If you’re looking for a new, trendy toilet for your Waukesha WI area home you might find it a challenge. A current list of possible options included 22 different types of toilet. On top of selecting a type you’re faced with selecting styling, flushing technology, overall design and color. Where there was once a simple selection, today’s options have something for everyone.
If you’re working on a new décor or floor plan for an additional or remodeled bathroom – master, guest bath or powder room – your creativity won’t suffer when it comes to the right toilet. Not long ago toilet selection was limited to one or two shapes in white. White is still the predominant choice, but not the only one.
Toilet Trends Lean On Technology
Form and function meets in the “water closet.” Advanced technology creates several different systems that make toilets function. Toilet types are defined by the method used to flush and dispose of waste. The most common options include:
- Gravity-feed – the oldest, most common types in North America. A simple, single flush and gravity removes the waste. Water drops down from a holding tank into the bowl when you release a valve. A siphoning action uses the motion of the water to clean the bowl. Maintenance is minimal. There are few moving parts. Gravity-feed toilets are “quiet.”
- Pressure-assisted – pressurized air assists the gravity flushing action. More powerful than gravity-feed and much louder. Fast and efficient. Clogs are less likely.
- Dual-flush – relatively new and growing in popularity it is water-efficient. A mix of gravity and pressure allows for a full or a half flush – half flush clears the bowl with gravity alone while a full flush adds a pressure assist.
- Double-cyclone – another new development this type uses minimal water per flush. Instead of holes in the rim like most toilets, it has two nozzles at the rim to move water in a two-pronged action. Nozzles are more efficient and flushing more complete.
Your Choice Of Toilet Styles
Since most people don’t think about the way a toilet works, the deciding factor when choosing a new toiler for your home is a matter of style. Fortunately you have a growing list of options to match your décor and lifestyle. Taking the advice of a professional plumber is the best way to select toilet technology for your home. The pro provides the one best for your home’s plumbing system so you can concentrate on style. Since you don’t know what’s going on inside the toilet picking one that looks great makes sense, right?
Design begins with the basic shape. Until you decide to make a change you’ve likely been taking simple designs for granted – like choosing a round toilet or an oval-shape. Consider the two choices:
- Round toilet – once the only option, round versions are considered ideal for small power rooms or a guest bath because of their compact, space-saving design. Also better for bathrooms catering to small children. Worth considering: smaller “seats” are less convenient and less comfortable.
- Elongated toilet – typically oval-shaped and about two inches longer than a round bowl. Top choices for master bathrooms and larger guest baths. Adults find them more comfortable than smaller, round versions.
Another detail homeowners don’t understand and seldom think about is whether their toilet is one piece or two. Again, a professional plumber can point out the pros and cons. As you generate ideas for your new bathroom consider:
- One-piece toilets – provides a smooth, seamless look and are easier to keep clean. More aesthetically-pleasing so a better choice when the toilet will be in the open rather than in a space of its own.
- Two-piece design – generally a less expensive option, designs with two separate pieces are easier to install and repair.
- Complex creations – some of the ultra-modern designs with tanks built into a wall are two pieces but only one is visible in the room.
Most homeowners assume the toilet will be sitting somewhere on the bathroom floor. Science and design have combined to create a whole new array of wall-mounted toilets. The water tank sits inside the wall and the toilet mounts on the wall. The toilet bowl can be at whatever height off the floor you want. It’s an ultra-modern, space-saving option.
Applying The Latest Bathroom Technology
Accepted as a standard bathroom appliance throughout much of the world, the bidet (pronounced bid-day) is gaining acceptance among interior designers. It still hasn’t caught on in the U.S. but its popularity is growing. A bidet offers benefits for personal hygiene and cleanliness. Usually a separate fixture some advances now work as an add-on to a toilet. For the height of high-tech combine bidet technology with “smart toilets.”
What is a “smart toilet?” Beyond including a bidet, high-tech intelligent toilets include touch-screen controls to change the temperature of the toilet seat and control the volume of each flush. They may also include built-in cleaning modes and even LED lighting.
Keeping Toilet Choices Simple
The most basic choices when it comes to selecting a toiler are simple: color and hardware.
A special bathroom for guests or visitors is a great place to explore all the toilet trends. You’ll find toilets and sinks in almost any color combination you can imagine. Choose from basic white to exotic, bold hues and even patterns. Most apply their creativity to other aspects of a bathroom remodel but consider popular color choices like light shades of sand, blue, gray, yellow, brown, pink and green. Or, for real impact, go bold with dark colors or even black.
Your plan includes hardware for bathroom cabinets and fixtures. But have your considered what makes the toilet flush? The flush handle is the ultimate after-thought. Today you can apply the same design style to the handle on your toilet. There is a variety of flush handle options, including:
- Lever on the side – the most common choice, it can be located on either the left or right side.
- Button on top – a recent innovation the button on top of the tank is convenient and the common choice for dual-flush systems.
- A wall-mount – wall-hung toilets usually work via a wall-mounted button triggering the flush.
- Touchless – motion sensors trigger the flush. Often mounted on top of the tank, a wave of a hand activates the unit.
- Remote – if you have an “intelligent” toilet can flush by pushing a key on a touch-screen.
Professionals Keep Up With Toilet Trends
It may not be the most glamorous piece in your new bathroom but a toilet is vital, right? When you’re adding or upgrading a bathroom, rely upon licensed plumbing professionals to make sure everything meets local codes and works as it should.
Schoenwalder Plumbing’s certified plumbers make installing fittings and fixtures look easy. When you’re ready for the bathroom of your dreams, count on us to make it happen. Not sure of the style, color or technology that’s right for you? Visit our showroom. We have a wide selection of everything you need to make your new bathroom perfect. Call 262-542-7908 to make an appointment and see for yourself what’s setting the pace in toilet trends for Waukesha WI and throughout the Lake Country.