Storage Lockers

How to lock down a good deal on school lockers and other metal lockers

Storage lockers range from little open school lockers for children's coats, to industrial metal lockers for factory changing rooms to swank wood grained lockers for a health club locker room.  Whether you're looking for storage lockers for kids, workers or the buffed set, you face these challenges:

1.  Picking the right configuration of storage lockers, style of doors, and quality of materials for what are essentially metal boxes in standard sizes.
2.  Planning ahead for the best deals on price and shipping by avoiding the busy season when locker companies fill orders for school lockers.
3.  Adequately planning for delivery and installation of storage lockers before the truck pulls up to your locker room.

Scouting for storage lockers

Storage lockers are sold directly by manufacturers and by distributors who carry multiple brands. Scout what's available on the locker market by visiting their web sites.

Picking the right locker style and materials

Select your storage lockers based on the number of people and space available (will lockers stand in a locker room or hang on a wall over a coat rack?)... how much stuff will go in the storage lockers (room to hang a coat or just for shoes?)...how much ventilation for the clothing inside (for gym lockers)...how much wear the lockers will have to take (kids slamming school lockers, for instance)...how wet the environment (outdoors or by a pool?)...how high the security...and how upscale the look (factory or country club locker room?).

Ordering and shipping storage lockers

For the best price and delivery, plan ahead. Locker vendors keep some popular sizes and colors of metal lockers in stock for good deals and quick delivery; everything else is made to order and you'll wait two to 10 weeks. Avoid their busy period, summer time, when the orders for school lockers pile in. Order your metal lockers knocked down instead of assembled and save big on shipping.

Assembling and installing storage lockers

Storage lockers share common walls so assembly is basically mounting the end pieces, then the middle pieces. But a shipment of metal lockers is a heavy, bulky load, and you'll need the people, equipment and clearance room to get it in place. Ask your vendor if installation is included and, if not, you might want to hire an experienced local crew to unload and assemble your lockers.

• For school lockers, take a look at quiet storage lockers, with door stiffeners and rubber bumpers that reduce the sound of locker doors banging in hallways.
• For security minded companies or schools, clear plexiglass fronts to metal lockers make the contents visible.
• Don't forget benches for your locker room; vendors of storage lockers typically sell those as well.

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