Tag Archive for: HDPE
As popular designs and trends are on the rise within specific industries, there’s one area that needs more attention than ever before. There is simply no better time to renovate run-down or outdated areas in public facilities. Two specific areas are locker rooms and restrooms. In 2023 and beyond, it’s more important than ever to provide a safe, private, modern, and inclusive design to your facility’s locker room or restroom.
So, when you’re thinking about what design trends to run with, what exactly are the biggest and most important reasons to update restrooms or lockers? Some may simply need to replace rusted lockers for better eye-appeal or safety concern since someone could get cut, others may need to take care of more challenging requests like plumbing issues creating damp environments which lead to rust and corrosion within the area. Or, some may want to upgrade for the benefit of a successful sports program to commemorate their home team. Whichever your reason for revamping your lockers or restroom partitions, it’s important for facility managers to keep in mind that these areas are more than just places to change, shower, and serve as functional public necessities—they can, in fact, complement your facility’s overall design scheme.
In this blog, we’ll discuss current design trends and what is working for the locker room and restroom partition industry based on a few factors of what’s been tried and true and rising in popularity with today’s society. Keeping these trends in mind will help your facility reap the benefits of HDPE plastic with Scranton Products brands.
Designed for Modernness & Privacy
Just because you’re looking for privacy doesn’t mean you have to forfeit a modern, sleek design that compliments the style of your restroom or locker room. Today, style and privacy go hand-in-hand, and everyone wants to feel comfortable in a private setting such as restrooms or locker rooms.
Scranton Products® Aria Partitions® are our full height partition and were developed to add enhanced comfort and privacy to your restroom design. Aria Partitions aesthetics combined with its solid HDPE material gives you a restroom design , and customizable to fit your project’s desired level of privacy and design.
Locker rooms are places that have a bad reputation because we often associate them with loud, slamming, rusty lockers from storing damp or sweaty items in. No matter what storage needs your facility has, Tufftec Lockers® have a solution. With a multitude of styles, configurations, and interchangeable options, you can create customized lockers that make the most of a space, while still giving you design options that complement your building in a durable HDPE material.
Restroom Partitions are Gender Inclusive
Co-ed dorms are on the rise, including gender-inclusive bathrooms in public facilities such as colleges and universities, now more than ever. Low privacy bathroom designs are a thing of the past! Instead, choose high-privacy restroom partitions that reduce sightlines and boastfully enclosed compartments that are not only attractive but also gender-neutral friendly.
We aren’t just talking about dorms and restroom facilities in high traffic areas, some students did not feel safe nor comfortable in their campus recreational facilities locker rooms because they were outdated, and not giving as much privacy as they would like. It’s important for these high-traffic facilities to accommodate the needs of others to feel safe and secure in a locker room or restroom that is meant for changing and private purposes.
Aesthetically Pleasing Designs
An attractive, sophisticated restroom partition or locker can make all the difference when it comes to the appearance of a commercial restroom or locker room. In fact, many facilities opt for slightly more expensive materials for their counters in order to create this quality look.
But did you know that higher quality materials, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, are often nonporous which means they’ll stay cleaner since HDPE is naturally germ resistant? This type of material may be slightly more expensive at the initial purchase, but the costs you’ll save in maintenance over the years making it less expensive in the long run.
When it comes to locker design, Scranton Products creates lockers and restrooms for strength and durability, all while keeping a modern, clean, and sophisticated design. The major difference between metal and HDPE lockers and partitions is the impact resistant properties that HDPE plastic holds. These products are also resistant to mold and bacteria, have low maintenance costs due to being power washable and steam cleanable, and offer the ability to choose from an array of styles for a custom locker or partition that matches your brand.
Sustainable Products
More and more companies are considering the carbon footprint they’re leaving and choosing sustainable products that are less harmful to the environment and better for the people in the facility. Some products give off emissions that reduce the quality of the air and can end up diminishing health.
Not only is HDPE plastic customizable, impact and moisture resistant, power-washable, easy to maintain, but Scranton Products® HDPE plastic also provides an extensive collection of colors and textures to choose from for your next restroom or locker room project.
