Presently, the toilet market is specialized on three main categories of toilets: 1-piece, 2-piece and the wall-mounted models. However, when making the purchase decision, the question comes to whether there is any difference? Overall, it seems that you are just expect the toilet to have a stylish look, good work performance, long-term durability and avoid any maintenance costs. However, the listed features are unable to provide any relevant information on the advantages and disadvantages of toilets’ models.

The comparison of One/Two-Piece and Wall-Mounted Toilets

The Construction: the basic overview

The crucial difference in the construction of toilets is underlined in their category names. Following the straightforward logic, the 1-piece toilet’s parts are priory fused together and installed as a single piece of bath equipment. The 2-piece toilet is composed of separate bowl and tank parts, which are installed separately and interlinked between each other during the installation process. The wall-mounted type of the toilet is assembled on the wall as a single piece of bathroom furniture.

Although this might seem to be indifferent which type is best in terms of reliability, maintenance and the price, there is a huge difference between these models. The following information in the article will consider these aspects to provide you the knowledge, which will help you to choose the most suitable model for your home.

The Cost of Toilet

it is possible to endlessly talk about the variation of toilets’ prices due to the very broad range of their types. Different manufacturers produce different design, finish, style, production material, accessories and places of distribution. To provide the most relevant information, in this article we will consider the average indexes within each category.

2-Piece Type

Usually, this type of toilets is the most cost-saving among the rest. There is the need to note, that you will not see in this article that toilets are characterized with the term “cheap”. There are no “cheap” toilets in the market: this piece of a bathroom is one of the most essential things that prices are quiet discriminative. If you saw a cheap toilet somewhere, no doubt this is the low-quality product and we would advise to think twice prior to the make an investment in it, because lately the maintenance will cost you a fortune.

Because 2-pieve models were introduced to the market way earlier that other types of toilets, those tend to be less costly compared to other types. This is the result of the relative ease of the production process that takes to manufacture 1-piece models. Additionally, the replacement parts are the easiest to purchase, the market supplies a very broad range of them.

1-Piece Type

The particular type in average costs more than 2-piece toilet. The price difference adds up to at least 100 dollars when comparing to the 2-piece traditional model. The price difference is underlined by the differences in the advantages 1-piece model provides to its users. These advantages will be considered later in the review.

Basically, the increase in price is explained by the additional work the labour has to perform when composing the toilet’s parts into the entire piece. In the case of capital-intense production, the manufacturer spends additional costs to prompt the equipment to construct the single piece of this bathroom equipment. In addition, there is the matter of the customer needs and specific requirements. If the consumer wants to purchase the state-of-art product, the manufacturer invests additional materials to produce the matching product and it consequently results in the higher cost of the toilet.

Wall-Mounted Type

These toilets are the most expensive among all types covered in this review. The specific adjustments to customer’s wants play a primary role in this case. Due to their facets the price tag is higher. Moreover, these are the hardest to install, so the installation costs instantly increase the overall price of the product.

The Use and the Maintenance

The most common association with the “maintenance” is the part replacement and repair. Bearing this in mind, we though would like to focus on the “maintenance” in terms of cleaning the toilet. To perform a good maintenance, the toilet has to be cleaned on a regular basis. Now we will explain the differences of cleaning aspects for each type of toilets.

The easiest to clean are the wall-mounted toilets. The hardest part of cleaning process for this type of toilet is to descend closer to the floor are. This may cause a huge discomfort for the older population who have a particular health conditions such as limit in movements or the strong blood pressure changes when performing any kind of physical activities, such as getting up and down. This is the only sample of population for whom this type of toilets will be a burden to clean. For the rest of people, it will be an ease to maintain this type of toilet. Because the toilet’s bowl is separates from the floor, it is just needs to be wiped around and underneath without stooping down. Due to the idea of being a single piece of equipment, this type of toilets is more challenging to maintain in terms of part replacement and repair (in the case this happens). Specifically, the design of toilet’s shapes makes the replacement harder.

