It’s easy to get excited about designer sinks, clawfoot tubs, and steam showers when you’re redesigning your bathroom. Most contractors and homeowners pay a great deal of attention to these fixtures: their design can make a big difference in function, and extras can give your bathroom a feeling of luxury.

But even though it’s the most often-used fixture in the bathroom, most redesigners don’t give a lot of thought to one feature: the humble toilet. The one you choose can make a difference, however. Read on for seven things to consider when buying a new toilet.

One-piece vs. two-piece. Most toilets come in two different designs: the one-piece and the two-piece, or close-coupled toilet. Close-coupled toilets are the most common, and tend to be the cheaper type. These employ an attached but separate tank and bowl. One-piece toilets have a tank built into the back of the bowl. These tend to be easier to clean, because there’s no small gap between the tank and the bowl. However, they’re usually more expensive. One-piece models have a lower profile than close-coupled toilets, and some redesigners like the more compact profile.

Seat shape and size. Toilet bowls come in either round or elongated models. Elongated seats are generally about two inches longer, and provide a bit more surface area–making the toilet a bit more comfortable than the round variety. Round toilets are smaller, and better for tight spaces. If you have the space for it, however, you may appreciate the comfort of an elongated bowl.

The flush system. Most toilets operate on a gravity flush system. These rely on the pressure of water in the tank as well as the weight of the water in the bowl to force water and waste into the pipes. Old-fashioned toilets with wall-mounted tanks relied on the height of the tank to increase the head pressure. Gravity-flush toilets are the most common and least expensive type. Read the rest of this entry »