Reducing Theft in Your School & Locker Rooms

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Thievery is a problem that occurs in every school, regardless of location. If you’re managing an educational facility, you’re surely aware of the reports of theft from lockers and locker rooms in your school. There are various ways that you can reduce theft in your school and locker rooms, but choosing the most effective route is important to reduce the risk of students or faculty losing personal belongings or valuables to an unknown perpetrator.

Beefing Up Security Can Reduce Theft in Your School

Many schools that need an action plan to reduce theft in their school and locker rooms tend to upgrade their security systems. This mainly includes cameras, strategically positioned in locker corridors. This can have two beneficial outcomes. The first being that the perpetrator will be caught in the act on camera. The other benefit is that it can actually ward off anyone from breaking into the locker because there are eyes watching. However, utilizing security cameras can be ineffective when it comes to theft in locker rooms.

There’s no legal way that security cameras can be placed in locker rooms because it would be an unlawful invasion of privacy. As a result, due to the lack of surveillance, the locker room turns into an open market where a person could get away with stealing personal belongings without getting caught. But, there are effective ways to reduce theft in locker rooms through innovative lockers.

Reducing Locker Room Theft Through Updating Lockers

While the security camera scenario does indeed have its pros and cons, there’s a better option available. If your school has the traditional metal lockers, it may be time for an upgrade. Metal lockers are susceptible to moisture, and when in use for many years, will begin to rust, and the integrity of the locker’s security can be compromised. Students will even use various methods to discover the weakness in the locker, which then provides easy access for theft.

Some schools have taken action against the weakness of their original lockers, and have replaced them with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) school lockers. HDPE is a solid plastic that’s proven to be highly durable, as it’s resistant to scratches, dents, and even graffiti. These HDPE lockers are a big step in combating theft in your schools.

HDPE Lockers: Secure & Durable

HDPE lockers have numerous benefits. Their highly durable construction prevents them from cracking, denting, and scratching. A thief would have a difficult time trying to break into the locker due to the solid construction and the built-in locks, and would probably deem the task unworthy of the effort.

Another major benefit of these lockers is that they can be used in locker rooms. They’re resistant to moisture and humidity, which is abundant in locker rooms. Mold won’t sprout on the lockers, resulting in higher air quality in your school. The moisture won’t affect the integrity of the lockers, so you can rest assured knowing your locker room has great security without compromising the privacy of the students.

 

Would you like to learn more about how HDPE lockers can benefit you and your school? Check out our Duralife Lockers Product Kit to learn more about how these durable lockers can help reduce theft in your school.

Operation and Circulation Restroom Design

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There are numerous considerations when designing a commercial restroom. How many users do you anticipate will use the facility? Is there ample space for two lanes of traffic flowing in and out of the restroom? How many stalls do you really need? All these questions have to do with operation and circulation restroom design, and they should be answered by the architect, designer, or contractor.

If you’re not sure what to look out for during your next bathroom build, check out the helpful tips below.

The Entryway

The entrance to your restroom is one of the most important aspects. Bathrooms with a door should have the door opening out instead of in to the bathroom. This prevents guests from feeling cramped or possibly even being hit by the door when someone else attempts to enter. This is especially important if the sink or hand drying station is near the doorway.

Labyrinth entrances are a great alternative because they void the need for a door altogether and help promote a safer and more sanitary environment. When constructing the entrance, be sure to leave enough space for two guests to walk side by side. This allows users to enter and leave at the same time without bumping into each other.

Flow of Traffic

Now that we’ve covered the entrance, it’s a good time to talk about the general flow of traffic in your new restroom. Designing a restroom really starts with understanding how you want guests to use the restroom. For instance, you don’t want people to have to double back to get from the sink to where they can dry their hands. In fact, it’s a good idea to have the hand drying station positioned near the exit (as long as the door doesn’t open into that space) so users can wash and dry their hands before touching the door handle.

Most commercial restrooms are designed with the first user action located furthest from the entrance and the last intended action located closest to the entrance. So ideally, toilets and bathroom stalls should be located in the back of the restroom, the hand washing area somewhere in the middle, and the hand drying station near the entrance.

Number of Expected Users

Understanding the number of people you expect to use the restroom at different parts of the day will dramatically change how it’s designed. For example, a restroom in a small café might get away with having only two toilets, while a large law firm might need 10 times that amount.

Knowing the peak usage times and number of people using the restroom will also help you understand your needs when it comes to other fixtures like sinks, hand driers, mirrors, and even trash receptacles. After all, if your cleaning crew only comes once a day, you want to make sure that the trash receptacle is large enough to handle daily use without overflowing.

Maintenance Needs

The last consideration when thinking about operation and circulation restroom design is how often you plan to have your restroom serviced and cleaned. It’s a good idea to look for restroom materials that offer exceptional durability and relatively low maintenance requirements. This can include premium faucets, fixtures, bathroom partitions, or vanities.

Commercial Bathroom Design & Trends

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Commercial bathrooms have come a long way from being merely utilitarian to now incorporating commercial bathroom design and trends that have a sense of style and pride within a facility. It makes a difference for occupants when the restroom is of a higher quality when it comes to appearance and design.

So, what are the latest commercial bathroom trends? They are top-notch materials and a relaxing, almost therapeutic design aesthetic. All in all, people are looking for upscale public restrooms with high-end materials, commercial bathrooms that feel more like home, and design influences that match the environment around them in a way that’s comforting and relaxing. There are new and exciting commercial bathroom designs that architects are using to stay with the forward trends.

Let’s take a closer look at these trends and see what we can learn about improving our bathroom designs for a much more pleasant and stylistic appearance, as well as a comfortable experience for future occupants.

commercial bathroom design

 

Added Sophistication

People rarely think of luxury and sophistication when talking about public bathrooms, but now that’s exactly what people want. High-end materials like granite and stainless steel are making their way from the kitchen to the restroom, providing a high-quality experience for occupants. Incorporating these materials, or materials that look like granite or stainless steel, into your commercial bathroom help to elevate the design quality of these commercial bathrooms.

While choosing stylish materials can add a much-needed sophistication to the commercial restroom, you may want to rethink your strategy so you can make your public restroom sustainable and clean. Wooden and stainless steel partitions do add to the bathroom’s stylistic appeal, but they’re also susceptible to unwanted mold growth due to the high volume of moisture and humidity in the bathroom. Mold can eventually work its way into the interior of these materials, causing foul odors and a major decline in air quality.

Utilizing durable materials like HDPE (high-density polyethylene) to replace traditional materials has numerous benefits. HDPE is resistant to humidity and moisture due to its solid plastic construction, and unsightly mold won’t grow, resulting in foul smells and less-than-stellar air quality. Architects and designers realize that using this material has many benefits in both appearance and function. Plus, bathroom partitions like Eclipse Partitions from Scranton Products feature no-sight hardware, eliminate sight lines, and have various privacy options.

 

Check out our traditional, warm tone, metallic and bold colors combined with our contour or rotary brushed textures to add some luxury and sophistication to your next bathroom project.

 

There’s No Place Like Home

When it comes to bathrooms, there’s nothing like having your own private space. So it’s no surprise that one of the hottest commercial bathroom design trends happening now is creating a spa-like bathroom with premium materials. Designers are also replacing the bright, florescent lighting, often the hallmark of public bathrooms, with softer incandescent down lighting to make it easier on the eyes and to provide a more comfortable and welcoming environment without the harsh lights becoming bothersome to occupants.

While privacy is one of the most important factors when designing a bathroom, function is equally as important when designing your commercial bathroom or public restroom. Architects and bathroom designers are utilizing more durable materials like HDPE when creating the stalls and partitions. HDPE materials that are being used have the benefits of being scratch- and graffiti-resistant. Due to these choices, replacements aren’t as frequent because the HDPE material can last for a long time.

Designers know to use these durable partitions for the benefit of having a long-lasting partition without needing to conduct any repairs. However, they also understand that the occupant’s privacy is another major factor to consider with their design plans. Architects and designers are starting to incorporate privacy features like taller doors and privacy hinges. The privacy hinges serve a functional purpose, but due to their hidden placement, the stalls and partitions deliver a clear and solid look without unsightly metal hinges and parts from interfering with the stylistic appeal.

 

View our new Eclipse Partitions to add privacy and aesthetics to your next restroom project.

 

Keep a Common Theme

Designers are taking elements from the rest of a building’s interior design or the surrounding environment and bringing it into the restroom for a more coherent and seamless look. This goes way beyond the simple themed bathroom that pays homage to an era, a famous person, or a pop culture icon. Examples include the public restroom at Bryant Park in New York. This bathroom mimics the design of the nearby New York Public Library. Bryant Park’s public restrooms were so well received that they were voted number one by Virtual Tourist.

Meanwhile, the restrooms at Santa Monica Pier in California feature an undulating roof evoking thoughts of a vintage rollercoaster or the nearby ocean waves. This stylistic and thematic approach to bathroom design has garnished a great deal of attention and praise. The bathroom at The Muse Hotel in New York allows visitors to choose if they’re feeling envious, passionate, glamorous, rebellious, macho, or vain. This kind of fun approach has made the bathrooms in the Muse Hotel some of the more popular public restroom facilities in the New York City area.

What all these bathrooms have in common is a uniqueness that’s personal, original, and aesthetically pleasing. To add uniqueness to your next project, consider adding custom embossing like a school mascot, company logo, or other personalized details that not only add to the restroom’s aesthetics, but make the restrooms seem more a part of the whole building. This type of consistency adds a more pleasing appearance and a comfortable atmosphere for the occupants.

For more inspiration, check out our eBook for public bathroom design, Restroom Design for Commercial Facilities. Take notes and improve upon the designs to find your perfect commercial restroom.

9 Things to Consider Before Designing Your Commercial Bathroom

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Commercial bathroom design involves a lot of moving parts, all of which need to be considered before implementation if your design is going to be worth building. The most important factors to consider before designing your commercial bathroom include the number of users, durability, water savings, and serviceability. You also need to consider initial and operational costs, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, materials, and building codes.

Though it might seem like a lot of balls to juggle, making sure to discuss these nine components will help you ensure that your commercial bathroom design is a winner.

1.    Number of Occupants

The number of people you expect to be using your commercial bathroom will greatly alter its final design. For example, a bathroom at a major sports complex will need to accommodate more occupants to avoid excessive queuing than a commercial bathroom located at a small family doctor’s office.

Understanding the expected amount of demand or use will help you to determine how large to make the restroom, how many commercial bathroom stalls or urinals to include, how many sinks or hand drying fixtures you’ll need, and so on.

commercial bathroom design

2.    Durability

There’s no doubt that building owners want the commercial bathrooms to be durable, but what level of durability is being required? For instance, a wooden bathroom vanity provides some durability. However, wood is highly susceptible to water damage from leaky pipes, scratches, graffiti, and other damage.

Meanwhile, materials such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) provide exceptional durability. HDPE is resistant to dents, unlike metal, as well as scratches, mildew, graffiti, and more. HDPE also reduces environmental impact and offers improvements to the indoor air quality of the bathroom.

3.    Water Savings

The choice of water-using fixtures is an important one because it will determine both initial and long-term costs for the facility. For example, the average toilet uses 1.6 gallons of water each time it’s flushed. A high-efficiency toilet, on the other hand, uses 1.28 gallons. If a toilet is flushed 10 times each day, the average unit would use 5,840 gallons a year while the high-efficiency unit only used 4,672.

A bathroom with three high-efficiency toilets could save roughly 3,504 gallons of water per year compared to a commercial bathroom with three standard toilets.

4.    Serviceability

Should damage or a major plumbing problem arise, you’ll want to make sure that your restroom is easily serviced. That way a qualified repair team can quickly fix the problem and get your bathroom up and running again. This may be achieved by adding a service panel on the other side of the wall where workers can reach pipes or wiring.

5.    Initial Costs

Understanding the initial costs of your project will help you to better determine how to design it. How much will it cost to purchase materials? Provide installation? Inspection fees? These initial costs will ultimately help to define the budget for your project, which could dictate your final design. For example, it may be more cost-effective to add more urinals and fewer toilets in the men’s room.

6.    Operational Costs

After you take into account the initial costs of building the bathroom, you should consider the long-term operational costs. This can include the cost to provide lighting and electricity, water, and the cost for maintenance and repairs. One way to keep operational costs down is to use high-quality, durable materials for fixtures and vanities.

7.    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility

For your design to meet ADA guidelines, you need to have them in mind when developing your commercial bathroom. This can include many parts of the restroom, including the entrance. For example, a labyrinth-style entrance should have enough room for a wheelchair to pass through with room to spare on either side.

8.    Economic Quality of Fixtures Used

Will your design use the good, better, or best materials available? Good materials are often low in price but may require frequent maintenance or provide a low level of durability. The best materials, on the other hand, typically provide a higher initial cost but require less attention in terms of maintenance and repairs. HDPE, for instance, is extremely durable and long lasting, making it a popular material for commercial restroom projects.

9.    Local Codes

Before you start designing a commercial bathroom, you want to know what the local codes and regulations are. This will significantly impact what you can and can’t do in terms of design. Failure to consider the local building and occupancy codes could result in denied building applications and potential legal issues in the future.

Learn more about the many HDPE products available for your commercial bathroom design.

How to Remodel a Commercial Bathroom

Remodeling a commercial bathroom is a big job that’s best left to a professional contractor. After all, the new design and materials chosen will significantly impact the efficiency, security, and privacy of the restroom.

A facility that’s been carefully designed not only improves the experience of those using it but also those who operate the facility. Not to mention that a properly remodeled bathroom can help keep initial and reoccurring costs down.

When considering a commercial bathroom remodel, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Design Your Facility’s Bathroom’s Entrance and Exit Flow

If part of your commercial bathroom remodeling projects includes the entrance, now is a good time to consider how the entrance is affecting traffic flow and queuing.

For example, a bathroom that can be locked from the inside may cause unnecessary queuing.

Here’s how: A locked bathroom may have one person in the stall and two waiting by the door. Meanwhile, an unlocked facility could have one person in the bathroom stall, one washing their hands, and one drying their hands. In the second scenario, queuing is at a minimum and the facility is operating at optimal efficiency.

Many commercial bathrooms implement a labyrinth-style entrance, which gets rid of the door altogether. This style of entrance is preferred for several reasons:

  1. Limits the spread of germs by reducing the number of surfaces patrons come in contact with.
  2. Reduces misuse since the sound of criminal activity is more likely to be detected and there’s no door to serve as a warning that security personnel are entering.
  3. Improves traffic flow, assuming that the width of the walkway is wide enough to allow two lanes of traffic.
  4. Allows management to intervene if occupant fails to respond after an excessive period of usage, something that is more difficult when dealing with a bathroom that’s locked from the inside by the occupant.

For maximum efficiency, you may consider using a separate entrance and exit. This allows traffic to flow in and out without patrons having to squeeze by or accidently bump into one another.

2. Coordinate Bathroom Fixtures

The selection and placement of the many fixtures is an important part of your commercial bathroom remodeling project.

Mirrors, for example, will need to be placed strategically to provide maximum privacy and security. A properly placed mirror can give occupants a direct sight line to the back of the restroom. A mirror that’s place thoughtlessly, on the other hand, could accidently give a clear view from outside the bathroom to an area that was intended to be private, like the urinals in a men’s restroom.

While placement is certainly worth considering, material is also an important factor when selecting the right fixtures for your bathroom. A well-made bathroom vanity that’s resistant to damage could help to lower your operational costs and protect your remodeling investment.

HDPE material is a high-grade plastic that’s resistant to scratches, dents, corrosion, mildew, and graffiti. This durable material is easy to clean and can be used for vanities and bathroom partitions.

Plus, HDPE can be designed in a wide variety of colors and textures to best match the décor of your facility.

Contact Scranton Products to learn more HDPE and their collection of cost-effective commercial bathroom fixtures.

How to Care for Your Commercial Bathroom Vanities

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Mahogany toliet partition lr

Keeping your commercial bathroom vanities clean is an important part of owning a building. It’s important not just for health sanitation reasons, but also because the chemicals used to clean bathrooms can saturate the surface of the vanities and cause severe damage.

Proper care is vital if you want your vanities to last for years to come, so it’s important for your cleaning staff to understand the correct care and cleaning procedures when it comes to your commercial bathroom vanities.

Note that not all bathroom vanities are made of the same material. Different materials may have different restrictions when it comes to cleaning. The recommendations below are deemed safe for most vanity surface types.

Basic Commercial Bathroom Vanity Care

Commercial bathrooms receive a significant amount of use compared to private or domestic bathrooms. So while many people may clean their bathrooms at home maybe once a week, it’s recommended that commercial bathrooms be cleaned daily to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Daily cleaning will also help to prevent the vanities from being damaged by water, soap, or chemicals.

A clean bathroom can also help to prevent physical damage to your vanities that can be caused by a trip or fall.

Recommended Cleaning Products

  • Bon Ami
  • Dishwashing soaps such as Dawn, Ivory, or Joy
  • Fantastik®
  • Formula 409®
  • Mr. Clean
  • Scrubbing Bubbles®Bathroom Cleaner
  • Windex®

In addition to using cleaners that are safe on the vanities’ surface, it’s also important that your team uses sponges or soft cloths when cleaning. Heavy-duty scouring pads or other abrasive cleaning agents could damage or dull the surface of the vanities.

DO NOT USE

  • Ajax
  • Ammonia or cleaners containing ammonia
  • Bleach
  • Comet
  • Scratch pads
  • Soft Scrub
  • Steel wool/brushes

In addition to avoiding these possibly harmful cleaning products, it’s important that other precautions be taken in order to care for your commercial bathroom vanities. For example, don’t drop sharp or heavy objects onto the vanities, and make sure that the faucets are in good working order. A leaky faucet can do a lot of damage if left unfixed. However, not all vanities require the same amount of care.

For example, commercial vanities made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are remarkably durable and relatively easy to maintain. They resist dents, scratches, corrosion, mildew, and even graffiti, which makes them a perfect fit in any commercial restroom. On top of that, HDPE products are safe for the environment and your building.

HDPE Bathroom Vanities

HDPE bathroom vanities provide building managers with a worry-free solution that saves both time and money. Their high resistance to damage means these vanities need little to no maintenance, and their non-absorbent plastic build makes them easy to clean without worry of damaging the finish.

These vanities can be purchased in any number of styles, with plenty of colors and textures to choose from. If you’re a facility manager looking for a cost-effective approach to commercial bathroom vanities, click here to find out where to buy Scranton Products.

Are Bathroom Hand Dryers Unsanitary?

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Many facilities install hand dryers in their bathrooms instead of paper towels to reduce the waste created by paper towels and the germs that paper towels could leave behind when drying your hands. Recently, however, studies have shown hand dryers causing more harm than good in terms of bacteria and germs.

If you’re designing a bathroom or a related facility and you’re unsure of whether you should install hand dryers, learn more about the pros and cons of this option.

Facts About Hand Dryers

British researchers from the University of Leeds conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of warm-air dryers, high-powered “jet-air” dryers, and paper towels. Jet-air dryers were found to be the worst option, with bacteria levels in the air around them 4.5 times higher than with warm-air dryers and 27 times higher than with paper towel dispensers. Even five minutes after use, 48% of the bacteria was collected around the hand dryers, and they were still detected 15 minutes after use.

Mark Wilcox, team leader of the University of Leeds study, said, “These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease.”

Keith Redway of the University of Westminster in London also conducted several studies to determine the most germ-free method of hand drying, yielding the same results: Jet-air dryers increase the amount of bacteria on your hands after washing them.

Hand Dryer Advantages and Disadvantages

While hand dryers allow people to dry their hands without having to create waste from paper towels, the air that comes from inside the jet dryers isn’t sterile. A filter beneath the dryer is supposed to be cleaned weekly, but many places don’t clean it properly. This leads to layers of bacteria becoming caked on the dryer’s vents. The air then travels through these bacteria, contributing to a dirtier bathroom, with machines sending germs more than 6 feet away.

Another disadvantage of hand dryers is that people don’t always use them correctly. People don’t always keep their hands beneath the dryer for long enough to dry their hands. Many walk away with damp hands, which act like a magnet for germs and bacteria.

Paper Towel Advantages and Disadvantages

One advantage that paper towels offer over electric hand dryers in terms of bacteria removal is that the action of rubbing your hands with paper towels can help with removing the bacteria. In addition, using a paper towel to open the handle of the bathroom door can help you from coming in contact with an area that contains a lot of bacteria.

On the other hand, paper towels are discarded into bins, so the bacteria that was wiped onto them is now collected into one area. The bacteria then multiply as people continue to toss their used towels into the bin.

It’s important to keep these facts in mind when determining what type of product you’re going to use in your facility.

If you’re looking for bathroom partitions, vanities, or lockers, click here to find out where to buy Scranton Products.

Using Products with Purpose in the Dallas School System Redesign

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Scranton Products provides bathroom partitions, lockers, showers and dressing compartments and vanities for facilities looking for visually appealing, durable, long-lasting, sustainable products. They provide the best products in the industry, utilizing High Density Polyethylene plastic, or HDPE, for high performance that offers improvements to a facility’s air quality and reduces environmental impact. When the Dallas school system was in need of a redesign in 2008, the citizens approved a $1.35 billion bond program to reshape the school district through 61 different products. Dated facilities were replaced with state of the art environments including elementary, middle and high schools across the city.

Scranton Products Used in Redesign

Among the many products selected specifically to meet the needs of the Dallas school system was the broad-based installation of bathroom partitions from Scranton Products, (This sentence doesn’t make any sense which according to were among the products preferred by Dallas ISD’s maintenance department. Available in an assortment of colors and styles, Dallas’ partition of choice was Hiny Hiders Paisley Color with a EX Texture, a black bespectacled with white dots with a ridged texture. In addition to their appealing look and feel, the Scranton Products partitions also met numerous other criteria cited by the city for its new school bathrooms. This included absorbing all the forms of punishment that thousands of students, teachers and parents could deliver every day for the foreseeable future. These benefits include the ability to never rust or delaminate as well as resist dents, scratches, graffiti, corrosion, mildew and moisture. They are also fully power-washable and can be firmly installed in three configurations; floor mounted overhead-braced, ceiling-hung or floor-to-ceiling.

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The Preferred Choice

Scranton Products were a top choice for the redesign of Dallas’ school system. Architect Jason Mellard commented on the choice to selected Scranton Products. “Durability was certainly an important consideration when we planned this project. It really must be able to stand up to just about anything, while constantly dealing with relentless wear and tear. That’s why the Scranton Products’ partitions were chosen by the district for installation throughout the school system. They are exceptionally tough and with the proper support are virtually impossible to rip from the floors. Plus, they just look nice. Their black finish with textured dots provided an attractive complement to our overall design and color scheme.”

 

Products for a Sustainable Environment

Scranton Products are created with HDPE plastic, which allows facilities to support a healthier environment. These products reduce environmental impact and offer improvements to the indoor air quality of your facility. They’re also Greenguard Gold certified, a certification that offers strict criteria and considers safety factors that account for sensitive people such as children and the elderly. If you’re interested in reducing your footprint and creating a healthy environment with clean air, click here to find out where to buy Scranton Products.

The Best Methods for Removing Graffiti from Lockers and Bathroom Walls

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In schools or public facilities, bathroom walls and locker rooms are at a high risk of graffiti. While it’s difficult to catch vandalism in the act, one of the best things that a facility manager can do is develop an effective plan for removing the graffiti as quickly as possible once it shows up. But what’s the best method for removing graffiti from lockers and bathroom walls?

Scranton Products is here to give you some quick and easy tips to return your facilities to their pristine state after vandalism. Read on to learn the best methods for removing graffiti from lockers and bathroom walls.

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3 Reasons Why Plastic Partitions Are Superior

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Business owners and facility managers may face serious consequences when they fail to choose the best material available for bathroom partitions, especially when they only consider the privacy aspect of the partitions.

Scranton Products wants your restrooms to have the best partitions available so you can avoid costly maintenance fees due to rust, mold, scratches, or any other problems that you may encounter. Continue reading to learn three reasons why plastic partitions are superior to the leading competition. Read more