Lockers are a storage product that is commonly found in schools, hospitals, employee break rooms, and sports or exercise facilities. While it may seem like they are straightforward, there are actually many different styles and options to choose from.
Lockers come in “tiers”, which are how many doors there are per frame. The “frame” is the unit that holds the doors. If there is just one tier per frame, the locker has one door and one tall opening. If there are three tiers per frame, the locker has three doors or three openings.
A “unit” of lockers can mean a number of different things depending on the manufacturer. Most lockers are sold per frame. For example, if you bought six units of lockers, you’re buying six frames. Some manufacturers sell the frames in groups of two or three. An example would be if you bought three frames, but you paid one price for the group.
Standard lockers come with 6-inch legs. You can order a base to close the opening between the legs and give it a more finished look. This also helps to eliminate cleaning between the legs. There is also a continuous zee base available for lockers with no legs to sit on top to raise them off the floor. A wood or concrete base can also be built for lockers with no legs. It is best to raise the lockers off the ground to allow personnel to access the locker easily. Lockers with no legs on the floor are more difficult to reach.
Standard lockers come with a flat top. A sloped top can be added which keeps the top clear of debris and personal items. Without the sloped top, personnel may place bags or other items on top causing clutter.
Here are a few styles of storage lockers:
Types of Lockers
Lockers are used in many different applications and industries; therefore there are several types to choose from.
Standard Lockers
This locker is made of steel and is commonly found in schools, hospitals, and employee areas. They are strong and can withstand typical daily use found in those applications.
Athletic/Ventilated Lockers
These lockers are primarily used for heavy-duty athletic storage. They offer a higher degree of ventilation, which allows a free flow of air in and out. This style of locker also has good visual access as well if that is needed in your industry.
Stadium Lockers
These are used for athletic teams that need easy access to their uniforms and equipment. They are open in the front for ventilation, and often have a foot locker on the bottom to hold shoes and other items. This lower container also can double as a bench, which can save space.
First Responder Lockers
This type of locker is made to fit oversized duffels, bags, and backpacks. They keep the belongings ready to be used at any time.
Welded Lockers
These are made to take hard or abusive use. All of the components are welded together into a single, more rigid unit.
Garment Lockers
Garment lockers are used to store employee uniforms and other items, usually in the textile industry. There are also drop off units available for clothing that requires cleaning.
Locker Assembly
There are a few installation options when purchasing lockers. Standard lockers ship knocked down. This basically means they are shipped to your location unassembled. It is cheaper, but more inconvenient since you are responsible for assembly. If you have never assembled lockers, this method is not recommended.
Lockers can be assembled at the factory or at a third-party location. This saves time and space at your facility, but shipping costs are higher and this option is all-around more expensive.
The last option is welded lockers. They are welded at the factory and shipped assembled. This is the most expensive option.
Lockers are built with either nuts and bolts, or rivets. Nuts and bolts are included and are not permanent if you want to change your layout or move the lockers around. Rivets are semi-permanent but are much faster to install as they are shot into place.
Accessorize Your Lockers
Just like the different styles of lockers, you have many locker accessories to choose from. These are the most popular:
Benches and Pedestals
We all remember our high school gym classes, with the locker rooms full of complaining kids. Locker benches are most common in locker rooms, for ease of changing clothes and shoes. They also add comfort and order to the design. The benches can be anchored to the floor or free standing, and the type of pedestal you get will depend on if you want the bench anchored or not. The benches are usually wood and finished with a clear lacquer, and the pedestals are usually made of steel.
Locker Tops
Slope locker tops are used to prevent dust build up on top of the lockers. They are also used to stop the locker top from being used as an extra storage space. You can get slope tops by the unit, in kits (of 3 or more), or as a continuous unit.
Locker Bases
Similarly used as locker tops, but prevent dust and debris from accumulating underneath the lockers. They can be bought separately to fit between the individual legs, or bought as a base that the lockers sit upon. These bases make the lockers look more finished and professional.
Ventilation
All lockers have some sort of ventilation option. These can range from no ventilation to full louvers. There are different patterns, like diamond-shaped and mini louvers. Depending on the amount of ventilation, it can change the style or application of the locker. For instance, a normal locker with full diamond-shaped ventilation on the sides could be used as an athletic locker due to the extra airflow.
Fillers
Fillers can be used to cover columns, pipes, or other obstacles that come up in a line of lockers. They can fill the gap between the locker and wall to create a seamless look if it doesn’t fit. Fillers basically make the locker row look more finished.
Locks
Locks can be added to each locker opening. These can be padlocks supplied by the locker user or locks built-in to the lockers with combinations, keys, or digital codes. The combinations can be controlled and changed by the school or company as locker assignment changes.
Since there are many accessories that can be included with lockers, as well as color choices, contact us and we can help you determine the optimal locker configuration.
