Blog - Page 11 of 27 - Carroll Seating Company

Published: 26 August 2015

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Categories: Locker Solutions

Lockers aren’t a luxury; they’re a necessity. Whether it’s at the gym, at school or on the job, you need a safe and secure spot to stash your gear. The size, shape and style may vary but all lockers do the same job and they need to do it well. Here are some of the features you should look for in a good quality locker.

Materials

Valuables can’t really be safe if they’re stored in a flimsy box. Pick a brand of locker like DeBourgh that uses only the best materials. Steel is so strong it’s nearly tamper-proof!

These durable and secure lockers are a great choice no matter where they’re installed. They work well at health clubs and gym so that wallets stay where they belong. School books and personal items won’t go home in the wrong backpack with a steel locker. They’re secure enough to be used in firehouse and even police stations.

Sizes

Don’t think every lock is built the same. You can create a custom storage space for personal items, equipment, supplies or any other use you can think up with DeBourgh steel lockers. You can choose from a range of sizes and configurations. DeBourgh offers sizes from 12 to 24 inches wide with depths of 12 to 24 inches and heights from 12 all the way to 72 inches tall. You’re sure to find a configuration that suits your space.

Styles

Your basic middle school locker is only one of the many locker styles DeBourgh offers. The brand covers just about anything you need for a school corridor but they have so many other options to see. From schools and athletic teams to professional uses, there’s a locker for every need.

In addition to the familiar corridor style, they also have specialty lockers like first responder models with a wider stance and boot storage. Evidence lockers keep important items secure and the heavy-duty TA-50 is the choice of government agencies and the military.

No matter what you need to secure, DeBourgh has a locker to keep it safe. For more information visit Carroll Seating today.

Published: 20 August 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

A good auditorium stays in use all year long. If your school, church or organization maintains an auditorium, keeping it up to date and comfortable is vital to keeping it in use as much as possible. Whether you’re building or renovating, a comfortable, well-appointed auditorium can be your building’s crowning glory as well as its workhorse.

Styles

Choosing a format is the first step in designing your auditorium seating. There 3 basic plans for auditoriums:

Theater: often the best choice for viewing performances or speakers; offers little opportunity for interaction.
Classroom: geared more towards taking notes and interacting with a presenter but not with other participants; may or may not use tables.
Banquet: table and chairs format is best for presentations including meals; offers the most interaction between attendees.

Spacing

Once you’ve chosen your format, check local city and state codes as well as the fire code for measurements on aisles and exits. You’ll need to plan for both a center aisle (typically 4 to 6 feet wide) and side aisles (approximately 4 feet wide) and perhaps breaks between sections depending on the size of the room. Plan on a minimum of about 18-20 inches per seat in theater settings, 2 people per 6 foot table in a classroom format and 8 people to a 5 foot, round table in a banquet plan. Don’t forget to leave room for equipment, lighting and any obstructions, too.

Something Extra

When you’ve got all the functionality set in stone, it’s time to add a little something extra to make your auditorium stand out as the best venue for events. A little pizazz goes a long way! Talk to one of our designers about custom colors, fabrics, logos, end standards, finishes and all the other details that elevate your auditorium from functional space to stylish venue.

Your auditorium will always be in demand if you plan it well and go the extra mile to make it something special. Learn more about different styles, spaces, and extras by visiting Carroll Seating in Elk Grove at 847-434-0909 or visit us online today.

Published: 11 August 2015

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Categories: Locker Solutions

The Lyons Township High School locker rooms were in need of updating. School administration hired general contractor Henry Bros Co. for a major school renovation that involved the auditorium, school cafeterias, locker rooms and utility areas. Henry Bros Co. worked with DLA Architects, Ltd and the design team at Carroll Seating to plan a full update their locker rooms.

Here is a photo before:

One of the first things the team did was review the space involved. They needed create a solid traffic flow around the lockers as well as a sense of privacy for the students to change, They decided on DeBourgh Lockers. These lockers provided the mixed combinations needed to install as many lockers as possible. Plus, they are made from superior manufacturing using all-welded construction with a state of the art powder coat finish.

Carroll Seating was also asked to customize the locker room benches. School administration wanted wood benching. Carroll Seating designed and built these custom milled benches for all of the high school’s locker rooms.

