5 Must-Haves for a Functional Commercial Bathroom

September 29, 2014

Whether you manage a hotel, a nursing home, a student dorm or an apartment building, you know that the bathroom is a big part of your property’s appeal. It might not be a deal-breaker, but if you want to get great reviews and referrals from your current tenants, you need to get bathrooms right. But what does it mean? Naturally, for commercial bathrooms that get heavy use, often by dozens and hundreds of tenants a year, it doesn’t make financial sense to go all out. Of course, if you run an upscale hotel, bathrooms have to live up to the expectations. But for most commercial applications, a quality budget bathroom is all you need. And here are a few things to consider when you are contemplating commercial bathroom remodeling.

Good Lighting

Make sure bathrooms in your facility are sufficiently lit in all the right places. There should be light by the mirror and close to the shower area—enough to illuminate the inside when the doors are closed. Keep in mind that good lighting may also bring out all the imperfections on the walls and ceiling. Be sure to choose a commercial bathroom remodeling contractor who can pay attention to detail and build a bathroom that will look good in any light.

Ease of Maintenance

It’s important to design your bathroom with maintenance in mind, especially if that’s your responsibility and not the tenant’s. This means you should select materials that (1) are easy to clean and (2) can tolerate frequent cleaning. Here are a few low-maintenance options to consider:

Ceramic tile flooring
Acrylic tub and shower liners
Paint finish that makes walls washable (avoid flat)
Choose shower door rather than a curtain
Stainless steel plumbing fixtures won’t rust

Coincidentally, most low-maintenance bathroom materials are also rather durable, which saves you money on repairs and replacement.

Sufficient Storage

Bathrooms in dorms, medical facilities and other similar commercial properties are generally not very spacious. Your initial instinct might be to go with a layout that offers the most space to move around. While leg room is important, even more important is having enough storage for the bathroom to be functional. This may include:

A spot for storing extra supplies: towels, toilet paper, soap, etc.
In-shower niches or shelving for body and hair products
A spot to place clothing or hang a robe
Towel bars in close proximity to the shower

All this can be achieved by strategic placement of bars, hooks, shelves, niches and cabinets. Even though the space might look more cramped with all of these features, your tenants will appreciate it more than a large bathroom with no place to hang your shirt or store your blow dryer.

Heat and Ventilation

Bathrooms tend to get steamy really fast. You need to install sufficient ventilation to make sure moisture doesn’t collect on your walls and ceiling causing nasty mold to grow. If you are concerned that your tenants are the type that would forget to use the fan, you can wire it to turn on with the light.

If your commercial property is located in a place like Maryland where it gets rather cold in winter, consider installing some means of heating in your commercial bathrooms. This could be a heat lamp, radiant floor heating or towel warmers—a nice touch especially if your faculty was built around comfort and customer care.

ADA Compliance

Depending on the type of your commercial property, you might be required to comply with certain ADA regulations when it comes to your commercial bathrooms. This may include such things as shallow or walk-in tubs, wider door frames, shower seating, grab bars, etc. Keep these requirements in mind when you are choosing your remodeling contractor to make sure they are experienced in performing ADA disability remodeling.

And if you need a contractor who can do all of the above while causing minimal disruptions and keeping the project within your budget and timeline, give Ward Enterprise a call at 410-444-4200.

Specialist in Commercial
Bath Renovations