When we are talking about restroom partitions, opting to choose plastic shoes and brackets increases the overall sustainability of your system by allowing the recycling process to become more streamlined at end-of-use, allowing for easier disposal. Not only do they both retain the same benefits offered by solid plastic materials, but they can be recycled all at once instead of being separated.
HDPE plastic can be made from recycled material and helps improve the air quality. This is especially helpful for restrooms and locker rooms that are heavily used, and are very easy to clean, and of course will never rust. And because HDPE plastic is solid color throughout, it never requires paint, so VOC emissions are avoided.
Focusing on Student Athletes
It’s to no surprise that school sports are a major part of a lot of students’ lives. Where the sport starts and ends is often in a Scranton Products Tufftec Lockers are engravable so you can show your school pride with your mascot or team logo, too!
What’s even more important with branding and mascot is recruiting visits for potential future players that are going to be representing the team and school. A cohesive design throughout a locker room is necessary in order to establish team-wide communication for those specific mascot and colors for the team’s history, community, and culture.
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of today’s current design trends for restroom partitions and lockers. It’s a given that we are focused on sustainability and privacy options now more than ever and it’s up to us to implement these needs into current design trends.
As a facility manager, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of choosing a sustainable material like HDPE for your next project. Utilizing sustainable building materials like HDPE not only pushes you closer to LEED certification, but having these types of materials can also lower your maintenance costs. But when it comes to HDPE products, facility managers tend to ask what makes HDPE sustainable?
We’ll gladly show you what makes HDPE sustainable and why you’d benefit greatly by using it in your next renovation or remodel project.
How HDPE Is Sustainable
A variety of factors make HDPE a sustainable material that you can use in your facility, the major ones being the following:
- HDPE is made from recycled materials.
- HPDE contains between 25% and 100% pre-consumer material.
- Not only is HDPE sustainable by being made from recycled materials, but it’s also 100% recyclable.
Given that HDPE is made up of recycled material, it’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning that it’s an approved material to be used in schools and healthcare facilities. This certification requires stricter criteria, and HDPE makes the cut for its green construction.
Improving Air Quality
One of the biggest advantages that HDPE brings to your facility is through helping your air quality. HDPE is impervious to humidity and moisture, which can be abundant in areas like the restroom or locker rooms. Most plastic and metal partitions or storage compartments located in an environment with constant moisture will not only begin to wear, but they also run the risk of growing mold. Because of HDPE’s solid plastic construction, mold won’t find a way to grow, allowing HDPE to remain unaffected and helping to keep your air quality high.
Low-Cost Maintenance
Another major benefit of HDPE that you can add to the pros column is that it requires little maintenance. Not only does HDPE stand up to the elements, but it’s also a highly durable material. It can take a few hits and bumps and come out pretty much unscathed. Even graffiti doesn’t stand a chance against this solid plastic.
When it comes to maintaining your HDPE materials, you’ll be happy to know that it won’t cost you a lot of time or money. HDPE requires only a light cleaning now and then. The material doesn’t require repainting, which not only saves you more money, but it also won’t have a negative effect on your facility’s air quality due to the harmful VOC emissions.
On top of the lack of serious and involved maintenance, HDPE plastic can last for years, so you won’t be looking at a costly or involved replacement any time soon. HDPE pays for itself within two years due to the lack of costly maintenance and repairs that other materials would require.
Was this post informative for showing you what makes HDPE a sustainable building material? For more information, download Scranton Products’ eBook Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom.
Privacy is one of the most crucial components to your bathroom. Using the restroom is something that everyone experiences, and more often than not, they want to experience it privately. So, you need to figure out ways to ensure that your bathroom and the toilet partitions offer enough privacy and security for occupants to use comfortably. Keeping reading to check out some great bathroom privacy ideas!
Determining Any Weaknesses in Privacy & Security
While you may think that your bathroom is confidential enough for you, you may want to take a closer look to notice some of the weak spots that hinder one’s privacy. This may include visible vantage points above or below the stall. However, it can also include the separation in the stall’s pieces, which may provide a clear view in between the door and the frame. If you notice these imperfections and issues, you should start thinking of ways to correct them so occupants can go to the bathroom worry-free.
Bathroom Privacy Ideas to Get Started
Here are some bathroom privacy ideas to get your gears turning and a full bathroom plan if you’re starting from scratch:
- Add peel-and-stick frosted privacy glass over windows.
