Author Archive: direct2u

Purchasing new equipment for your workplace is exciting. Giving your business, your school, or your offices the makeover it’s been shouting for is what it’s all about. Before you start browsing the web or catalogues to hand, it’s time to draw up your plans. This will save you a lot of time when deciding which lockers, you want. Metal lockers come in various sizes, styles, and combinations so it’s important you know what can fit before delving in!

Let’s look at what you’ll need to measure up beforehand!

Your Measurement Checklist

Grab your pen, paper and measuring tape and let’s get started.

1. Measure the overall size of the room
2. Note the ceiling height (and any slopes in the ceiling) and wall partitions
3. Take note of radiators, skirting boards, pipes, light switches, all sockets, and other electrical fittings.
4. Window and Door positions (along with their frames)

Now you have the foundations down, you should be able to assess the ideal location (s) for your Lockers. Great stuff. Let’s look at some other essentials before you explore your options:

1. Allow for 4mm extra each side of the locker (this allows for doors to open fully and for a bit of breathing space)
2. Ensure there is at the very least 1000mm between the front of the locker and the adjacent wall (or opposite locker if you’re having them on both sides) – this ensures wheelchair access along with ample space for someone to be stood in front of the locker whilst it’s open.

Metal Lockers Installation Essentials

Fortunately, lockers with Direct2U are incredibly easy to install. As a result, will save you a day of piecing together your lockers. Our fully built lockers can be nested on top of one another and side by side. This ensures you can create a unique look, but more importantly, one that is practical and ideal for what you need them for.

Fixings, bolts, and nesting nuts will always be provided by us. However, let’s tick off some of the essentials you will need to get these lockers up and running!

1. Spirit level, spanner, drill, and handling equipment
2. Ensure 2 people are present (if nesting is required) – this is due to the weight of lockers (laminate)
3. PPE equipment for safety reasons

How Do Your New Lockers Look?

Ensure the lockers are fixed to one another (or walls if 1800mm high). This is a great way to ensure the safety of your employees or students. This will prevent units from toppling over or falling over, potentially causing serious injury.

Hopefully now you have an idea of what you want and where you want it! We have arranged a selection of lockers below for you to start with. Please feel free to get in touch with us via our telephone or web chat here for more information!

Browse our range of Lockers right here!

Click on any of the images below to look at detail descriptions, images and all accessory optiosn for each!

We provide lockers to a huge variety of different sectors for a number of different uses. One of their most popular uses is in hospitals, providing safe and secure storage for staff members personal belongings and uniforms.

We recently provided and installed a range of our bestselling TUFF Lockers to St Peter’s Hospital for use in their staff changing rooms. Take a look below at some images of the lockers after they were installed by our team.

See our range of TUFF Lockers here.

Reliable TUFF Lockers

TUFF Lockers are our bestselling range for a good reason. They are simple, effective and reliable. If you need a cost effective storage solution there’s no better lockers to choose.

St Peter’s Hospital opted for 3 compartments per locker. This allows for the user to comfortably store a large backpack, bag or clothing. They also upgraded the lockers with locker stands and numbered doors.

A locker stand (pictured above) helps raise the units off the ground. This allows for easier cleaning around the base of the lockers. This is an absolutely essential upgrade in a hospital environment.

Further improving their lockers, St Peter’s added numbered doors and key fobs. This might not seem like much but it can be invaluable when you have a large number of staff members. It not only helps organise compartments but it also gives users a sense of ownership over their locker.

Need further information?

Our sales team are always ready to help you find the perfect lockers for your workplace. If you need any information about any of our lockers just get in touch!

Call us on 01922 715130
Email us: sales@direct2u.co.uk

Back in March of 2019, delivery company Whistl contacted us looking for some new lockers for one of their staff rooms. As one of the UK’s leading delivery management companies they have a lot of staff working in their warehouses. To make life a little easier, they took steps to upgrade their facilities and offer everyone brand new, secure storage for their belongings. The end goal was to give all members of staff enough space for all the essential items that they need to bring into work each day.

Why TUFF Lockers?

Our TUFF Lockers make for great staff lockers. They come in a whole host of sizes with anything from a single door per locker to six. For Whistl, this variety allowed us to select the exact size they would need to comfortably fit their locker room.

After assessing the room dimensions and taking into account the various walls and pillars, we were able to suggest W400 x D400mm units. This is the largest width and depth we offer TUFF Lockers in, comfortably offering enough space for bags, folded coats and other belongings. With four doors per locker, we were able to fit in enough compartments to fully accommodate all staff with ease.

View our full range of TUFF Lockers

Need Help with Your Next Project?

Get in touch via email or over the phone. Our product specialists in sales are always happy to help!

Email us: sales@direct2u.co.uk
Call us: 01922 715 130

In February this year, a popular high street store contacted us. They were looking for some lockers to help give their staff area a makeover.

After working out what space was available, we went through a variety of options and find the best fit for their requirements. They went for the Buzzbox lockers which look great in the space they have, below are some pictures so you can see for yourselves!