Here’s a photo after installation:

The team at Carroll Seating was pleased with the finished outcome of these locker rooms. The Carroll Seating team hopes that Lyons Township High School will enjoy them for many school years to come. For more information about this locker room project, please visit the Carroll Seating website or call us in Elk Grove, IL at 847-434-0909.

Published: 28 July 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

Lecture room tables aren’t something you often consider as an extensive market. After all, there just aren’t very many choices when it comes to tables for a lecture room, right? Try again. There are far more choices than you can imagine in lecture room table choices today, and if you’re redesigning the lecture halls on your campus, checking in with us is a great first start.

The right workspace in a lecture room can really be placed in two different categories – tables and chairs. Tables are those with separate chairs or swing away setting, but they’re shared spaces that are used by many students. If you don’t have quite enough space for tables or the room itself isn’t quite laid out correctly to support fixed tables, you may want to consider seating with tablet arms so every student still has the space necessary to learn.

Fixed Tables

Wondering what your options are with fixed tables? It’s a fairly big group. Start by thinking about size. Do you want one long table in each row? Do you need an aisle up the middle? After you decide on the right size to meet your needs, it’s time to think about finish. Paint and polymer finishes are a fairly safe, traditional choice, but you could also consider a wood or laminate finish. There are even great custom fabric finishes that work well in certain settings. One other note you may want to think about while you’re considering the surface – think about adding power and data ports to your space. The perfect way for students to plug in during a lecture, you can either add pop up spaces or under the table spaces designed for laptops, tablets, and smartphones so students can interact during class sessions. Your final consideration in this arena is the type of seating that might work for you. From swing away choices to simple rolled chairs, look at how the room will be used to decide on the chair that might work well for your tables.

Fixed Seating

Tables, though, aren’t the only way to go in a lecture hall. Often fixed seating is also a good option. From beam seating to individual spaces, there are as many choices here as there are in the world of tables. Perhaps you want the tablet arm to swing away. Maybe you’d prefer that it stays in one position. From the color of the chairs and tablet arms to the covering itself, you have options here to make certain you’re meeting both the physical needs of students as well as the aesthetic needs of the space.

Ready to learn more about what you can do with your lecture hall? Take a moment to contact us today by calling 816-471-2929 to get started or visit us online.

Published: 22 July 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Fall sports are just around the corner. Have you started bleacher inspections yet? There are few maintenance tasks that should rank quite as high on your list. Thanks to some highly publicized incidents in the past few years, ensuring your bleachers are safe for athletes and patrons alike is an absolute must. Here are a few things to consider.

Start With a Good Cleaning – The single best thing you can do to start is make sure you clean the bleachers themselves. It will give you a better way to spot any problems on the decking, the framework, or the area below the bleachers.

Check the Hardware – It’s essential to check all of the hardware and fasteners on your bleachers to make sure that they’re tightened as they should be. It’s not unheard of to notice a missing piece here or there, and you’ll want to know that before that first big game so you don’t create any weak points.

Lubricate as Necessary – If you have any contact moving parts, and on fixed outdoor bleachers, you likely don’t, you’ll want to lubricate those on a regular basis and check any rollers to ensure they’re functioning correctly.

Review Safety Features – Your bleachers have built in safety systems including anti-slip flooring choices, guardrails, and aisle handrails. Take a look at each of those and make sure they’re functioning properly.

Let Us Help!

At Carroll Seating Company, we’re here to help make the process of bleacher inspection an easy one. We’ll walk you through the entire process, even making the repairs where necessary if you prefer not to handle the task on your own. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help make certain your bleachers are ready to go, no matter what season is approaching or how big the crowd promises to be this year! To find out more, call us at 816-471-2929 or visit us online today.

Published: 14 July 2015

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

Your school library isn’t supposed to be a dusty collection of books no one checks out. The entire library experience has changed as fast as technology has, and we can help you update your library and give it the face lift you need.

A Few Great Ideas

Small Group Workspace – If you haven’t yet designed a spot for small groups to work withing your library, it’s certainly time. Collaborative learning is very much the focus today, and including a space where groups can get together and create that next big project is an absolute must.

