Bathroom Renovation – Part 5: The Toilet and the Sink

It’s the home stretch – at least for the planning process – on your bathroom renovation. While you’ll still have several decisions to make in conjunction with HA Construction (haconstructionremodelers.com) for the finished product, the right toilet and sink will help to round things out.

The All-Important Throne
No one likes to clean one, but the toilet is a crucial component in your bathroom, and can easily help or harm the design flow you’re shooting for. As you make your selection, keep these factors in mind:

• Measure the rough-in distance, which is the length from the wall to the middle of the toilet sewer drain (standard is 12 inches) – this will help to narrow down your options.
• Elongated toilet bowls provide more comfort
• Round toilet bowls are ideal for small spaces and are less expensive
• Standard toilet bowl height is 14 inches, but taller models are available and more universal

While it may surprise you, there are toilet styles, too. Two-piece toilets have a separate bowl and tank bolted together. One piece toilets are seamless and easier to clean than two-piece models, but are also more expensive. If you’re looking for dramatic effect, consider a wall-mounted toilet. Keep in mind, however, that it will be more expensive not only for the fixture, but for installation because it requires more work and support. Not to mention the fact that, if it needs repair in the future, it may mean you have to open up the wall.

If at all possible, test the toilet’s flushing capabilities before making a purchase. While it may look pretty, if it doesn’t flush well, it will be nothing but trouble. If you want a toilet that’s environmentally friendly, consider a dual-flush model; push one button to release half the tank capacity and both buttons for the full 1.6 gallons. Experts say these toilets can save up to $2,100 for a family of four over the lifetime of the commode.

Everything, Including the Sink
The sink you choose makes a pretty strong statement toward the design of your bathroom, too. Whether you go with a pedestal sink to conserve space, a traditional drop-in sink, or a modernized vessel sink that looks like a bowl sitting on the counter (and provides the opportunity for a lot of creativity), it will likely be one of the first things people notice when they walk into your new bathroom.

Consult with Andy at HA Construction (springfieldmoremodelers.com) to determine what types of sinks are even a possibility in your space. While you may want to install a vessel sink, there may not be a way to mount the fixtures on your wall space. You also need to make sure that the sink you prefer matches the configuration of the fixtures you want – again, such as wall-mounted.

The full list of bathroom sink types includes:

• Drop-in Sink – the traditional style that most everyone is used to seeing (also called self-rimming or top-mount)
• Undermount – mounted under the counter top for an uninterrupted surface
• Wall-Mounted – affixed to the wall to conserve space with a modern look
• Pedestal – supported on a pedestal, also to conserve space and provides a traditional turn-of-the century appeal
• Vessel – looks like a bowl sitting on the counter-top with a drain in the middle; you can use a prefabricated vessel sink or ask Andy if he can turn the piece you found into one

The finishing touches will come together soon and Andy can help to make that happen. In no time at all you’ll have a brand new bathroom to relax in – and show off to your friends.

Part 1: Layout Design
Part 2: Bathtubs
Part 3: Showers
Part 4: Choosing Tile