- Separate your space with folding restroom privacy screens.
- Find the right stall that offers ample privacy.
- Sightlines can be removed through shiplap cut edges.
- Angled doors and hidden hardware offer extra privacy to guests.
Bathroom Stalls with Ample Privacy
Some bathroom stalls on the market can offer your guests ample privacy. Their sightlines can easily be removed through a shiplap cut edge. Once closed, these partitions provide zero visibility due to the cut edges perfecting shutting out the seam.
Other HDPE toilet stalls, like Aria Partitions®, are specifically designed to provide each occupant with the higher privacy. Aria Partitions will provide you with innovative designs like overlapping edges, continuous edge mounted hinges and floor mounted side panels to keep these partitions as secure and private as possible.
Using HDPE for Private Partitions
HDPE plastic can be tailored to fit any design for your facility’s restroom. Whether you’re going for free-standing stalls, between-walls, open-ends, or alcove-style partitions, you’ll be happy to know that HDPE can be a versatile material to utilize in your restroom for your custom partitions. HDPE can be produced in a variety of different sizes, so you can figure out the best options to provide a secure toilet stall for your occupants who hold privacy very high.
It’s no secret that people want privacy when they’re using a public restroom. If you’re looking for ways to make your facility’s restroom more private for the occupants, check out the eBook Restroom Design for Commercial Facilities from your friends at Scranton Products.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year during winter break. The students get a nice vacation from their studies during the holidays. As for the school facility manager, you get to play catch up, thanks to the empty halls and classrooms. Even though the students use this time to relax, sleep in, and get together with friends and family, you need to use this time wisely to make sure everything is in order for the remainder of the winter months.
Here’s 10 things school facility managers should take care of during winter break to make sure their school is in tip-top shape.
Maintain Your HVAC System
Heat is crucial during the frigid winter months, so you’ll need to perform a few audits to make sure everything is
functioning at its best. Look for any components that may need a replacement, so you can take care of it during the break. Any type of issue that can prevent your school from being heated may actually prolong winter break, so be sure to keep the system in great shape.
Winterize Your School to Retain Heat
While properly maintaining your HVAC system is a crucial step on the winter break checklist, you’ll also want to be sure you’re not wasting any heat. Find any weak areas that result in your school losing heat and energy. You’ll want to air seal these areas, so your school doesn’t suffer from drafty rooms or areas that can’t retain heat.
Inspect Your Pipes
Winter brings the cold, and if your school isn’t properly heated, this can cause more problems than just frigid temperatures. If your school suffers from the cold, or loses power, this can have a huge effect on your pipes. These pipes can freeze and burst, so you’ll want to be sure that not only are they in great shape, but they’re getting enough heat to remain at any optimal temperature.
Perform a Test of Your Generator
Due to the snow and ice buildup on tree branches, they can often buckle and break under the tremendous weight and the brisk temperatures, which can be troublesome if there are any nearby powerlines. If you lose power, which is a significant certainty during the winter, you’ll be relying on your backup generator to make sure your school remains at an acceptable temperature, so your pipes don’t freeze and any electronics don’t suffer.
Replace Faulty or Broken Components
On day one of winter break, you’ll want to perform an inspection of your school and its various fixtures and
The doors and fixed panels used in the Eclipse partition system provide both high design and privacy. Here we show how to ensure proper gapping and consistency on all panels and doors in order to achieve the desired sleek lines.
components. This can include lights, water fountains, electrical outlets, or even radiators. Check each of these components to make sure they’re working, or if they need to be replaced before the students and teachers come back to resume the school year.
Inspect the Roof
During the winter, the roof of your school takes quite a beating from the snow, rain, and ice, especially if your roof is flat and doesn’t have any slopes or angles that can help combat the elements. You can work to remove any of the snow and ice build-up with a shovel or rock salt, but you’ll also want to look for any issues or problems that could affect the integrity of your roof. Be sure your drain pipes are free of debris and caulk any noticeable cracks.
Clear the Snow & Ice
Depending on how hard the weather hits your area, this may be a continuous process during winter break. You’ll want to clear the parking lots and designate the snow piles to areas out of the way. Clear the walkways and paths to your school’s entrances, and salt the ground to help reduce any ice buildup.