Creative Play Space – If your library is designed for smaller children, it needs to include creative play space. Here, brightly colored walls are a must, as are smaller bookshelves and lots of table space complete with games, puzzles, and more to help promote those important pre-reading skills that will turn students into lifelong readers in the future.

Tech Central – While students still rely on printed texts for some things, the chances are good that they want access to e-readers and more while they’re in the library, so build in a space to allow them to use that tech. You’ll want to ensure you’re a wi-fi hotspot, and you may also want to build in charging ports here and there so students can plug in when the juice is running a bit low.

Why Carroll Seating Company?

We’ve been working with schools just like yours for more than six decades, developing beautiful spaces that help enhance student learning. We carry a complete line of shelving and furniture options for libraries of all shapes and sizes, from those for very young preschoolers to those designed for the heaviest academic environments. We’re continually working to include the right pieces for better functionality.

The real difference with Carroll Seating Company, though, is that we work with you to meet your needs. From the moment you first call, you’ll be working with an individual project manager, ready to help you choose your equipment and get it installed. We also have add-on services you’ll love, including custom casework that will help your environment promote reading and research in a way you never thought possible.

To learn more about what we can do for your library, contact us today by calling 847-434-0909 to get started or visit us online to learn more.

Published: 8 July 2015

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

The demands on student housing are getting more complex by the year. Whether on the campus of a boarding school, a college, or a university, student housing has to be virtually amazing to even begin to rank among the best. If you’re like many campuses, you’re probably wondering what you can do to amp up your offerings. Let us help.

The Experienced Choice

Carroll Seating Company has been working with campuses like yours for decades, creating architecturally stunning casework in a variety of different settings that helps define a space. From design to installation, we meet the needs of our clients again and again. When you contact us, you’ll work one on one with your personal project manager to ensure your dorms are not only completed in time for the students to start the fall term, but also to help make certain you’re getting the stunning design you wanted from the outset. With the right materials at the right price, there simply is no better choice than Carroll Seating Company for your dorm casework.

A Few Options to Consider

As you think toward that new dorm update, there are a few things you might want to include for your students to enjoy this fall.

Comfortable Lounge Spaces – These always rank well with students, as they don’t just want the spaces where they sleep to be great, but they want the spaces where downtime happens most to be plentiful and ready to serve. Consider incorporating a few of these on every floor.
Reading Rooms – Few schools would be complete without excellent places to study, and incorporating soundproofed reading rooms that allow students to get at least a little studying done on campus is an absolute must.
In Room Shelving – Students have lots of stuff to store, so consider building in a variety of shelving options. From cubbies that fit just under beds to shelves around the beds and closets, the more space you can include, the better students will feel about staying in your dorms.

To learn more about how we can help your student housing go from blah to tweeted about regularly, contact us today. We’ll get that wow factor you’re looking for from your students. Call us today at 816-471-2929 or visit us online today.

Published: 30 June 2015

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Categories: Cafeteria and Food Court Seating

Whether you are preparing to re-outfit a school cafeteria, the staff kitchen in an office building, or a large scale eating area of a hospital, you have to consider many different variables in order to make the wisest selections for those you intend to serve.

Keeping Things Clean One of the biggest concerns that we have expressed to us over and over again, as clients prepare to renovate eating spaces, is cleanliness. After all, one wants to be sure that the investment made isn’t going to be destroyed by the hundreds of hands and mouths that will be hovering about their surfaces. Carroll Seating has made an effort to choose the sleekest, harder surfaces, in order to ensure that you, the end user, are able to quickly and efficiently wipe them down at the end of the day.

Ensuring Comfort A clean surface is great, but when people are forced to essentially sit on top of each other, or must hunch over in order to reach the meal before them, the experience is far from enjoyable. It is important to get enough seating to accommodate the rush that will come through at the busiest part of the day. Furthermore, be sure that you carefully look at the seating height, to be sure that a person will be a comfortable level in comparison with the table top.

Maximizing Space While you don’t want people sitting on top of each other, and you want to be sure that you have enough seating for rush hour, you also don’t want to overcrowd the area, so people aren’t able to easily navigate through the room. Rather than cutting back on seating, consider the various table options and how those can be mixed and matched to maximize the space.

