How to Ensure Your School Toilet Cubicles are Built to Last

Upgrading or refurbishing cubicles in school washrooms can be a time consuming and disruptive job, it is important to get it right the first time. When designing, manufacturing and installing new washrooms in schools and even nurseries, a lot of planning and careful consideration is put into each stage of the process. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right washroom toilet cubicles for your school or nursery to ensure they are built to last. We have outlined the main ones to guide you in your choice:

• Privacy

School toilets are notorious for being places with little supervision and where bullying can take place. The privacy aspect of washroom toilet cubicles is something that has to be addressed by schools and nurseries to ensure that washrooms are a safe space for students.

For nursery and primary school pupils, low-level cubicle doors help to aid supervision and increase safety when students use the washroom. However, for older pupils, especially those in high schools privacy can be a significant issue. High schools often consider full height doors that are only 10mm from ground level, especially in unisex environments. This gives young adults the confidence that they can use the washroom in private without fear of their privacy being compromised.

• Design

Bright and bold designs can be attractive to younger students, making their washroom experience one that is positive and not intimidating. In the past, schools have tended to go for primary colours such as yellow, red and blue but that should not limit your choices or creativity when it comes to designing or renovating your washrooms. We have seen a recent shift in trend with some schools using a wide range of colours including purple, yellow and even woodgrain textures, making visually appealing options that are different from the traditional primary colours.

• Locks

By not carefully choosing the correct lock system for your new washroom cubicle door, this could result in safety risks for students. This decision is especially important in nurseries and primary schools, as easy access to cubicles must be available in case of emergencies. Indicator bolt lock systems create ease of access without breaking the lock or damaging the door and can be opened simply using a coin if necessary.

For schools that have a unisex environment, the requirement is different and these types of locks could pose privacy issues. These schools may want to consider extra privacy as their priority, especially when washrooms are unisex. At Nu-Style we would often recommend our Nu-Solitude range with an anti-tamper, no mischief fitting where the ability to access these cubicles via the locks is only given to an authorised member of staff to be used in an emergency.

Indicator Bolt lock                                                           No Mischief key lock

• Durability

There are of course different types of materials that can be used to manufacture washroom cubicles, but often schools are looking for one that is hardwearing, resistant to strain and able to withstand frequent use. Getting this right will prove to be cost effective in the long term, as replacing cubicles should not be a regular occurrence for schools. High Pressure Laminate (HPL) is a medium to heavy duty material which is designed to withstand the daily usage of high traffic areas. Solid Grade Laminate (SGL) is recommended to be used in heavy duty environments and is fully water resistant, meaning that it can be used for toilet cubicle panels in both wet and dry environments. Nu-Style as standard uses PVC edges on their washroom cubicles at 2mm as opposed to 1mm thick to provide better edge protection and increased longevity.

Our team are on hand to deal with all your commercial washroom requirements and can help you to ensure you choose the right cubicle range to suit your school or nursery.  Browse our full range of washroom systems or make an enquiry using our cubicle specifier form.