About & resources
Guides for specifying washrooms and panels
Short technical guides written by the people who cut the board. Use them to settle a specification before it goes out to tender.
- Made in Bolton since 1998
- Free UK mainland delivery
- Constructionline Gold
- SSIP accredited
- Trade prices exc VAT
These guides exist because the same questions come back on every enquiry. Which board belongs in a wet room. What a duct panel is and how it differs from an access panel. Why one cubicle quote is half the price of another. Each guide answers one of those, in the detail a specifier needs.
Nothing here is a brochure. We manufacture in Bolton, so the guidance reflects what the beam saw and the edge bander can actually do, what the lead times really are, and where a specification will cost you money later. Start with the router table below if you are not sure which one you need.
What we supply
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CGL vs MFC cubicles
Why two cubicle quotes differ so much. Compact grade laminate against melamine faced chipboard, where each one belongs, and what happens to the wrong board in a wet or vandal-prone block.
Compare the materials -
IPS panels explained
What an integrated plumbing system panel does, how a fixed duct panel differs from a removable access panel, and which board to use in each zone of the washroom.
Read the IPS guide -
Cubicle dimensions and layouts
Standard cubicle widths and depths, door swings, gap and clearance allowances, and how many WCs you can fit into a given run before the layout stops working.
Check the dimensions -
Laminate and board grades
MFC, MDF, MR MDF, FR MDF and compact laminate set side by side. What each core tolerates, how the edge is finished, and which one your specification actually calls for.
Compare board grades -
Washroom worktops
Specifying a vanity or washroom worktop: postformed and square edge details, upstands, cut-outs for basins and taps, support, and the lead time shown on the product page.
Read the worktop guide -
Cubicle hardware and fittings
Identifying the hinges, indicator bolts, brackets and feet already on site so a retrofit part matches. Useful for facilities teams repairing cubicles rather than replacing them.
Identify hardware
Specification
| What you are trying to settle | Guide to read | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing between two cubicle quotes | CGL vs MFC toilet cubicles | The material difference behind the price gap, and where each board survives. |
| Boxing in pipework behind WCs or basins | IPS panels explained | Duct versus access panels, board selection by zone, and cut-out setting-out. |
| Fitting cubicles into a fixed room size | Toilet cubicle dimensions and layouts | Widths, depths, door swings and clearances before you commit to a layout. |
| Reading a board specification | Laminate and board grades explained | MFC, MR MDF, FR MDF and compact laminate compared core by core. |
| Specifying a vanity or worktop run | Commercial washroom worktops | Edge details, upstands, cut-outs, support and the lead time shown on the product page. |
| Matching a broken hinge, bolt or bracket | Toilet cubicle hardware guide | How to identify existing ironmongery from a photograph and order the match. |
| Specifying for a school, nursery or NHS site | School toilet cubicles, or NHS and healthcare washrooms | Age-appropriate heights, the right range for the sector, and HTM 63 context. |
| Installing what has already been delivered | IPS installation guide, and technical downloads | Sequencing, fixings, tolerances, and the manuals and data sheet library. |
Why buy direct from the manufacturer
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Written by the manufacturer
Every guide is written against what our own machines and lead times can do in Bolton, not lifted from a supplier brochure or a generic trade association page.
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Specification, not sales copy
The guides tell you when a cheaper board is the right answer. Putting compact laminate through a dry office washroom is money spent for no measurable benefit.
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Straight to a quote
When the guide has settled the question, send the sizes and we price it. The same people who wrote the page will look at your schedule.
Common questions
Which guide should I read first?
Start with the router table above. If you are choosing between cubicle quotes, read the CGL versus MFC guide. If you are boxing in pipework, read the IPS guide. If a room size is fixed and you need to know what fits, read the dimensions guide. They are short and they cross-link.
Do you have installation instructions and data sheets?
Yes. Installation manuals, care and maintenance sheets and material data are held in the technical downloads library, and there is a full IPS installation guide on the site. If a document you need is not listed, ask the office in Bolton and we will send it rather than leave you guessing.
Can you help me write a specification?
Yes, at enquiry stage. Send the room drawings, the sanitaryware schedule and any project requirements on fire performance or moisture, and we will tell you which range and board suit the job. We will also say where a cheaper option would perform the same, which is usually more useful.
Do the guides give lead times?
Each guide states the lead time for the products it covers. There is no single site-wide figure. Toilet cubicles in the standard ranges run at 4–6 working days, Alpine cubicles at 6–8 working days, cut-to-size panels at 2–4 working days, vanity units at 4–6 working days. Worktops and IPS panels are made to order; each product page shows its own figure. All are manufactured to order in Bolton.
Are these guides useful for facilities teams as well as specifiers?
Yes. The hardware guide is aimed squarely at maintenance: identify an existing hinge, bolt or bracket from a photograph and order the matching part. The IPS and cubicle guides also cover single-panel and single-door replacements, which is most of what a facilities team actually needs from a manufacturer.
Can I get samples before specifying a decor?
Yes. Ask for samples before a decor goes into a schedule or onto a drawing. Screens misrepresent laminate colour and texture, and a decor that looks right on a monitor can be wrong in a north-facing washroom. Tell the Bolton office which decors you have shortlisted and we will send what we hold.
Related guides
Got the answer? Send us the sizes
Quotes come back in writing with the lead time and a price exc VAT, made to order in Bolton.