Invest in New Floor Mats
The floors in your school can take quite a beating during the winter, with students tracking in clumps of snow and even rock salt from the walkways. You’ll want to get some heavy-duty floor mats for the entryways to help reduce the snowy debris from damaging your floors. For the best results, place heavy-duty floor mats outside the entrances to pick up most of the snow and salt, which will reduce the amount actually making it into the school.
Start a Germ & Bacteria Removal Plan
School absences and sickness are rampant during the winter, so one of the best ways to combat this is by focusing on areas with considerable germ and bacteria buildup. The most susceptible areas are the restrooms and the locker rooms. A thorough cleaning can do the trick; however, if there is mold within the components, like your partitions, you may need to find a suitable replacement. HDPE plastic partitions can drastically reduce sickness because they don’t absorb moisture and won’t sprout mold.
Get Your Painting Done
Due to the lack of students filling the hallways and classrooms, now’s the time to get some painting done. If there are components or features in your school that are starting to fade in color, or if they’re chipping, you can get the painting done without having to worry about the VOC emissions affecting student health. Be sure to do this early in the break, so the paint can be dry, ensuring your school is free of the paint smells by the time students and teachers return. You can even invest in HDPE lockers to help avoid any locker painting in the future.
Use your winter break wisely and get these crucial services completed, so you can avoid any major problems that occur throughout the winter.
Want some more tips and tricks on most effective facility maintenance methods? Download this free eBook, The Ultimate Guide for Facility Maintenance & Property Solutions, from your friends at Scranton Products.
Scranton Products’ Aria Partitions™ were awarded a 2018 Architectural Products Magazine “Product Innovation Award” (PIA), judged by a group of 16 industry professionals. The program annually honors innovation in the development and refinement of building-related products, while recognizing outstanding manufacturer new product introductions.
“Building on the success of last year’s program, our eighth edition of this award proves commercial building manufacturers are committed to, and are working arduously toward, delivering more sustainable products, as well as products that deliver better performance and affordability,” said Jim Crockett, editorial director, Architectural Products Magazine.
“We are very honored to have Aria among the innovations in this year’s PIA Awards,” said Rob Donlon, vice president of sales & marketing at Scranton Products. “The recognition emphasizes the overall quality and innovation of this product line. Our goal is to make Aria Partitions the industry standard for safety, comfort and stylish elegance in commercial restrooms nationwide.”
Designed with striking aesthetics and offering countless options for making every restroom a one-of-a-kind creation. The award highlights the beauty and privacy of a partition system that can be customized with 17 innovative door designs, 7 panel designs and 27 rich colors & textures to create aesthetics that rise well above traditional commercial restroom styles. In addition to reducing intrusive sightlines, the partitions’ continuous edge-mounted hinges eliminate the need for unsightly face-mounted hardware.
The 2018 Product Innovation Awards from Architectural Products will be announced in the publication’s November issue. To learn more about Scranton Products’ new Aria Partitions please visit scrantonprodu1.wpengine.com or call 800-445-5148.
You’re probably thinking that a restroom doesn’t need to be the most lavish part of your new facility. However, bathroom décor makes a difference in several different ways, and you don’t even have to be a designer to see how.
Facility restroom design incorporates a plan for the layout of your vanities, partitions, and other aspects of a bathroom, but design also requires material selection. And while some materials may look pleasing to the eyes of an interior designer, the design may have underlying costs that you should avoid. Read on to learn why your facility restroom design matters, even if you aren’t a designer. Read more
When building a commercial or public bathroom, the partition material is usually one of the most overlooked elements. At first glance, its only purpose is for privacy, so the only thing you need to consider when making your choice is visual appeal, which is why most people opt for stainless steel bathroom partitions. However, is this really the best choice for your bathroom partition material?
Scranton Products wants you to make the best choice for your new bathroom partitions, so we’re here to compare plastic HDPE bathroom partitions against stainless steel so you can see the difference before your choose. Read more
Industry leaders offer a unique value to their clients.
It starts with a razor-sharp focus on their clients’ most important issues. Industry leaders dig deep into these issues and come up with innovative ways to solve them. They also know that innovation is more than coming up with great ideas. Industry leaders know how to innovate. They excel in operational execution and have the methodologies and processes in place to deliver value consistently to their customers.
