A toilet is a toilet, right?
Not so fast!
From toilet height to bowl shape to flush options, you actually have an array of variables to consider when purchasing a toilet that suits both your home and your family. Michelle Braden, Marketing & Communications Manager for Splashes Bath & Kitchen, shares five questions that can help guide your purchase.
- One-piece or two? First, do you want a one-piece or a two-piece toilet? With a two-piece toilet, the tank, while attached, is separate from the bowl. With a one-piece, the toilet is one single unit. With no seams, a one-piece can be easier to clean, but a two-piece is the traditional option consumers have historically relied on.
DuraStyle’s one-piece toilet (left) and a two-piece design (right). - Skirted or non-skirted? Do you want a skirted or a non-skirted toilet? Traditional non-skirted toilets allow easy access to the toilet bolts for easier installation and maintenance, but with the porcelain echoing the shape of the bowl and trap, cleaning is a little more involved.
A skirted toilet hides these features behind a sleek porcelain “skirt.” The ease of cleaning – not to mention the contemporary appearance – make the skirted toilet a valuable investment for many. A third option is a partially skirted design that mixes both options.
- Single or dual-flush? One of the most significant changes to toilet design in recent years has been the advent of dual-flush toilets, with an eye to water savings. By choosing the low-flush button, for example, you could use as little as three litres of water per flush. With the large flush button, you’ll use 4.8 or 6 litres, depending on the model. Alternatively, modern single-flush toilets typically use 4.8 litres per flush, which still offers a significant savings over older models, which could be flushing 13 litres or more down the drain each time!
- What seat height and shape? While toilets traditionally came with a round bowl – and seat – many contemporary toilet designs have elongated the seat, which can offer greater comfort. And with toilet height typically ranging from 15 to 19 inches, a taller seat can also be easier for taller people or those with some mobility challenges.
- To bidet or not to bidet? Once you’ve settled on your toilet design and flush model, consider whether you want to incorporate a bidet seat. Bidets have been common in bathrooms throughout Europe, Asia and elsewhere for years, a bidet sprays a small stream of water for personal cleansing, rather than relying on toilet paper. Most bidet seats also offer a drying function- a feature not traditionally found in most standalone bidets. If you don’t have space for a stand-alone bidet, however, bidet seats can be added to a traditional toilet, offering the best of both worlds.
To find your ideal toilet, speak with your local fixture expert for a free consultation by visiting Splashes Bath & Kitchen: in Abbotsford at 2045 Paramount Cres.; in Chilliwack at 44129 Yale Rd.; in Langley / Surrey border at 19558 56th Ave.; in Surrey at 13325 Comber Way; in Port Coquitlam at 1602 Kebet Way; in Vancouver at 425 East Broadway; in Richmond at 4500 Vanguard Rd.; and in East Vancouver at 3625 East 1st Ave.
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