Some lockers have a way of melting into the backdrop, providing a way to keep the hallways and locker rooms free from clutter, without drawing attention. Other lockers can stand stately and tall, placed as much for their appealing design as for the useful service they provide.
Slope tops on lockers are often the factor that differentiates these two styles. But the slanting design offers more than just a sleek exterior.
What is a Sloped Top on a Locker?
Now, chances are you never paid that much attention to locker design until it came time for you to buy them yourself. So what is a slope top?
A slope top is a piece of steel set in a sloping angle on the top of a locker or set of lockers. Slope tops are often found on lockers that are in long hallways, primarily in schools. Athletic areas are also often home to slope tops, and anywhere islands of lockers stand back-to-back.
Two Main Types of Slope Tops in the Marketplace:
Welded Slope Top – Also called “factory attached” or “four-sided unitized”
This slope top comes from the manufacturer already attached to the locker unit, making it very low maintenance. Welded into four different sides of the locker, it is built to match the width of the unit and has an impressive structural integrity.
Continuous Slope Top –
One long panel is joined together with a splice plate to make this slope top and then is attached to the wall with brackets. This style is a long piece of sheet steel and is not formed into all four sides.
Any slope top must sit on the solid top of a locker. Certain outdated designs, such as the integral slope top, would open up the locker straight into the slope top, without an additional roof. While this still exists in some areas, it should not be used as it is less structurally sound.
Reasons to Choose a Slope Top Locker
Why should your lockers be topped with an angle? Customers choose a slope top for these reasons.
- Maintenance
The slanting design doesn’t collect dust as easily as a flat top and is much more easily visible and accessible. When the time comes to clean it, it can be simply wiped down.
- Utility
Lockers are typically purchased to avoid the unsightly clutter of belongings piled here and there. Flat tops can make it too easy for debris to accumulate, while slope tops create a styled surface that prevents clutter.
- Safety
In hallways full of students, safety is a primary concern. Students may be tempted to try to walk on top of flat lockers, which is never safe–even if the lockers can hold their weight. By setting an angle at the top, it becomes a non-issue.
- Design
Many customers have perceived that sloped tops appear more of a finished product than the typical locker with the top left open. Lockers with the added dimension of slope tops also tend to look a lot less boxy.
Check back soon for an in-depth breakdown of these two slope top types and how to decide which is the best for you.