment, and can even lead to health concerns if continued over time. Do not let this be the case for your school’s students.
Choose a partition design that allows students to have a comfortable level of privacy and security.
Consider Hygiene and Maintainability
School bathrooms see a high level of traffic every day for nine months of the year. You need a partition that is easy to maintain and made of a material that stays clean. A hygienic environment is crucial for student health.
Maintenance of your partition involves more than regular cleaning — you will also need to remove scratches, replace hinges and perform routine maintenance check-ups throughout the school year.
Never Neglect Accessibility
Your school bathroom needs to be ADA compliant for the safety and convenience of your students, faculty and staff. Some things to keep in mind when designing an accessible school bathroom include:
- Clear floor space
- Mounting heights for amenities like soap dispensers
- Enough turning space for wheelchairs
- Left and right-handed use
- Safe entrances and exits, including functional door hardware
- Raised thresholds
- At least one ADA compliant sink
- Grab bars inside of stalls
Trust One Point Partitions For Your School
When it comes to choosing school bathroom partitions, you want to work with a trustworthy company that offers safe, high-quality products and reliable service.
One Point Partitions have been providing high-quality partitions since 2007. As one of the largest partition distributors in the country, our experts are experienced in new restroom build-outs, replacements or retrofits. When you choose to work with One Point Partitions, we match you with one of our Partition Experts, who will guide you through the entire process, from design to delivery. Our partitions are easy to install, even if you have limited installation experience. As a valued customer, you will gain access to several instructional videos available on our website that will help make the installation process as easy and enjoyable as possible.
In addition to top-quality products and services, One Point Partitions is committed to selling American-made products.
Contact One Point Partitions today to learn more, or get the process started early with our three-step partition planning tool.
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