The Privacy in Washrooms: Acceptable Solutions G1/AS1 presents some difficulties for washroom situations where the toilet opens directly to an open area and will necessitate the provision of greater floor space in many layouts, in particular where the male and female facilities both open off the same corridor.

Where the requirement is for a screen inside the washroom area, the most cost-effective solution will be to add a screen to match the cubicle system.

If the screen is to be greater than 600mm wide, then consideration needs to be given to stability. The most aesthetic solution will be a floor-to-ceiling post at the end of the screen, and therefore a plate or fixing point needs to be available at the post-ceiling junction.

Fitting a fixed-length post between floor and ceiling also requires some level of visible fixing: currently a top-hat section to the ceiling. An alternative solution would be to fix the pole prior to the ceiling installation, allowing for a neater finish at ceiling level, but again this will require some forethought and planning by the architect and builder.

We are also able to supply screens outside the toilet area. These can be matched to joinery in the adjacent area, using high- or low-pressure laminate or natural timber veneers, with a clashed edge and concealed fixings. We can even arrange signage for screens or add contrasting rebated signage into materials such as compact laminate from Laminex.

I note that this is an acceptable solution only, and we are always happy to discuss with architects and designers ways in which the Hale range of cubicle systems can be utilised to achieve great results.