Restroom Partition Selection Guide for Public Bathroom Design

Organizations with a limited budget for public bathroom design can choose between baked enamel and plastic laminate restroom partitions.  Both materials are moisture and corrosion resistant and are suitable for high humidity environments.  While neither material features vandal resistance, both are sufficiently durable to withstand periods of heavy restroom traffic.  Making a final choice between the two materials should be based upon the average number of consistent users.

Baked enamel is sufficiently durable to withstand moderate restroom traffic with intermittent periods of heavy restroom traffic.  This is typically the case in family restaurants, most churches, and most retail stores of small to average size.  Baked enamel toilet partitions come with a 15-year warranty against rust out, which also makes them ideal for public bathrooms located near the coast, in polluted environments, and in high humidity environments.  Many smaller manufacturing facilities prefer baked enamel due to its exceptional low cost and good selection of basic colors that can complement the interior of any industrial facility’s restroom.

Many of the same facilities mentioned above may witness consistently high restroom traffic if they are located in heavily populated areas.  Larger churches have services throughout the week.  Movie theaters and shopping malls see crowds of people every day.  While the risk of vandalism may be low in these neighborhoods, it may be necessary to invest in restroom partitions with heavy duty hardware that can withstand constant opening and closing throughout the day and evening.  Plastic laminate partitions are the ideal mid-range choice at a mid-range cost.  They come in an infinite number of color choices and carry a 3-year warranty against delaminating. 

Facilities that want to protect against possible vandalism, and who are able to invest more in public bathroom design, can choose between solid plastic toilet partitions and stainless steel toilet partitions.  Both of these materials feature exceptional durability, vandal resistance, and are impervious to moisture, bacterial buildup, and corrosion.  The choice between solid plastic or stainless steel restroom partitions should be based upon the desired level of maintenance and the aesthetic expectations of the overall facility.

Solid plastic toilet partitions are by far the easiest to maintain and repair.  They can be cleaned with a variety of agents and take only seconds to wipe down.  In the event that they are deliberately scratched or cut, they are very easy to repair.  Most clients who have suffered from attacks of vandalism have been able to save on repair and replacement costs simply by applying a heat gun to the damaged area.  This melts the vandalized back into place where it can be smoothed out to blend with the rest of the surface.  This exceptional resiliency, combined with high performance in wet environments, makes solid plastic restroom partitions a favorite among theme parks, swimming pool locker rooms, large public schools, and transit centers like airports and bus stations.

Stainless steel is vandal resistant, but it is not as inexpensive to repair.  Also, there are certain cleaning agents that should never be used on stainless steel.  The choice of stainless over solid plastic typically rests not on durability or vandal resistance, but on a sophisticated, classic look that the material has come to be associated with.  Public bathrooms Class “A” office buildings, five star restaurants, hotels, and medical facilities typically have stainless steel restroom partitions for their its unique appearance and exceptional hygienic qualities.