Things to Consider Before Your Athletic Locker Room Renovation Project
An outdated locker room can be a dangerous eyesore. From lockers that constantly need repairs to the dated tiles in the shower area, a complete redesign can breathe new life into your facility as well as improve how your guests view and treat your locker room.
However, before you start tearing down walls and ripping up floorboards, there are a few things to consider when planning your renovation project.
Controlling the Flow of Air and Traffic
Anyone who’s been in a poorly ventilated locker room can tell you the importance of adequate air flow. Promoting a good flow of air through your locker room starts with design. You want to make sure that hot, humid air has a way to escape and new, fresh air can enter.
One way to create better airflow in your athletic locker room is to use a labyrinth entrance. Instead of a door, which would block air from entering or escaping the locker room, a labyrinth entrance uses hard turns to add privacy for guests.
Be sure to speak with your designer and architect to find the best ways to promote good airflow in your locker room.
In addition to airflow, you want to consider the flow of traffic coming in and out of the locker room. Will there be only one way for guests to enter and exit or will the locker room feature both an entrance and a designated exit? The latter option can improve the efficiency of your locker room and aid in your ventilation efforts.
Choosing Locker and Shower Materials
Thinking critically about materials before you buy can help you to save hundreds in maintenance costs. For example, traditional metal lockers have been a common choice for years, used in everything from schools to office buildings and, of course, locker rooms. However, metal is prone to denting and rust, which gives it a short life span.
The same can be said for materials used in the shower area, bathrooms, or any place where moisture may be present inside the locker room. For that reason, rust-resistant materials like HDPE provide a cost-effective solution.
Cleaning and Maintenance
One of the most common problems that facility managers face is routine cleaning and maintenance. That’s why, while you’re in the planning stage of your locker room design, it’s important to consider how your design will affect the facilities cleaning and maintenance needs.
For example, if your locker room has a bathroom with partitions, you might consider using ceiling-mounted stalls instead of floor-mounted one. With ceiling-mounted stalls, the floor is much easier to clean.
In terms of maintenance, make sure to ask about life expectancy when sourcing materials. As we mentioned early, HDPE is resistant to rust and denting, giving it a much longer life expectancy than other materials, like metal. HDPE can also be power washed without damaging the color, which makes it extremely easy and inexpensive to clean.
Know What Your Guests Want
An easy way to guide your renovation efforts is to ask the people who use the locker room what they like, don’t like, or would improve. By reaching out to your guests, you’re sure to design an athletic locker room that has the features and accessibility they’re looking for.
Take a survey or create a suggestion box to generate feedback. Then review the responses with your team and decide which suggestions fit with your overall redesign plan. Also, be sure to download our free eBook on The 7 Mistakes That Architects Make When Choosing Bathroom Partitions and Locker Materials. These helpful tips could save you time and money during your locker room renovation project.