In the case with the 1-piece category, the parts of toilets have more obvious delineations compared to the wall-mounted models. These toilets reveal more places for the dirt to be seen, but not as much as in two-piece toilets. The joint between the bow and the tank has a smoothly continuous transition, which allows wipe the surface at one dash.

There are still some places that may become annoying in terms of cleaning. For example, the area where the toilet is connected to the floor area, the bottom side of the lid, the back side of the entire toilet – all these area become a burden to wash. Especially, the back side of the toilet is the hardest to reach.

The problem with cleaning the curves and joints gets even complicated when cleaning the 2-piece toilets. This type of toilets provides the biggest mix of all traditional inconveniences of toilet maintenance. Moreover, as the addition to the areas already mentioned, these toilets provides its users a great ‘opportunity’ to practice their cleaning capabilities in the areas of the cornice and the tank’s join.

The last, but definitely not the least aspect to bring into the consideration is that during the consideration between 2-piece toilet and other types, it is vital to double check the quality of the trapway. For some customers the lower price of the 2-piece toilet may appeal more, however, bear in mind that some producers cut the cost of the toilet production on eliminating the trapway’s enamelling. If that is the case, you will be disappointed in the earliest future about the investment you made in this piece of bathroom furniture.

If you are not the expert in this area, you will rise the question: “Why this will be a problem?” Let us to explain that. Then the toilet’s trapway was not enamelled, the constant flashing and the waste flashed in it will slowly damage the porcelain, i.e. it will make the surface of the trapway rough. This will create the paper hangs and intense the concentration of the dirt inside the toilet. As a result, when cleaning the toilet, the user have to personally face all that horror picture as the dirt and inside damage tent to spread to the bottom of the toilet over the time, no matter how much effort you put into maintaining the toilet.

List of Advantages

Each of the toilet’s classes owns their own benefits. The following section of the article covers the favours of each toilet type.

The Installation Process

1 piece and 2-piece Toilets

Even though the 2-piece toilets require less investment, they provide its advantages to tis users. First to mention is the overall installation of the product. There is nothing easier t be faced within the installation of the bathroom equipment than a 2-piece toilet. Even if you are the dummy plumber, you will be able to cope with it.

Additionally, the search of replacement parts will not cause any difficulties due to the complete fulfilment of their supply in the market die to the timeless use of this toilet models. The most unexpected issue of the replacement, is that it might be easier and more reliable to replace the entire tank in the case it fissured somewhere.

The consistuent parts of 2-piece toilet have approximately the same dimensions. We would like to pay your attention that it was stated that parts are ‘approximately’ the same, not ‘exactly’. Even though you might be told that the parts of one model may suit to another model of the toilet, this is only the partial truth. Due to the slight differences in the techniques the producers apply when manufacturing the product and the differences in the design, the parts may have slightly different weight and slightly vary in their shape. So, even if the repair went successfully, you may find that in the short-run you will face the same problem. Furthermore, the installation process requires at least two people to be engaged. However, the very limited availability of the ‘work space’ may challenge the repair process.

Wall-Mounted Toilets

Even though this category of toilets seems the post pleasant, the truth is that the installation process deteriorates the perfect overall picture.

First of all, the installation requires the specific escalators that avoid the wall to get down as well as it supports the initial lifting process. Secondly, this particular type of toilets has the highest risk of leakage accident. Note that the risk is increasing over the time the toilet is still functioning.

Even though the sealing of toilet to the floor area will not produce any problems, the installation process of the wall-mounted toilet is mare complex compared to the installation of other models. The first point is that it is impossible to perform the installation on your own – at least two people are required to install the toilet. The second concern that you will have is the look of bathroom wall after the installation was made. If you are planning to hire somebody to make the installation for you, keep an eye on how the bathroom wall is treated. If masters will “overdo” the installation, they might damage the wall considerably, leaving the deplorable result in terms of the appearance of the wall.

The Observation of Sizes

Coming back to the positive aspects of wall-mounted toilet models, there are the features that will please all their users. There is the need to underline the fact that this type of toilets keeps the bathroom more spacious, which makes it roomier and gives more area for the design and decoration ideas. Some design and decoration tricks are able to cover the vent holes and the rest unwanted shapes that are inevitable and obvious with one or two-piece toilets.