Choosing the right lockers for you

The Buzzbox laminate lockers are the perfect solution if you are after a stylish way to provide safe storage for staff. As they offer a modern sleek look that can fit into most environments. We also offer these in one, two, three and four door options. Our customer opted for a combination of two and three doors, this is a good way to ensure all staff have the right amount of space for there belongings.

As well as a number of different door options, we have different lock options. These range from a standard key lock to coin locks and combination. All the locks offered provide added security so staff don’t have to worry about there belongings. Our customer went for the coin return locks. They are a good option to ensure keys are returned to the lockers. Especially when different staff members are using them. As once the key has returned, the money/ token will be released back to the locker user.

Need further information regarding our service?

Our friendly sales team are always happy to help. If you require any further information regarding any of our products, the quoting process or installing, then please get in touch!

Call us on 01922 715130, live chat or email us: sales@direct2u.co.uk

When asked to think of lockers, what do you see? Most often the image that will spring to mind is the boring run of tatty grey lockers from your secondary school days, most probably with the addition of some graffiti or stickers.

This doesn’t need to be the image that future generations remember.

Lockers don’t need to be dull and boring. Instead, they can be a great way to integrate colour into the workplace or school corridor for no extra cost. At Direct2U we never charge extra for the same locker in different colours.

Let’s explore some of the colourful locker ranges available…

1. TUFF Lockers

The latest addition to the standard range, the TUFF locker has increasingly become a popular favourite. Not only do the lockers have an affordable price tag but they come in an attractive range of colour finishes. The colour offering will suit most corporate schemes and is set off with the modern and unique dark grey TUFF escutcheon plate. These lockers will look great in colourful combinations or as single runs of colours.

Door colours available: Dark Blue, Red, Light Blue, Yellow, Green, Dark Grey or Light Grey.

Key Features

• Complete with security shelves and door stiffeners to prevent access and vandalism
• Fitted with rust-inhibiting galvanised shelves which suits any type of contents
• Powder coated finish with anti-bacterial paint that lasts life time of the locker
• Cost effective storage option manufactured from high quality steel
• Fire tested and certified to EN13501-1
• UK Manufactured
• FREE DELIVERY: 10 working days!

2. Probe ACTIVECOAT Lockers

The Probe brand is known for its quality. Not only are their lockers attractive but they are also very affordable. For schools, offices, gyms and staff rooms you won’t go wrong with these lockers. What’s more within the last 12 months Probe have extended their colour offering to 6 door colours and 3 body (carcass colours), tripling the amount of combinations you can have.

The locker doors are available in 6 colour options including: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White and Light Grey. For the body colour you can choose from: Light Grey, White or Black. These options immediately change the look of the locker, therefore enhancing the number of colour options available.

The Probe ACTIVECOAT lockers are also one of the few ranges of lockers that are available in an all white finish. The white finish is ideal for first aid rooms and / or clean rooms.

Key Features

• Probe lockers are known for their quality and affordable prices
• Channel formed base prevents damage to floor covering
• Fully welded doors with door stiffeners for greater strength
• Probe Fire Zero Tested & Certified to EN 13501-1
• Certified to BS 4680:1996 ‘Standard Duty’
• UK Manufactured

3.Armour Standard Lockers

The Armour range of lockers offer quality and flexibility. They are approximate for a multitude of storage applications and will look the part in all environments. They not only offer flexibility in terms of the available sizes, number of doors, lock options and accessories. But also offer 7 door colour options to choose from.

Door Colour Options Include: Dark Blue, Red, Light Blue, Yellow, Green, Dark Grey and Light Grey.

Key Features

• Galvanised security shelf and door stiffener deter theft and vandalism
• Door have attractive ventilation grooves for superior airflow through the locker
• Complete with rubber buffers on the doors to reduce daily wear and tear
• Germ Guard anti-bacterial powder coating helps improve hygiene
• Fire Guard Tested & Certified to EN13501-1
• UK Manufactured

4. Probe Autumn Lockers

The Probe Autumn Lockers are available in a range of pastel hues including Lilac, Orange, Lemon, Jade and Ocean Blue. Like the Probe Activecoat Lockers they also come in 3 body colours (Silver, White and Black). The subtle use of colour offers an elegant finish which will suit most environments.

Key Features

• 5 Knuckle hinges and security bar are added to help prevent vandalism
• Anti-bacterial powder coated finish for improved hygiene
• Probe Fire Zero tested & certified to EN 13501-1
• Certified to BS 4680:1996 ‘Standard Duty’
• UK Manufactured

5. Spectrum Heavy Duty Lockers

Our Spectrum Heavy Duty Lockers offer an exciting colourful twist on the standard locker. The vibrant colour pop creates a fun and cheerful environment. For a twist on a classic run of lockers choose complementary colours or a single colour. To be more playful choose from all the colours and position them in a pattern.

Key Features

• Heavier duty construction from 0.7mm thick mild steel
• Lateral security beam prevents access to compartment below
• Hinges are 38mm deep for added security and durability
• Fire Guard Tested & Certified to EN13501-1
• Powder coated with Germ Guard Active Technology paint
• 5 Year Manufacturer’s Guarantee
• UK Manufactured

Due to the special range of colours there is a minimum order quantity of 20 lockers. If you would like more information about the minimum quantity, please call on 01922 715 130.

