# public restroom - black FRP wainscot OK?



## heartofglass (Mar 10, 2014)

In California building code we need to put 4' of scrubbable wainsot up in public restrooms. For our bar restrooms we've been advised by other bar owners to use dark colors that will discourage constant writing with sharpies all over the walls. Is there a rule against using the black FRP board instead of white, in a bar/restaurant restroom? It would go better with the decor of the restroom, and also won't be just BEGGING to have random things written/drawn all over it. Is there a code here requiring light colors as there is in food prep areas?

There IS one recently built bar in town that has a dark mural, with clear plexiglass over the bottom 4' of it, but not sure if the health dept approved it that way or they added it later. I have access to extra black FRP someone else didn't need for a project, so have many reasons why I'd rather use it than the white kind if possible.


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## mark handler (Mar 10, 2014)

Health Department

Employee restrooms-----

Walls and ceilings of employee restrooms are recommended to be light colored.

Customer only restrooms----

Restrooms used exclusively by the consumers, can be of any color and shall be of a nonabsorbent and washable surface.


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## ICE (Mar 10, 2014)

> Health DepartmentEmployee restrooms-----
> 
> Walls and ceilings of employee restrooms are *recommended *to be light colored.
> 
> ...


The word "recommended" leaves the door open to do whatever you want.

These words contradict that: "used exclusively by the consumers, can be of any color"....

It's an odd statement.  How many businesses would prohibit the employees from using the public restroom?  Is this exclusive to food handling establishments?


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## mark handler (Mar 10, 2014)

Check with local health department


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## ICE (Mar 10, 2014)

mark handler said:
			
		

> Check with local health department


So what did you post, Toledo, Ohio?


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## mark handler (Mar 10, 2014)

ICE said:
			
		

> So what did you post, Toledo, Ohio?


La County Health Dept., same in Orange county, CA

Don't know what county Smalltownville, CA is in


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## heartofglass (Mar 10, 2014)

Code says exactly the same in my county. It's those two contradictions that are confusing me.


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## heartofglass (Mar 10, 2014)

... because there's no separate restroom for employees, just 2 single-user unisex restrooms for everyone. But since they're used by the public, of course we're trying to make them look as nice as possible.


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## mark handler (Mar 10, 2014)

The lighter color is easier for the dirt mold grime to show up.

Employees are held to a higher standard because an employee can contaminate more people

It’s all about health


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## heartofglass (Mar 10, 2014)

Just realized I've got another problem. The existing unisex restroom is already all set up to ADA code, but it doesn't have FRP on the walls because it was a restroom for a retail space. It just has a glossy enamel paint on all the walls. I guess we'd have to REMOVE the toilet, sink, grab bars, paper dispensers, & soap dispenser to install FRP on all the walls. What do you think as code experts about making the NEW restroom for customers + employees, and leaving the existing restroom as a customer-only restroom so we don't have to tear apart a perfectly up to code ADA restroom and put it back together again. I was kinda counting on leaving it as it is in our budget.


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## heartofglass (Mar 10, 2014)

...Can't find anything saying we CAN'T have only one restroom for employees, since there's only 3 employees working at all times... and both restrooms are unisex...


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## mark handler (Mar 10, 2014)

You don’t want my suggestion; that would be to contact a design professional


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## heartofglass (Mar 11, 2014)

Nobody we've talked to has run into this particular dilemma before of having one unisex restroom for customers, and one unisex restroom for customers _and_ employees.


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