The Back To Wall Toilets Buyer’S Guide
Back to wall toilets come in a range of designs to suit any bathroom, and they are a great option for creating a sleek, modern look. If you’re planning a new bathroom and wondering which toilet to choose, a back to wall design has many benefits, and is a great alternative to the standard close coupled toilet. In this buyer’s guide we uncover all there is to know about back to wall toilets, to help you determine if this style is the right choice for your bathroom. Read on to discover more.
A back to wall toilet is where the pan is fitted fully to the wall or against a specially designed cistern unit. The cistern and all plumbing work is hidden in the wall or the unit, which provides a much neater finish to your bathroom. This creates a clean, contemporary look and is also a space saving solution for small bathrooms and en-suites too. At BigBathroomShop, all back to wall toilets are supplied with a soft close seat, so no more accidental bangs and slams.
Most back to wall toilets feature a modern design, but there are some traditional styles available for those who would prefer to create a more classic look.
Modern back to wall toilets typically feature curved or angular lines. Curved shapes are perfect for family bathrooms, while angular shapes are ideal for adding contemporary style.
If you have a compact bathroom, look out for small back to wall toilets, which feature a shorter projection than standard to help maximise space. There’s also compact back to wall toilet units; these have a slimline design to create more room.
All back to wall toilets are made from quality ceramic with a white glossy finish, which is easy to clean.
If you aren’t fitting your back to wall toilet directly against the wall, then yes, you will require a unit. The main advantage of a unit is that it makes installing your toilet a lot easier, compared to fitting the cistern and pipework in the wall. The unit even provides a handy shelf so you could create a pretty display or use it as extra storage space.
Back to wall toilet units are available in a range of finishes and colours such as white gloss and oak. They are available to buy separately or complete with the toilet. Another advantage of a unit, is that you can match it with other items of bathroom furniture such as a vanity unit, which allows you to create a coordinated look.
Installing a toilet without a unit makes installation more complicated, as you will require a stud wall or a boxed section to make room for the cistern and plumbing work. If you lack the DIY experience to create this, then you will need to hire a professional plumber to carry out the installation work.
An advantage of installing the cistern in the wall, is that it provides an opportunity to incorporate shelf space or a storage niche above the toilet. You could even fit a spotlight to draw the eye to a stylish display of candles or decorative objects.
If purchasing a back to wall toilet only (without a unit), then you will need a specially designed concealed cistern to complete the installation. These usually include the chrome flush button. Make sure the cistern has a dual flush to help save water.
Brownstone Boys: The Pros and Cons of Wall-Mounted Toilets
Editor’s note: Welcome to the 59th installment of Brownstone Boys Reno, a reader renovation diary about renovating a brownstone in Bed Stuy. See the first one here. They also blog at www.thebrownstoneboys.com.
As you scroll through beautiful bathroom-design inspiration photos you might notice a recurring theme. What is it that makes these pictures of bathrooms of your dreams so clean, modern and sleek? As you look closer you might notice that rather than the sometimes bulky, space-eating floor-mounted toilets there is a space-saving modern beauty mounted to the wall. Popular in Europe for their space-saving qualities, the wall-mounted toilet first made its way to restaurants, bars and public bathrooms in the U.S. and has recently become more popular if not the latest trend in bathroom design for homes. We considered it for our renovation and have spoken to many other renovators who are doing the same. So what are the pros and cons? And how do you go about getting one of your own?
Modern and Space-Saving
As we mentioned, wall-hung toilets have a very streamlined, modern look. The main reason is that the large and bulky tank of a floor-mounted toilet is hidden in the wall. The gives you the ability to eliminate the space required for the tank and even the several inches of space behind the toilet, resulting in up to 10 to 12 inches of additional floor space in the bathroom.
Custom Heights
There is not much you can do to customize the height of a floor-mounted toilet. They do come in a couple of different options: standard height and comfort height (which is a few inches higher). A wall-mounted toilet can provide greater flexibility since it can be mounted at whatever height you would like.
Easy to Clean
Since a wall-mounted toilet sits above the floor, clean-up is a breeze. With no difficult or impossible to reach spaces, you can more quickly and thoroughly clean.
More Expensive
The biggest con to a wall-mounted toilet is the cost and effort they take to buy and install. Many times the tank and wall mounting assembly are sold separately from the actual toilet, which will also run more than a floor-mounted toilet. Steel is usually used to mount and provide the strength necessary to support the weight. This might not be as big of a concern when you are building the entire bathroom but when you’re retrofitting, it can be a very intrusive renovation. The water and waste lines will have to be relocated, the wall will need to be opened up considerably, the studs might even need to be moved (especially in older homes), and the floor where the old toilet sat will need to be repaired. You’ll also need to know if you have 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 studs before ordering the equipment since the sizing will be different.
Harder to Fix
There‘s no opening the lid to jiggle the mechanicals or easily replace a part. The tank is sealed up in the wall. If something goes wrong, the trouble and expense to fix a wall-mounted toilet can be considerable.
Fewer Options
Since wall-mounted toilets are still gaining in popularity in the U.S. there are fewer options. Only a handful of companies are selling them and the ones that do only have one or a few models. We checked out the Kohler, Duravit, and Toto versions.