Maneuverability Carroll Seating has served many clients who are determined to have their furniture bolted to the floor, but before you make the decision to invest in that sort of permanent arrangement, carefully consider the space. Will this area ever be needed for some other type of function? For instance, school cafeterias can often multifunction, providing space for after school activities, special gatherings, or summer planning sessions. It is often nice to be able to fold up tables, stack chairs, and clear the area so it can be used for these others reasons. Many of the seating options are built to stay put, so there is no worry about a chair being picked up, moved or abused. Yet, these same pieces can be easily folded and maneuvered up against a wall or into storage, if the space has to be temporarily reconfigured.

Durability And, last, but certainly not least, when it comes to selecting new cafeteria furniture is the durability factor. The longevity of a piece is important when it comes to protecting the bottom line. While you can get very cheap furniture pieces, it is often worth investing a little more up front. There are many options that will last decades with very little care, which means that this one time investment can save you a great deal over the long term.

Carroll Seating, located in Kansas City, KS has been specializing in customized cafeterias for over 60 years. To get started, call us today at 816-471-2929 or visit us online at https://www.carrollseating.com//cafeteria-seating/

Published: 25 June 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

How important are bleachers at sporting events? Just as the members of The Cubs baseball organization, which has recently seen the opening of a large section of renovated bleachers. The left and center field sections had been closed to the public, while crews worked to install the new and improved seating. Now, though, there is more seating, upgraded concession areas, plus additional standing-room only areas. The team and the Wrigley Field staff are thrilled, as is the public, who were quick to fill in the new sections of bleachers. There will even be a special event, coming soon, to celebrate the new improvements.

While it might not be necessary to go through such fanfare over new bleachers on a school field, bleachers are generally a welcomed addition to such atmospheres. In fact, some schools have so fully embraced the idea of incorporating new seating that they have crafted community building events around the installations. Mercer is a school in Michigan, and there you will currently find students of the technological education classes busy installing new bleachers. The seating will surround the local baseball field, and will provide spectators will a great view of the games. The town’s park committee purchased bleacher kits, which must be assembled. In exchange for the students’ labor, the school will receive new tools for future projects like this one. More importantly, the supervisors hope that the effort will instill community spirit in the students.

The truth is, that is what bleachers do – they bring communities together. As the fans cheer on sons, daughters, brothers, grandkids, and friends, they are bonding with each other over the game. All of that takes place in the bleachers. It is when the seating cannot accommodate the crowds, or when the bleacher systems are too old to be deemed safe by spectators that the sport loses some of its appeal. If that sounds familiar, then perhaps it is time for your organization to follow in the footsteps of Wrigley Field… or, at least, consider a project like that taking place in Michigan.

At Carroll Seating Company, we’ll work with you on a seating solution tailored to your space. Contact us to learn more about Hussey Bleacher Systems for your next project. To find out more, call us at 847-434-0909 or visit us online.

Published: 17 June 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

The National Real Estate Investor online publication recently released a story about the increasing interest in student housing. There has been a lot of interest in student housing over the past twelve months or more. Why? People are seeing the economy improving, but interest rates remain low. While they can’t get a big return on more traditional investments, these people are finding that they can get big turnaround on their money when they buy properties and rent it out to students.

A long list of new investors have also joined the bidding for student housing assets, including high-net worth individuals, private equity fund managers and institutional investors… The total number of transactions grew slightly and the average sales price per bed also grew by about $3,000.

So, what does this mean for traditional student housing operations? It means that you have to step up your game to continue competing with those who are new to the game. New buyers tend to sink money into the off-campus properties at the start, to make them as attractive as possible. Students like the luxuries that come with houses and apartments that are off-campus, and which rise above the uniform dorm room look.

If you want to continue to compete effectively, then you need to design rooms that are inviting to a very creative generation – one that is used to customizability and one that embraces individuality. Built-in furniture isn’t against the rules, but it should have a modern feel with plenty of space for personalization. At Carroll Seating, we allow you to start the trend of customization. Create the layouts, select the pieces that you think will best accommodate the incoming students and we can make that happen. Wardrobes, dresser systems, and desks with plenty of overhead storage, are just a few of the pieces that can make your rooms attractive enough to compete with the new student housing investors. At Carroll Seating we have the knowledge and expertise to customize your student housing built-ins. To find out more, call us at 816-471-2929 or visit us online.