Essential, but never boring….toilets!
Whilst you might be forgiven for thinking that a toilet is simply a toilet, think again! Toilets too come in an abundance of shapes and sizes. The toilet you choose will be determined by the amount of space you have, the style of your bathroom, and budget. Add in a wide range of toilet seats and flush panels and one thing is for sure - gone are the days of boring, standard toilets!
For a contemporary bathroom, choose a close-coupled, back-to-wall, wall-hung, or corner toilet. Some are curvaceous, others have sharper outlines. A bathroom that is more traditional in style will work better with a toilet that has more intricate lines and design detail and one that will harmonise well with classic pedestal basins and roll-top baths. The toilet doesn’t need to match the other fittings but do think about creating a consistent feel to pull the look together.
Close-Coupled toilets are the most common toilet-type in the UK, are available in a wide range of styles and shapes and due to their popularity are often cheaper. A close-coupled toilet consists of two separate ceramic pieces – the pan and the cistern. The cistern is mounted directly on top of the pan and pipework is hidden, so the effect is neat and tidy and cleaning is simple. Close-coupled toilets may come as a single piece or two joined pieces. For a more compact loo and modern look, choose a single piece – these are easier to clean as there isn’t a gap between bowl and cistern.
Wall-hung toilets, as the name suggests, are hung from the wall, leaving extra space underneath which helps make your bathroom appear more spacious and makes cleaning both the toilet and floor much easier. Wall-hung toilets can be mounted at different heights which is ideal for people who find their toilet too tall or too short. They are supported by a strong wall frame that houses the concealed cistern, holds the toilet and hides away pipework. A wall-mounted toilet can usually be fitted to any wall, even a stud wall provided it is reinforced and supported correctly.
Back-to-wall toilets are a good choice for streamlined, modern bathrooms and can help a small bathroom look spacious. The cistern is hidden behind the pan in either a specially designed unit or in the wall, there’s no pipework on show, so the finish is fuss free and cleaning the room is easier. The cistern is usually sold separately, so factor in this cost when you’re budgeting for your new bathroom.
High and low-level cistern toilets complement other traditional fittings to give a bathroom a more historic style and a touch of elegance. The cistern is on show and wall mounted, and the flush is often a lever or pulley design. The pan is floor standing and the two are joined by the flush pipe. They’re ideal for high-ceilinged rooms, making the most of the room’s lofty proportions, but you can get the look in a lower ceilinged room as designs with a shorter flush pipe are on offer.
Rimless toilets are a more recent development and lack the rim of a traditional toilet. Instead water is directed all the way around the pan to ensure the entire toilet bowl is cleaned with each flush. Although the flush of a rimless toilet appears powerful, it is more economical than a traditional flush which will help you save money on your water bill. As there is no rim for bacteria or limescale to hide, rimless toilets are also incredibly hygienic and easy to clean.
Corner and Cloakroom toilets are designed to save space in a small bathroom, en-suite or cloakroom. In the case of the corner toilet, the cistern is shaped to fit right into the corner of a room. Cloakroom toilets may be wall-hung, back-to-wall or close-coupled in design but using different design features take up less room.
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