Choosing the right toilet

If you’re wondering what you need to know to to choose the right toilet for your upgrade or bathroom renovation, Sally of R&B can help.

There are two ways that you can ensure that you have the right toilet for your comfort and space. You may wish for R&B to supply the toilet for replacement, or alternatively you may wish to visit a showroom and select the toilet that you would like for replacement. Toilets are often a very personal item and one that will be in your home for years to come, if you’re choosing your own, there are a few things to consider before making a commitment.

A couple things you will need to know—whether you want to supply the toilet yourself, or have R&B do so—are the following:

The rough-in measurements of your current toilet:
– To do this, you measure the distance from the wall behind the toilet to the closest bolt on your toilet
– Common rough-in measurements are 10”, 12”, or 14”

Getting the right measurement here will ensure that your new purchase will fit properly when it’s seated on the drain without leaving a large gap. The worst scenario is that you fall in love with a toilet that won’t actually fit!

What shape bowl you would like—elongated or round:
– Often, elongated seats have a more comfortable seat

If you have a small bathroom, or one with a short distance between the toilet and the wall opposite, you may want to consider a round seat, as they don’t protrude as far into the room. Also consider door swing or anything else that might factor in.

Height of the toilet you would like installed:
– Standard height, or comfort height
– Comfort height is a bit higher and is also ADA compliant. This can be beneficial for anyone with mobility issues or taller people in general.
– Comfort height is between 17-19” above the floor
– Standard height will be approximately 15” above the floor

Many people choose the lower toilets for children, but remember that they grow, and a toilet is a long-term purchase!

Gallons per flush:
– Would you like a low flow toilet or a high capacity flush?

Today’s building codes require that all toilets sold in Canada for a single flush, use no more than 4.8 litres per flush. There are several toilets on the market now that also offer a dual flush option to decrease your water usage even more. These toilets will typically use 6 litres on the full flush and 4.1 on the ‘half’ flush to meet the building code standard.

Flush Lever:
– Flush button
– Right hand flush lever
– Left hand flush lever

The flush lever is actually a big deal. The reason is for ease of use. If you have an enlongated bowl, and a flush lever that’s on top of the tank, sometimes the toilet lid when it’s up means that you have to reach over top, or partially close the lid to properly access the flush button. Also to consider is that side flush levers are often out of reach if they’re on the wall side, and can be awkward. The front style are easily accessible, but may interfere with a clean / minimalist look that you may have going on.

Other goodies:
– Would you like to have a washlet on the toilet
– Do you want a warming seat

Take it from me, if you have the change to get a warm seated toilet, TAKE IT!. Toto makes a superior electric toilet that will wash, dry and keep your buns warm! It even has a remote control, flushes, and cleans itself. It’s the mac-daddy of toilets!

If you would like to have R&B help you in finding the right toilet for you, we are more than happy to do so. Please provide us with a budget so that we are able to work within that. Note, as toilets are becoming more and more advanced, prices can range from around $150.00 for a very basic toilet up to $6,000.00 for a top of the line model with all the gadgets.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please do not hesitate to let us know should you have any other questions you would like answered.