Can’t find a locker in the colour you’re looking for? That’s no problem. For a large quantity of lockers we are able to offer bespoke colours and can match any RAL provided. If you are interested in this service, please get in touch with our Sales Team by calling 01922 715 130 or via email sales@direct2u.co.uk.

A key design trend in 2018 is wood. It’s also been claimed that wood or wood effect can have a positive influence on health and well being in the home and workplace. The trend has arisen because of our day to day lives becoming overcrowded with technology. People have expressed a need to get closer to nature. Consequently, we are introducing more wood and greenery in our homes and work places to fulfil this desire.

First, let’s take a look at this year’s design trends and what’s on the way in.

TREND 1: Rich, earthy tones

Think dark, natural colours. Browns, sage greens, rustic oranges and blues. These colours add depth to a room and are calming colours. As a side trend jewel colours are also in. So, you can brighten a room by adding emeralds, purples and brighter oranges as accents.

TREND 2: Dark woods

2018 is set to be the year where we see a turn away from pale wooden tones as the luxurious tones of dark wood become the new ‘modern luxe’. Look out for Walnut, Rosewood and dark stains.

TREND 3: Texture

This is going to be huge this season. Why not achieve this trend in the office will wood effect laminate, which will add warmth without the cost. Create contrasting textures with exposed steel and wood. We recently experimented with this trend in our new boardroom. Paring solid oak tops for our boardroom tables with steel leg frames that have a clear lacquered finish exposing the weld. This has been a great success and show the steel work at it’s best in it’s natural form.

The real reason we all need to reconnect with nature

A study by FPInnovations in collaboration with the University of British Columbia made a connection between wood and human health. The study focused on the relationship between visual wood and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is “responsible for the physiological stress responses in humans”. They created four office environments: a non-wood control room, a non-wood room with greenery, a natural wood room and a natural wood room with greenery. They then measured stress of students inside each room via the activation of their SNS.

When the SNS is activated this can increase blood pressure and heart rate. It can also “inhibit digestion, recovery and repair functions in the body”. Importantly, if long periods of time are spent in SNS this can have not only physical effects on the human body but also psychological effects.

The results showed that “SNS activation was lower in the wood room” at all time during the study. Therefore, the study came to the conclusion that the presence of visual wood in a indoor environment reduces SNS activation. Thus, reducing stress and creating a healthier environment, especially to work within.

The direct health benefits to nature they list in the study are:

• Lower pain perception
• Faster recovery
• Fewer reported illnesses
• Fewer sick days
• Greater attention
• Greater creativity
• Lower aggression
• Better interpersonal relations

Furthermore, in a similar way to indoor plants, wood helps to alleviate stress. Combine the two in the office and you are on your way to achieving a better well-being in the work place. This particularly resonates as 1^st February 2018 is Time to Talk Day, on which date employees are encourages to talk openly about mental health and tackle the stigma unfortunately attached to it. Latest stats show that actually 1 in 4 UK workers are affected by Mental Health Conditions. Yet, when take a day off work due to stress or mental well-being give another reason to their employer.

The benefit of wood in the workplace extends beyond the individual. A happy worker is a productive worker. And this is good for business. Investing in the work environment will see returns on the bottom line. A study undertaken by architectural firm HOK found, amongst many other things, that sensory stimulation was key to productivity in the office. They suggest introducing texture in to the office in the form of natural materials to achieve this.

Easy ways to introduce wood into your office

1. Storage – every office needs storage, right? Instead of opting for metal storage options or ones with a white finish browse the timber options. Items like Timber Lockers and cupboards are an easy way to add wood to the décor. If you’re afraid too much wood may make your office look dark, go for a lighter finish for the doors and then teem with darker panels for the sides and worktops. Need some inspiration? Take a look at our Executive Lockers and Cupboards.
2. Artwork – here you can either go for natural artwork or simply invest in wooden frames. This is a quick option to quickly add natural elements to your office without breaking the bank. This is also a good option for the home. Ditch the minimalist white frames and go for darker wooden effect.
3. Partitioning – it’s often popular to board up partitioning, however if you are segregating offices with a permanent structure think about leaving the wooden structure visible (a clear lacquer will help for the finish) and add glass partitioning. The glass will help keep spaces light and an open plan feel but maintain privacy.
   
   

Why do we use a wood ‘effect’ laminate? The answer is simple: cost and durability.

Natural wood can be very expensive and stretch your budget beyond realistic means. However, a laminate effect wood is a cost effective option that will help you to still achieve your desired result. Don’t shy away from the word ‘effect’ remember most kitchens are made this way nowadays. The difference is minimal; and the foil wraps are such a good quality and finish in 2018 that you cannot tell the difference in most circumstances.

Natural wood also needs to be kept. Veneers will need to be maintained and this is not a practical option for cupboards or lockers that will be used day in day out.

Want your business to be on trend but not become outdated too soon? Then wood is the answer. It is Timeless.

Sources