This is more of the designer’s concern mostly. The particular model of the bathroom equipment is also often installed for the elderly or disabled people with the purpose to provide the most comfortable transportation from the wheelchair to the toilet. The bigger ground space also makes the movement easier within the bathroom.

It is hard to point out some strengths of the one or two-piece toilets in this category. Some models vary in their dimensions: either slightly bigger or smaller. Nevertheless, the 1-piece model generally takes more space than the 2-piece toilets.

The Design

The design is probably one of the most personal characteristics applied to the choice of the product. Nowadays, as it is seen, the average preference of customers lays towards the modern and minimalistic designs. Especially in the later decade the high-tech style became the most demanding in the market of toilets. People usually associate the stylish toilet as the ones they face in expensive hotels during the holiday breaks or in the rich houses.

it might be challenging to provide the precise explanation of what the design of the product should be like, but the state of art designs are easy to spot when looking around the product in the shop.

Body Forms

Such type of toilets features with the streamline shaped body and usually, a more half egg-shaped outward the wall. The particular form is the most popular for its association with the top class modern and minimalistic style.

The shape is easy to compare even when looking at the photos and examples of the product. Meanwhile, the 2-piece toilet is the most volumetric, the 1-piece model has more streamlined shapes. However, the wall-mounted type looks like a smooth single piece of art.

Partially, the particular association of the fashion is just the result of historical evaluation of the product. If we will throw our mind several decades back, our precursors had the 2-piece toilets only; even though that type of toilets was installed only in the houses with rich owners and servants may not even have the one inside the building. Over the technological evaluation, the 1-piece toilet started to take its production and became the hit in the 1890s. In less than two decades later, the innovation of wall-mounted toilets spread around to all modern-build households.

Still, there are people who admire the old-style antique home design. Nowadays, it is also the sign of luxury and the ability to invest substantial monetary funds in the rare products and to pay their high-cost maintenance.

Whether your preference lies towards more smooth and streamlined or the old-style antique design of toilets, there are more chances you will see a broad range of one-piece rather than two-piece toilet styles on the market nowadays. Even when considering the wall-mounted model, you may expect the huge variety and offer of suspicious designs, but due to the high average price, the most range is made to meet the general expectations from the toilet. So if you are looking for something customed, you will need to be ready to invest more by acquiring the custom-made order.

Production Materials

An additional crucial feature of the particular product focuses on the materials used during the production process. There are some differences in this aspect when comparing all three types of toilets.

From one point, the material used to make the body of toilets is almost identical. As per the legal standards specified in the legislation of toilet’s production, the material that has to be used in named as ubiquitous porcelain. The most common requirement for the seat piece is that the production material has to be ceramic. The addition seat’s materials include natural wood and the variety of mixed ceramic.

From other point, the mix of materials doesn’t come up to only the composition of the body. The enamel coverage, colouring, decorating products and accessories are also the part of all “materials” that compose the entire toilet.

The range of colours currently available is tremendous and there is also the possibility no vary your preference in the shades of the colour you would like to choose. The custom made the design is the extra possibility you may utilize to get the product that completely meets your wants and needs. The customisation ranges from the choice of the hands to the producing your own decorations and so on.

Nevertheless, such “supplementary” features are mostly available for the products of a high-range price and/or exclusive brands. Choosing the toilet from the luxury designer implies the fact that there are more chances that the manufacturer will be able to customise the product just per the specifications provided by the customer.

Whether or not you are ready or willing to invest an extra in the particular product, is entirely the personal choice of each individual. There are people who are looking for the toilet to complete the state of art look of their bathroom, meanwhile others target the product that mainly has to be durable, reliable in use and require as minimum as possible maintenance costs.

The Summary

The range of the possible choice of the toilets will be significantly narrowed when you will decide on the type of the toilet you would like to purchase. Any of them will provide the list of the features that are common for most of the models within that range. The final stage of your choice will be based o the specifications of the style/design you wold like to have. In the end, just think what would you be able to bear for a very long time as the particular purchase will be a very long time investment of yours.