As North America’s leading manufacturer of HDPE bathroom partitions and lockers, Scranton Products is a proven industry leader, focused on responsive innovation, and offering our customers quality products that are built and tested to the highest standards.
What drives innovation at Scranton Products? It is understanding the needs of our customers – the need for high-value
As a market leader, our products are built to stand up to the harshest environments and are backed by Scranton Products’ industry-leading warranties, so you can rest easy that your investment is protected for years to come.
As a market leader, we are committed to sustainability. All of our products are made from recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. They are also free of VOC emissions and are GREENGUARD Gold Certified. In addition, throughout our manufacturing process, we’re conscious of our impact on the environment and practice factory-responsible recycling.
As a market leader, we are a true partner to our clients, offering responsive innovation, cutting edge solutions, unsurpassed product quality, excellent customer support, and one of the largest distribution networks in the industry.
To learn more about Scranton Products and the unique value we offer our clients, please visit: https://www.scrantonproducts.com/products/
Most of us take bathroom convenience and privacy for granted but people haven’t always had the level of bathroom luxury that we enjoy today. In ancient Roman and Asian societies, for example, bathing and toilet facilities were shared. For the poor and middle classes, these facilities left much to be desired. The wealthy enjoyed cleaner and more pleasant facilities but the bathroom experience was still communal. When the Roman Empire fell, the bathroom experience only got worse. Eventually, public facilities had to be closed down somewhere in the 16th century, blamed for widespread sickness.
It wasn’t until the end of the 16th century that the first flushing toilet was invented in England. It was installed in a separate room in the castle to allow the Queen of England privacy but, unfortunately, the toilet didn’t flush well and wasn’t a big hit with the queen.
During the Industrial Revolution, toilet enclosures were built for use on city streets to accommodate workforce needs in the big cities. Some public toilets went underground during the Victorian era as less space became available at street level. These facilities were held to a high standard by the local health boards and provided a higher level of privacy.
The bathroom evolved further during the Industrial Revolution and early 20th century. As more and more women shopped and worked out of the home, private retiring rooms with partitions were developed to accommodate their needs and afford additional privacy.
In 1904, Frank Lloyd Wright, the great American architect, and innovator came up with an innovative way to make it easier to keep toilet enclosures clean. While working on the design of the Larkin Building in Buffalo, NY, he designed the first ceiling hung toilet partitions as well as suspended toilet bowls and sinks.
Partitions Allow For Greater Privacy
It certainly has taken a while to evolve the concept of the modern restroom that allows for individual privacy and provides a pleasant and sanitary space. In the last century, toilet partitions have played an important role in ensuring bathroom privacy. Over time they too have evolved, starting with the first, basic partitions made of wood or powder-coated steel, to a range of partitions developed over the last 40 years, such as baked enamel, laminate, phenolic, and stainless steel. Unfortunately, these materials don’t stand up to the wear and tear of today’s public bathroom and present many disadvantages:
- They are prone to scratches and dents
- Graffiti is not easily removed
- They are susceptible to moisture and humidity
- The core materials can be a breeding place for mold and bacteria
- Maintenance issues outweigh any initial cost benefits
A more innovative approach to partitions has solved these problems while creating modern partitions that are extremely durable, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable.
Partitions for the 21st Century
Made from HDPE Plastic, Scranton Products restroom partitions offer a unique combination of sophisticated aesthetics, innovative design, superior privacy, and outstanding durability. A solid-core and non-porous surface make HDPE partitions highly resistant to moisture and humidity, therefore, these partitions never rust, corrode or need painting. They are resistant to mold and bacteria, resist dents and scratches, and graffiti easily wipes off.
Public restrooms have come a long way since the “communal experience.” Today, we expect public restrooms to provide a high degree of privacy, cleanliness, as well as high design. With its Aria Partitions®, Eclipse Partitions® and Hiny Hiders Partitions® product lines, Scranton Products offers a range of options that include sleek, modern design and the higher in privacy, making them the best choice for today’s public bathroom environments.
To learn more about Scranton Products bathroom partitions options, contact our sales specialists today. You can also download one of our product brochures for more detailed information.