Locker Decoration Rules & Guidelines to Avoid Locker Damage
Today, locker decorating has taken on a new meaning. What was once completed with the hanging of a small mirror and a magazine cutout of the current teen heartthrob has escalated to include shag rugs, chandeliers, wallpaper, and more. These completely customized lockers are an excellent way for students to express themselves, but they could be inadvertently damaging the lockers with their renovations.
In this post, we discuss some basic locker decoration rules and guidelines so you can avoid damage to lockers in your school while still allowing students to have fun.
Locker Decoration Rules & Guidelines
At the beginning of the school year, most institutions distribute a code of conduct that specifies the school’s many rules and regulations. This is a great opportunity to let new and returning students know about any locker decoration rules or guidelines.
Below are some suggested guidelines that you might want to include in your code of conduct booklet.
NO Harsh Adhesives
Stickers, glue, and adhesive mounting strips can be great for securing locker decorations in place, but they’re also likely to damage the locker when attempting to remove those decorations. Magnets or painter’s tape should be used instead.
NO Decorating with Markers or Pens
Marking the inside or the outside of the locker with pens or markers should be strongly discouraged for obvious reasons. These marks will be virtually impossible to remove and may likely result in a need to repaint the lockers.
NO Painting
Students shouldn’t be allowed to paint any section of their lockers. Not only can paint fumes be harmful when inhaled, a haphazard painting job could damage nearby lockers or the locking mechanism.
NO Strong Magnets near the Locking Mechanism
Metal locks can easily be affected by nearby magnets, making them difficult or impossible to open. For that reason, places magnets near the locking mechanism should be avoided.
Promoting Non-Destructive Locker Decorating
One of the easiest ways to make sure that the lockers in your school aren’t damaged by annual decorating is to have lockers that are resistant to those items that can damage them. For example, if you consider a traditional metal locker, it can be damaged by use of magnets, harsh adhesives, markers, and so on. However, a locker made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is difficult to damage by these means.
For one, it’s impossible to use magnets in this plastic locker. So you don’t have to worry about the locking mechanism being damaged. HDPE is also resistant to graffiti, making it more difficult for students to mark the locker with pens or markers.
Not only that, but HDPE lockers are also resistant to dents, scratches, and rust—all threats that metal lockers face.
To learn more about HDPE locker, download our FREE Ultimate Guide to HDPE Plastic Lockers. This helpful eBook covers the many benefits of HDPE lockers, how they compare to metal lockers, and explains how they provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative.