Public restrooms are an absolute necessity. This article discusses the different elements needed to build and design a public restroom – from the most basic of elements to the most extra ones.

If there’s one facility that a public establishment needs to have to keep their patrons happy, it’s a public restroom. Different establishments house different restrooms. There are basic restrooms with basic necessities like toilets, toilet partitions San Diego, and sinks. And then, there are more luxurious ones with accessories and upgraded plumbing fixtures.

The Basic Elements: Toilets, Toilet Partitions San Diego, and Sinks

Whether you’re building a basic public restroom or a more luxurious one, you would need to install these basic elements – the basic fixtures and plumbing equipment that constitute a restroom. These include toilets, urinals, toilet partitions, sinks, and other plumbing essentials.

All public restrooms must have at least one ADA compliant bathroom stalls. Handicap stalls should beat least 60 inches x 60 inches with the door width a minimum of 36 inches. These stalls are often situated in a corner, at the back of the room so that they can span the entire width of the wall and allow for the space to be larger.

Toilets and Urinals

A restroom is not a restroom without a “throne”. In the United States and other Western countries, a “toilet” would only mean one thing: a regular toilet (very aptly called a Western toilet). But there are actually different types you can choose from to add to your public restroom design. For example, some public restrooms in Asia feature a squat latrine (or squat toilet) instead of the usual Western toilet.

The same can be said for urinals. There are two basic options for urinals in terms of layout. You should also understand the importance of urinal divider screens, especially in public restrooms.

Toilet Partitions

Of course, toilet partitions are only essential for public restrooms that have more than one toilet. Toilet partitions San Diego provide users with much needed privacy as they use the toilet.

These come in many different types, configurations, and makeup. Regardless of what you choose for your public restroom design, you have to consider the following: 

• Partition height

When determining the height of your toilet partitions, you should consider the average height of the people in your country. Though it’s always a good idea to take the safe route and have your partitions as tall as possible.

• Durability

Your toilet partitions should be able to withstand a beating. You can’t control what people do in a public restroom. Vandalism is pretty common in public restrooms and it would be best to help prevent damages by ensuring your fixtures are as durable as can be.

Sinks

If your public restroom will have more than one toilet, it’s desirable to have more than one sink as well. Having plenty of sinks will prevent queues inside the restroom. This would also help keep your public restroom sanitary.

It isn’t necessary for each sink to come with its own soap dispenser, but it’s a small detail that users would surely appreciate.

Other Drainage and Ventilation Essentials

It’s not uncommon for a public restroom to see hundreds of people in a day. All sorts of liquids and gases can accumulate here if you don’t install the proper drainage and ventilation.

At the bare minimum, your public restroom should have one exhaust fan to ensure good airflow within the space. A good ventilation system gets rid of all the smells inside and makes sure that restroom users only inhale fresh, clean air.

A good drainage system is also important to incorporate in your public restroom design. Nobody wants to walk in a restroom and have a mixture of who-knows-what from who-knows-when splash on them. 

In general, public restrooms should be kept dry and fresh with the help of good drainage and ventilation systems. 

The Extra Elements: Accessories and Upgrades

On top of the basic elements of a public restroom, one may add accessories, plumbing fixture upgrades, and other miscellaneous item to the list. These extra elements are usually added to public restroom designs of more luxurious establishments. 

Accessories

Public restroom accessories are usually added into a public restroom’s design to make a user’s experience more smooth – they are convenient and functional.

These accessories include but are not limited to:

• Hand dryers

Hand dryers are definitely convenient for restroom users as they allow users to quickly dry their newly washed hands without having to use paper towels. 

You can opt to install a classic push-button hand dryer, an automatic hand dryer, or a high-speed hand dryer. The push-button option is the cheapest among the three but is also the slowest. The automatic hand dryer allows users to dry their hands without touching it, making it a more sanitary option. The high-speed dryer, true to its name, can dry a user’s hands in 30 seconds or less.

• Paper towel dispensers

If noisy hand dryers aren’t your thing, you can choose to install paper towel dispensers instead. This way, you won’t have to worry about energy consumption. The only drawback to this, though, is that you’d have to constantly replenish your paper towel supply.

• Lotion dispensers

Lotion dispensers are usually found in more high-end public restrooms like those found in VIP lounges. While this doesn’t really make a user’s experience smoother, it does make it more luxurious.

• Vending machines

Vending machines can be quite pricey but consider them as investments. You can make a little money on the side by installing a vending machine in your public restroom.

Stock this vending machine up with sanitary napkins, tampons, wet wipes, and even tissue paper. Minimize the risk of theft, vandalism, and technical problems by keeping a strict maintenance schedule.

• Bidets

Bidets aren’t always present in public restrooms, but when they are, their presence is much appreciated. They provide users with “extra cleaning power” which helps make both your public restroom and the users more sanitary.

Plumbing Fixture Upgrades

More luxurious public restrooms don’t just have basic toilets and sinks, they have upgraded ones. International airports, for example, have automatic faucets that dispense soap and paper towels at the wave of a hand. Toilets in Japan are known for being high-tech, providing users with self-cleaning options in different settings that put bidets to shame.

If you want your public restroom to be more luxurious, consider getting upgraded plumbing fixtures.