No bathroom remodeling topic receives more lighthearted giggles than the choice of a new toilet. However humorous it may be, though, the choice of a new toilet is serious business. A poor choice can lead to countless hassles, including problems with your bathroom design and water-usage as well as your day-to-day comfort. But don't worry: we're here to help with your most pressing toilet needs! Before choosing a toilet, answer the following questions, and you'll be on the road to a happy commode.
What is the Best Toilet Size & Shape for Your Bathroom Design?
The choice of your toilet's size and shape will be largely defined by your bathroom design. Before you even begin researching toilets, you will need to figure out your rough-in: the distance between your wall and your toilet's sewage pipe. Most rough-ins measure approximately 12 inches, and most toilets on the marketplace accommodate this measurement. Even if your project includes a plan to change your bathroom design, try to maintain a rough-in of 12 inches. For bathrooms with smaller or larger measurements, toilet choices are limited.
After you discover your rough-in, you can narrow your available choices by choosing an appropriate shape: round or elongated. Round toilets, which typically measure up to 28-inches from the wall, are best suited for small bathroom designs where the toilet must fit into a tight space. If your bathroom is larger, you might prefer the comfort of an elongated toilet. Measuring up to 31-inches from the wall, an elongated toilet is more expensive, but that little extra wiggle-room might just be a necessary "bottom" line sacrifice.
Finally, for your comfort, you should consider toilet height. Standard toilets measure 14 or 15-inches, but available options for taller (or disabled) homeowners can measure up to 16 or 17-inches.
By visiting a local showroom, you can easily test different toilet shapes and sizes. Just take a seat, and maybe read a magazine for authenticity!
What is the Best Toilet Design for Your Bathroom Makeover?
Like toilet shape and size, your choice of toilet might be confined by your bathroom design as well as your budget. A wall-mounted toilet, for example, is a dramatic bathroom makeover option best suited for thicker walls that can accommodate the mounted toilet as well as the toilet tank. Generally, however, most homeowners will choose between a two-piece or one-piece toilet.
In a two-piece toilet, the tank is bolted to the bowl. This is a common, economical toilet best suited for most bathroom renovations.
A one-piece toilet, as the name implies, combines the tank and bowl in one piece of elegant machinery. Although more expensive than a two-piece, a one-piece toilet offers a sleek look that is also easy-to-clean - imagine, no hard-to-reach nooks and crannies!
Your bathroom design can also include a toilet with attractive add-ons like heated seat, a decorative trip lever, or a bidet, which can be a hygienic addition to the toilet itself or its own separate unit.
Finally, remember, your choice of toilet material is largely limited to the time-tested standard: porcelain. At once durable and water-proof, porcelain's prodigious history as the de-facto toilet bowl material is well-deserved! Thankfully, as you probably know, porcelain toilets are available in a wide range of colors and looks, from antique to contemporary, so you can easily coordinate your toilet's style to match the decor of your bathroom makeover.
Is a Water-Saving Toilet a Necessary Bathroom Upgrade?
The short answer to this question is, "Yes!" Of course, a new bathroom design should save water - and money - and today's toilets are better equipped than ever to save the planet as well as our wallets. Toilets manufactured and used before 1994 require varying amounts of water - sometimes five to seven gallons per single flush! However, in 1994, government mandates required that all newly-installed toilets must adhere to a strict standard: 1.6 gallons per flush.
But hold on! Did you know that, on average, each household member flushes the toilet about eight times a day? All toilets are not created equally, and your water-savings reward might cost you in flushing power. The best toilet will optimize flushing efficiency. To test a toilet's flushing efficiency, visit your local showroom for a "spin."
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Master Kitchen & Bath Design has set the standard for kitchen remodeling in the Bucks County area for over thirty years. A rare find in the kitchen remodeling industry, MKBD excels in both in-house design and construction. We never use subcontractors, all of our team members, from our lead designer to lead carpenter, take ownership of each project.
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