Find Durable, Cost-Effective Restrooms

When you provide restrooms in your park, visitors will be more comfortable and stay longer. Outfitting your parks with clean, aesthetically pleasing restrooms that are durable enough to handle site conditions can seem daunting, but there are plenty of well-built, cost-effective options available to help you create the best park possible.

Q: We'd like to provide restrooms at our park, but we're concerned about the cost. What is a cost-effective solution?

A: The most expensive options involve hiring a design team and starting from scratch to build a park restroom. If you want to keep within your budget, you should examine the various premanufactured restrooms available.

Premanufactured concrete restrooms can be found in a wide variety of types and styles, so you can find the perfect fit for your site, whether you're looking for a vault restroom or you have plumbing available. In addition, many premanufactured restrooms feature lots of design options, so you can find the perfect fit for your site's look.

Q: What should we know about ensuring our restrooms are durable and able to withstand heavy traffic and bad weather?

A: A precast concrete restroom is the smartest option when you're looking for a durable structure. Premanufactured and delivered complete and ready for use, including electrical and plumbing, it's the most cost-effective and sturdy option for well-used park sites.

Look for concrete panels that are welded together. This makes the structure practically as strong as a small bomb shelter, ensuring it can handle heavy use and severe weather, from heavy snow and wind to hurricanes, flooding and more. All-concrete construction ensures the building will not only stand up to abuse by the elements and humans, but also will withstand rot and rust, while being easy to maintain.

Q: What else should we consider?

A: Choosing a restroom structure that is designed for easy maintenance is another way to keep your long-term costs down. Look for steel door and window frames that are cast into the concrete walls, and you won't have to worry about loose bolts and fasteners.

In addition, pay close attention to the design of the interior of your structure. Soap and paper towel dispensers should be built into the wall, and tamper-resistant screws for wall vents, grab bars and toilet paper holders will also prevent trouble.

Create a schedule for regular maintenance sweeps based on the traffic in your park. Staff should inspect the restroom for damage or vandalism, refill toiletries and clean the facilities.

Look for structures that are easy to clean with soapy water or disinfectant solution. A facility that can be hosed out will require less effort than one that requires meticulous cleaning.

Q: What should we look for to ensure our restrooms can handle vandalism?

A: Vandalism is most easily handled by a precast concrete restroom. Concrete is more durable than many other materials and can take a lot of abuse. It's best to prevent graffiti and vandalism entirely. If you remove graffiti within 48 hours, studies have shown that there will be a near-zero recurrence rate. When you ignore the problem, on the other hand, the recurrence rate shoots up rapidly.