| It's easy to get excited about designer sinks, clawfoot | | | | offer a "half flush" for liquid waste and a "full flush" for |
| tubs, and steam showers when you're redesigning | | | | solid waste. This lets you adjust the amount of water |
| your bathroom. Most contractors and homeowners | | | | you use for lighter or heavier loads. |
| pay a great deal of attention to these fixtures: their | | | | The trapway. The trapway is the part of the toilet |
| design can make a big difference in function, and | | | | through which water and waste exit. The larger the |
| extras can give your bathroom a feeling of luxury. | | | | trapway, the better. A larger trapway allows for better |
| But even though it's the most often-used fixture in the | | | | flushing action and less risk of clogs. In addition, when |
| bathroom, most redesigners don't give a lot of thought | | | | you're in the store, be sure to ask if a toilet's trapway |
| to one feature: the humble toilet. The one you choose | | | | is fully glazed. A fully glazed trapway has a smoother |
| can make a difference, however. Read on for seven | | | | surface. It can improve flushing performance and |
| things to consider when buying a new toilet. | | | | make the bowl easier to clean. |
| One-piece vs. two-piece. Most toilets come in two | | | | Toilet height. Toilets come in many different sizes and |
| different designs: the one-piece and the two-piece, or | | | | heights. If there are any senior citizens living in your |
| close-coupled toilet. Close-coupled toilets are the most | | | | home, they may find a higher toilet to be more |
| common, and tend to be the cheaper type. These | | | | comfortable--they won't have to lower themselves as |
| employ an attached but separate tank and bowl. | | | | far to sit down on it. If you have young children, you |
| One-piece toilets have a tank built into the back of the | | | | may want to consider a shorter toilet so they can |
| bowl. These tend to be easier to clean, because | | | | access it more easily. |
| there's no small gap between the tank and the bowl. | | | | Attachment method. Whether you choose a |
| However, they're usually more expensive. One-piece | | | | floor-mounted or wall-mounted toilet will depend on the |
| models have a lower profile than close-coupled toilets, | | | | plumbing in your bathroom. The drain line in your |
| and some redesigners like the more compact profile. | | | | bathroom is the pipe that takes the water and waste |
| Seat shape and size. Toilet bowls come in either round | | | | from your toilet bowl to the sewer or septic tank, and |
| or elongated models. Elongated seats are generally | | | | this can be either a floor-discharge or wall-discharge |
| about two inches longer, and provide a bit more | | | | design. If you have a floor-discharge drain line, your |
| surface area--making the toilet a bit more comfortable | | | | toilet will need to be bolted to the floor. A |
| than the round variety. Round toilets are smaller, and | | | | wall-discharge drain line requires a wall-mounted toilet. |
| better for tight spaces. If you have the space for it, | | | | You can find both gravity and pressure-assisted toilets |
| however, you may appreciate the comfort of an | | | | in both designs. |
| elongated bowl. | | | | Extra features. There are many extra features that |
| The flush system. Most toilets operate on a gravity | | | | can make a toilet more sanitary and luxurious. These |
| flush system. These rely on the pressure of water in | | | | include heated seats; motorized seats that lower |
| the tank as well as the weight of the water in the | | | | automatically; ceramic glazes that make the toilet |
| bowl to force water and waste into the pipes. | | | | largely antibacterial; built-in bidet and drying features; |
| Old-fashioned toilets with wall-mounted tanks relied on | | | | insulation that prevents condensation on the outside of |
| the height of the tank to increase the head pressure. | | | | the bowl; and more. |
| Gravity-flush toilets are the most common and least | | | | The toilet may not be the most glamorous item in your |
| expensive type. | | | | bathroom, but it's one of the most necessary. Take |
| Pressure-assisted flushing mechanisms, however, are | | | | your time when choosing a toilet. Be sure to measure |
| gaining in popularity. These incorporate a cylinder of | | | | the distance between the wall and the drain line |
| pressurized air inside the toilet tank to provide force to | | | | opening, if you have a floor-discharge drain line. With a |
| the flushing mechanism. These types of toilets typically | | | | wall-discharge drain line, measure the distance |
| have a loud, forceful flush, and are often used in | | | | between the floor and the drain line. With these |
| commercial bathrooms. | | | | measurements, you can be sure to find the right toilet |
| Some cutting-edge toilet manufacturers offer | | | | for your bathroom. |
| dual-flush toilets that can help you save water. These | | | | |