Don’t overlook design of the bathroom space

Our most recent blog, Ceiling-Hung Toilet Partitions – The highs, lows, and whoas
of this mounting style, explored the many challenges that accompany this increasingly popular layout option for the bathroom. This article digs a little deeper. We will cover specific challenges when balancing ceiling-hung and floor-mounted systems versus mechanical and code requirements.

It’s the Law
And by “the law,” we mean the laws of physics, specifically for ceiling-hung and floor-mounted systems. These systems require support pilasters to be at least eight inches wide. Anything narrower than that is structurally unsound. In addition, alcove ADA stalls require extra stabilizing “cross pilasters” (see Figure 1). These cross pilasters must meet the eight-inch minimum width but cannot encroach far into an ADA stall. Therefore, stalls abutting wide stalls must absorb the bulk of the eight inches.

How much of a problem is the encroaching pilaster? If standard stalls are narrow, it is a significant problem. If the doors are 24 inches wide and a cross pilaster requires another seven inches, very little space remains for a second pilaster. In fact, any stall narrower than 34 inches likely lacks the space needed for hinges and other hardware. Note: the toilet plumbing usually determines the width of the standard stalls. The last stall in a series may also be left with an undesirable two-inch pilaster (see Figure 1).

It’s the Other Law
And this time, we mean the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the legislative bill passed by Congress in 1990. The ADA states that if you have more than four toilets in a restroom, the fifth must be ambulatory. The ambulatory code of the ADA guidelines (404.2.3) requires a 32-inch clear opening. When you add hinges and door thickness requirements, the door opening must actually be at least 34 inches wide. When you do the math, ambulatory stalls can only accommodate three inches or less of total pilaster width. This is difficult at best, and, with ceiling-hung or floor-mounted systems, it can be impossible to satisfy (see Figure 2).

Products made by applying laminates to core materials almost universally face the problem of finishing the edges. Edge banding addresses this by protecting edges from impact and moisture, but the aesthetics of edge banding can depend on the manufacturing process used. Specifically, when laminate product edges are banded with strips of laminate (known as “self-edging”), components may have visible, unsightly, brown lines along their edges.

In the toilet partition industry, the visual impact of brown edges has been minimized by affixing edge banding before applying the face material (e.g., plastic laminate, wood veneer, etc.). This approach is called “edge band first.” Brown edges are still present with this approach, but they are only visible from the top, bottom, and sides of the part, not from the face. Edge band first also makes it hard for bored users to pick off the banding because the banding’s edges are covered by face material edges.

The opposite approach to edge band first is to apply face materials first and then edge band afterward. This is called “edge band last.” Edge band last results in components with visible brown edges when viewed from front or back. In our experience, these brown lines seem to draw attention in a way that encourages tampering and vandalism.

Technological advances, however, have eliminated the issues surrounding brown edges and have made the order of edge banding almost irrelevant. Here are some of these advances:

Color Core – Edge banding now comes in a variety of materials (such as ABS and PVC) and core color options. These matching/coordinated colors and materials eliminate the attention-grabbing brown lines on the panels’ edges. More options also mean more flexibility in design.
PUR – Polyurethane Reactive adhesive is very strong. This makes the “edge band last” approach much more tamper resistant than was previously possible. PUR also makes the edges of parts more moisture resistant – a crucial requirement for the bathroom.
Cell Phones – Somewhat surprising but true is that cell phones have benefited the well-being of toilet partitions the world over. This is because bored people in stalls used to pick at, write on, and even try to light partition panels on fire to pass the time. Thanks to the wonderful cell phone, people now have something else they’d rather do while they wait. Who’d have thought?

You Can’t Swing Doors From Six-Inch Floor Mount Pilasters
(Unless You Want Headaches…)

Job
Medical Center, Philadelphia

Accommodating Our Client
There is a lot of value in working closely with every client to ensure they are satisfied. This means listening carefully, interpreting conceptual desires into actionable designs, and coming up with smart solutions to project-level challenges. The project in this case study was a big job for Ironwood with a lot at stake. Therefore, it was important for us to be as accommodating as possible.

The Client’s Wish List

The client wanted a floor-mount toilet partition system.
The client really wanted to swing the stall doors from six-inch pilasters.
The client did not want the end pilaster to encroach into the space for the urinals.
The client wanted to keep the ambulatory stall next to the wheelchair-accessible stall while maintaining ADA compliance. (See the Education section above for more information about why this is a challenge.)

Going in, we suspected the pilaster width was insufficient to support a swinging door. It would likely “push tolerances too far” and result in a tilting, rocking pilaster. This was made all the more evident by the fact that Ironwood’s doors are wider than industry standard (to implement our Zero Sightline feature). Wider, heavier doors were likely to make the pilaster rock.

Consequences
There were, as predicted, problems with the swinging doors causing the support pilaster to tilt and rock. In order to meet our quality obligation, we have replaced 19 pilasters to date. Unfortunately, we anticipate there may be a need for future replacements.

Lessons Learned

Be firm about engineering integrity when discussing project solutions.
Provide clear, compelling explanations when a client’s wishes cannot be met.
Be clear (and document) that the client is welcome to seek out other solutions, but Ironwood will not build something it cannot guarantee.
Use additional new internal processes for reviewing “risky” design projects.
Be okay with refusing and potentially losing a job when we believe the client will be unhappy with their wish in the end.
Floor mounted pilasters need to be sized proportionately to support a swinging door.

Conclusion
Learning by experience can be costly but worthwhile if it translates into knowledge we benefit from and can pass on to others. In this case, we learned, and we hope you now know, that sound engineering must underlay all design and cannot be a “negotiable” element in a project.