In offices with unassigned desks, fitness studios, schools and staff rooms, lockers are now often custom millwork designed to match the interior rather than standard steel units. They are opened and closed many times a day, sometimes with wet hands and gym bags, so material, locks and ventilation matter as much as appearance. Here is what to plan.
Where lockers are used
- Offices with shared desks need day-use lockers for laptops, bags and personal items, often near the entrance or team areas.
- Fitness studios and gyms need change room lockers that cope with damp clothes, towels and humidity.
- Schools need durable student lockers and secure staff storage.
- Staff rooms in stores, clinics and restaurants need lockers for coats and personal items.
Materials
- Compact phenolic laminate: a solid, dense panel that is water-resistant all the way through, so it suits change rooms, pools and other wet or humid areas. It is heavy and needs hinges and fasteners designed for compact laminate, often through-bolted or set in threaded inserts, so doors do not sag or pull their screws.
- High-pressure laminate on a core: economical and available in many colours and woodgrains. Use a moisture-resistant core and durable edges, and do not use it in wet zones such as shower areas or pool change rooms, where compact phenolic is the safer choice. See laminate grades and edgebanding.
- Wood veneer: used for premium offices and lounges. It needs a durable finish and is best kept to dry areas. See wood finishing systems.
- Metal: still used in schools and industrial settings, sometimes combined with millwork fronts.
Sizes and configurations
Lockers come in full-height, half-height and smaller tiers, and the mix depends on what people store. A gym bag and a coat need a taller locker than a laptop and phone. In offices, a bank of smaller lockers with a few larger ones often works best. Some designs include a bench, shelves, hooks, a mirror or a charging point inside each locker. Leave enough clear floor space in front of the lockers for doors to open while people pass, especially in change rooms with benches.
Locks
- Keyed locks: simple and cheap, but keys get lost and need managing.
- Combination locks: mechanical or electronic, suited to assigned lockers.
- Electronic locks: keypad, card or app-based locks suit shared and day-use lockers, since the locker is assigned when used and released afterwards. Many run on batteries; networked systems need power and data.
- Padlock hasps: common in gyms and schools, where users bring their own lock.
Choose the lock system early, because it affects door thickness, cutouts, wiring and the master key or override for staff.
Ventilation and hygiene
Damp clothes and towels in closed lockers lead to odour and mould. Ventilation slots or perforations in doors, or a gap at the top and bottom, help air move, and in change rooms the room’s own ventilation matters most. Choose surfaces that can be wiped with the cleaners used in the building, and avoid ledges that collect dust and water. Raising lockers on stainless steel legs, a compact phenolic plinth, or a tiled or solid surface base keeps mop water and cleaning chemicals away from cores.
Charging lockers
Lit millwork is electrical equipment, so agree early with the electrical consultant how it will be approved and connected.
Installation
Tall locker banks should be fixed to the wall or floor so they cannot tip, which means backing in the wall; see wall blocking for millwork. Long runs need straight, level bases and consistent door gaps. Doors should be adjustable after installation, since lockers get heavy use and hinges settle.
What to put in the specification
- Number of lockers and the mix of sizes.
- Material for carcasses and doors, and where wet-area materials are needed.
- Lock type, master key or override, and any power or data.
- Ventilation, shelves, hooks, mirrors and charging.
- Base or plinth, benches, and fixing to the building.
- Numbering and signage.
Lockers at DNS
We build custom lockers and storage walls in our Vaughan plant, with CNC cutting, edgebanding and finishing in-house, and work with partners for metal components. Our drafting team issues shop drawings for review before production, showing sizes, locks, ventilation and fixing details. See fitness studio fixtures and commercial office millwork, or send us your drawings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best material for gym lockers?
Compact phenolic laminate suits change rooms and other wet or humid areas because it is water-resistant all the way through. High-pressure laminate on a moisture-resistant core is economical for dry areas, and wood veneer suits premium dry spaces.
What locks work best for shared office lockers?
Electronic locks, such as keypad, card or app-based locks, suit day-use lockers because a locker can be assigned when it is used and released afterwards. Choose the lock system early, since it affects door design and wiring.
How do you stop lockers from smelling?
Allow air to move through ventilation slots, perforations or gaps, rely on good room ventilation in change rooms, use wipeable surfaces, and raise lockers off the floor so they stay dry.
Do lockers need to be fixed to the wall?
Tall locker banks should be fixed to the wall or floor so they cannot tip, which needs backing in the wall at the fixing points.
Can lockers include charging points?
Lit millwork is electrical equipment, so agree early with the electrical consultant how it will be approved and connected.