Different Types of Toilets

Professional Advice

Toilet replacement is a simple, yet important, element of any bathroom upgrade or renovation for any Wake County homeowners. Toilets are also one of the most utilized plumbing fixtures in your home, making their functionality highly significant as well.

Some toilet upgrades can improve the overall visual appeal of your bathroom and help you save money on your monthly  water utility bill. Whatever it is that you are looking for in a bathroom, a trusted general contractor in Wake County, NC, should be able to help you find it.

The information below will give you an overview of the different types of toilets available on the market and the benefits of installing them.

Two-Piece Toilets

The two-piece toilet is one of the most common types of toilets that you can find in homes in Raleigh and the surrounding communities in Wake County. As the name suggests, both the water tank (or cistern) and the bowl of a two-piece toilet are considered separate components. 

One of the factors that contribute to these toilets’ widespread popularity is the uncomplicated nature of their overall design. Due to the simplicity of their design, it is easy for your plumbing contractor to perform repairs on them in no time. 

Additionally, two-piece toilets are incredibly durable, and hardly any component of this type of toilet ever breaks. Even though it will eventually get worn down, the rate at which these toilets wear out is far lower than average. 

The separate construction also enables a higher volume of water to be poured into the bowl — perfect for a toilet that is used frequently.

One-Piece Toilets

Unlike the more conventional two-piece toilets, one-piece toilets offer many advantages, but some Wake County residents find their design strange

First, the tank and the bowl of the toilet are both connected — it is a single piece of solid ceramic. As a result, cleaning it becomes much easier. The installation of a one-piece toilet in your Raleigh home can also be completed more quickly, thanks to the toilet’s singular construction.

One of the drawbacks of single-piece toilets is that they are tricky to repair — mainly if the problem is with a single piece of the toilet. Furthermore, their prices could be really high, which is something most homeowners planning home renovations in Raleigh, NC, are concerned about.

Upflush Toilets

Upflush toilets can be tricky, although they offer significant advantages to some Raleigh homeowners.

The normal operation of a toilet involves passing waste through a trap (or trapway), then into a waste line, and finally into a drain pipe that connects to a septic tank. However, you may find that building a new bathroom in your Raleigh home can be a hassle, even without extensive renovations. This is because the distance from the main drainage line can be an issue.

An upflush toilet uses high-powered blades to blend the wastes and a pump to manually transport the wastes from the toilet to the sewer line or septic tank in your Raleigh home. This makes it possible to install toilets in areas where they would not have been able to be installed under normal circumstances. However, this should not be necessary for a bathroom where you can install a regular flush toilet.

Both the installation and maintenance of an upflush toilet can be costly affairs. However, they could be a wise option if one of the primary alternatives involves performing major plumbing renovations.

Dual Flush Toilets

If you care about the environment, you might find that installing a dual flush toilet in your Raleigh home is beneficial.

Dual flush toilets have earned the WaterSense rating, which means that they reduce water usage. 

They have two different flushing systems — one for liquid wastes and one for solid wastes. You can alternate flushes between a higher flow (to flush solid wastes) and a lower flow (to flush liquid wastes) by pressing one of the two buttons at the top of the toilet. This will help you save a lot of water and cut down on your monthly water bills.

Although they are more expensive, dual flush toilets are more efficient and generally perform better than other types of toilets. They can also be trickier to install.

Wall-Mounted Toilets

When you step into a bathroom and can not find a toilet inside, it may seem unusual to you. Even more unusual for some Wake County homeowners is the fact that their toilet does not come equipped with a water tank. The bowl of a wall-mounted toilet juts out from a wall. These toilets hide their water tanks behind the wall, which frees up floor space in your bathroom.

Though the design of wall-mounted toilets can be exciting and novel, they are infamously challenging to maintain or repair. After all, you may need to rip off a section of the wall to access the tank and perform any maintenance work or repairs. This will result in additional costs for repairs and restoration of the damaged sections of the wall.

Are you planning a toilet replacement and installation project in Wake County, NC?

As you can see, there are different types of toilets to choose from. Do you need assistance choosing which type will work best in your Raleigh home? Glasgow Design Build can help. 

Finding the right toilet for your home can be tricky since there are many variables to consider before making a choice. At Glasgow Design Build, we will factor in the available space, the toilet’s durability, whether or not it uses water efficiently, and if it will be easy to fix or replace before recommending you an option.

We are a Raleigh-licensed general contracting firm specializing in creating new spaces and renovating existing ones. Whether you need help installing a new toilet in your home, buying a new exterior door, or building a porch or deck, we can take care of it. Feel free to call (919) 244-2979 or fill out an online form to schedule an appointment.