Bathroom Toilet Buying Guide
Today’s toilets are designed to match other products in your bathroom suite. This allows for a coordinated look in your bathroom, where the fixtures, faucets and accessories are matched in a complementary style and design.
Toilets come is several different variations:
Shape: Round front bowl or an elongated bowl.
Height: Standard height vs. comfort height ( ADA compliant)
Flush: Gravity flush vs. power/pressure flush vs. flush valve
Style One-piece or two-piece
Round front bowls are generally less expensive than their elongated counterparts. They are used in smaller bathrooms, where space and price may be an issue.
Elongated bowls are longer (front to back) by about 2-3 inches. This extra length makes elongated bowls more comfortable and a little roomier. If your bathroom has the additional space, the extra comfort of an elongated bowl is worth the extra cost.
ADA Compliant Toilets:
Many residential designs are beginning to use ADA compliant model toilets. The tank is the same, but the bowl is 1-1/2” to 2” taller than the standard bowl. This makes the toilet height approximately the same height as a standard chair and provides for easier seating. In fact they are often referred to as “Comfort” height toilets.
Two-piece toilets tend to be less expensive, are taller (27” to 30” high) and are often more traditionally styled
One-piece Toilets are more expensive and have a lower profile (22” to 27” high)
Toilet Terms:
Trapway – The trapway is the snake-like tubing at the sides of your toilet which water flushes through. The better designed and larger the trapway, the less chance there is for clogs. A fully glazed trapway also helps prevent clogging by providing a smoother passageway.
Skirted – Enclosing the trapway with a smooth covering, allowing for easy cleaning and an elegant look. Also called a concealed trap
Elongated Bowl – The bowl has an oval shape and extended front rim to provide maximum comfort, and added style.
Round Bowl – A more traditional bowl, the round design is ideal for bathrooms with limited space.
Flush Valve – Located at the center of the tank, this valve is activated by the toilet’s flush handle and releases the water held in the tank. A larger flush valve increases the water flow rate through the toilet.
Gravity Flush system – This system uses nothing more than water weight to generate flushing pressure. This time-tested design is quiet, simple, and requires less maintenance than other more complex flushing systems.
Pressure Assisted Flush System – A pressurized air tank assists the toilet’s flushing process. This system can be noisy and more expensive.
All toilets today use a maximum 1.6 gallons per flush. Manufacturers have redesigned the flushing mechanisms, bowls, and trapways to ensure a proper flush. This has led to a new type of toilet design – the pressure assisted toilet. Standard toilets use a simple “gravity” flush. Pressure assisted toilets use the water pressure from your plumbing system to create a more forceful flush.
Most toilets do not come with a toilet seat , but do not despair – there are plenty of choices that will match the style (round or elongated), and color of the toilet design. Click here to view toilet seats.
(ArticlesBase SC #144918)
Innovative Toilet Products for Your Bathroom
Home improvement expert Danny Lipford shows products that convert an existing toilet to a dual flush model and a toilet seat that's easy to clean. (01:16)
How to Decorate a Half Bath
Irwin & Nicola discuss your decorating options for a half bath, give you some general bathroom design and remodeling tips and suggestions, and expose you to some of the worst bathroom humor every. Enjoy! (05:18)
Bath to the Future
Matt helps Bethany and Patrick bring their '80s bath into the 21st century. (03:22)
How to Place a New Toilet
Learn how to place a new toilet in this easy to follow, step by step instructional video. (06:13)
How to Put Together a New Toilet
Learn how to put together a new toilet in this easy to follow, step by step instructional video. (07:47)
For more details on Bathroom Renovation Ideas and other home improvement and house remodeling tips visit DIY Home Remodeling Tips.
Everyone talks about DIY projects the way they talk about romantic dates; some work, others don't. But in the end, you simply have to take matters in your own hands because everyone knows that builders and contractors in this country earn more than you do! Still, any task that involves...
The bathroom can be one of the more troublesome spots for DIY or do it yourself enthusiasts, because not only would you be dealing with a fairly limited space, but also, nearly everything in it has been fixed, or had installed in a permanent manner. Pneumatic drills, concrete nails and...
Do you want a second or a third toilet in your home but don't know where to put it? Here I'll explain how you can easily install an extra basement bathroom toilet in your home without spending a fortune.
Installing Basement Bathroom Fixtures can be a very tricky business and especially if you have never done it before. There are not a lot of different things to know about but there few there are will determine whether you succeed or fail.
DIY tasks don't have to be difficult and adding a bathroom in your basement don't have to be either - That is if you know what you're doing. That is why I am here to help you along with adding the new bathroom to your home.
Did you know that something as simple as a basement bathroom remodeling would be able to help you increase the property value of your home as well as help you sell it a lot easier? Most people don't know this so let me share the little secret with you if you read on.
If you are one of the many homeowners who would like to do more with the bathroom in your home, but find yourself limited on the funds it takes to undertake a remodeling project, you'll be happy to know that there are ways to remodel your bathroom; even when you're...
Weatherstripping The weatherstripping in your windows is integral to their performance, and it must be inspected and cleaned regularly. Weatherstripping will deteriorate over time due to exposure, and when this happens it can be difficult to create an effective seal. Replacement weatherstripping can be found at a hardware store, or you can hire a professional specializing in window repair and replacement.
Wood and metal frames require different approaches. If you are removing a screen from a wood frame, pry off the molding by starting in the center of a strip and moving toward the ends. Don't break the molding! Additional information on wood replacement windows.
What is "switchable" glazing, and why is it useful? Just the flip of a switch, and electrochromic windows can block the glare of the sun. Switchable glazing can change the light transmittance, transparency, or shading of a window. The flipped switch doesn't have to be literal – electrochromic windows can respond to a variety of cues, such as an environmental signal as well as an electric current.
Switchable glazings can help reduce energy usage. Switchable glazings can lower energy costs for cooling a home by reducing direct solar gains, especially in the summer. They can block UV rays and radiant heat (particularly useful for skylights) and lower cooling loads. In cooler northern climates, electrochromic windows can effectively eliminate the need for mechanical air cooling systems altogether.
A major issue of carpet owners, both actual and prospective, is the prices on carpet cleaning. Buying up the carpets themselves and having them installed may not be all that expensive depending on the people who sell them to you and the deal you cut with them, but it is the after-sales maintenance that can prove to be a deal-breaker for many.
We have all had to throw away clothing that has gotten oil, petroleum jelly or grass stains on them. With some of these tips you may be able to restore your clothing to near good as new condition.
Magniwork has very low maintenance overheads by a long shot installed inside the residence as a consequence eliminating usual wear and tear from our power tend nature elements on the outside. And in the same way as I mentioned earlie
Granite tiles are sure to impress you with their smartness, strength and beauty.
An outdated kitchen may be inconvenient and unappealing, but a behind-the-times bath can be downright demoralizing. Shabby bathrooms are not only no fun to live with, they’re a big turn-off to potential buyers. But in today’s economy – and buyers’ real estate market – it doesn’t pay to go overboard and over-spend on a bathroom remodel. A major remodel not only strains your wallet, it can result in overly personalizing the bath into something that won’t appeal to a broad range of potential buyers.
When designing your home, you want everything – including the kitchen sink! The kitchen sink is the central hub of the kitchen, and consumers have a wide variety of stylish faucets with multiple spray options and a host of accessories to choose from as well. It is easy to get overwhelmed since there are so many types and styles to choose from. How do you decide? When picking a kitchen sink, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions.
Have you ever seen that Kohler commercial where a woman tells her designer that she wants him to design her house around a faucet? You may have laughed, and said “Yeah, right! No one can do that!” Now you can – especially in the kitchen. Faucets have been revolutionized to be the “star” of the kitchen. Manufacturers have made faucets stylish and versatile while keeping the needed functionality you demand. There are many different types of faucets to choose from, and you have to pick what is
Are you trying to fit a lot of things into a not-so-big space? When it comes to organization, medicine cabinets are closets in miniature. They are a great addition to any bathroom, keeping all of your bathroom essentials in one spot - organized, clean, and easy to find.
Bathroom ceiling fans are called intermittent ventilation and are used to capture and remove pollutants quickly at the source. The purpose is to exhaust excessive moisture or pollutants before they can spread to other parts of the house.
Upgrading the look of your bathroom or kitchen by installing a new faucet is a simple project. Most homeowners can tackle the project with some basic tools and a little plumbing knowledge.
A handheld showerhead allows you to indulge in a little shower therapy and save water, too. For an investment of $10 or less you can save up to $75 per year on water bills and up to $50 or more per year on energy bills. Every new showerhead should pay for itself the first year.
If you love the vintage look for your bathroom, then consider an antique clawfoot tub built for today’s modern plumbing.
0