Author Topic: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?  (Read 28325 times)

Kaikou

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #50 on: September 24, 2015, 06:09:05 PM »
I hate bathrooms with stuff really close together. It's disgusting. lol

kib

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #51 on: September 24, 2015, 06:14:23 PM »
Think carefully about the cast iron tub.  The reality is that this much metal is slooow to heat and if your hot water isn't supremely hot, you will wind up with a lukewarm bath.  Of course if it's only for the pan and you always shower, this won't make a difference.  You might want to consider an "on site" water heater booster if you're going with cast iron and tub baths.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2015, 06:18:24 PM by frufrau »

justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #52 on: September 24, 2015, 06:32:42 PM »
Think carefully about the cast iron tub.  The reality is that this much metal is slooow to heat and if your hot water isn't supremely hot, you will wind up with a lukewarm bath.  Of course if it's only for the pan and you always shower, this won't make a difference.  You might want to consider an "on site" water heater booster if you're going with cast iron and tub baths.

I usually time any baths I take after someone else has jump started the water heater so to speak. I find that the water is hot enough for a cast iron tub in that respect. One great thing about a cast iron tub is that the water stays warmer for much longer than other materials, even though you are right that it also cools the water down more at the outset. I've forgotten to drain the kids' tub sometimes and come back to find that water still lukewarm hours later.

An alternate Unmustachian thing to do would be to run a hot shower first to warm up the tub. The main reason I want cast iron is because I've heard that steel tubs rust more easily and acrylic and fiberglass crack, requiring expensive repairs.

MrsPete

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #53 on: September 24, 2015, 07:31:02 PM »
Because we're preparing to build a house, I've been researching this topic.  We intend to live in this house the rest of our lives, so we want it to be accessible and elderly-friendly.  My many thoughts: 

- Must be easy to clean, which means tile up the walls (even though it's expensive).  I am not sticking with plain white or beige tile, but I'm also not going trendy.  This will be an expensive project, and I don't want the bathroom to look like harvest gold or avocado green in a few years.  Also, on the subject of easy-to-clean, the shower must be glass only from the waist-up -- I want the light that comes through the glass, but I want to minimize the cleaning of the glass.
- Large walk-in shower with no barrier (my elderly grandmother could walk all day long, but lifting her foot even a few inches was difficult for her).  I measure every time we go to a hotel, and I'm aiming for 4x5'. 
- A teak stool instead of a built-in bench.  A stool can be moved, and it can be traded out for a full-fledged handicapped seat, if necessary.
- Two faucets in the shower: A rainshower over head and a hand-held shower positioned so it can be used from the stool.
- The on-off control in the shower must be reachable from the door (without stepping in and getting wet).
- Tornado body dryer so that towels aren't necessary.  Again, this is an elderly-friendly thing, and it's definitely a splurge. 
- A good-sized shelf for shampoo, etc. -- but it's going to be hidden behind a pony wall -- not visible from the main bathroom. 
- Standard sized tub; don't care about the material -- My current builder-grade tub is 20+ years old and still in perfect condition.  I thought I wanted jets ... until I tried them in a hotel -- and I don't like them.  I also don't want an oversized tub, but if you do, be sure you plan a large enough water heater to accommodate it.
- I hate double sinks.  Extra expense for no point.  But I want deep sink like we had in our old house.  We have such pretty sinks in our current house -- but they're shallow, so if the water's turned on  past a trickle, it splashes up and gets us wet. 
- I am aiming for a vanity of about 4' wide.  That's enough to have space for soap dishes, a curling iron, or whatever -- and then a towel tower /space for "bathroom stuff" right next to the sink.   
- No furniture legs on the vanity -- who wants to clean underneath the vanity?
- I think I want a Toto washlet.  For certain I'm installing an outlet near the toilet so I can add one later, if I choose. 
- I adamantly don't want a toilet-in-a-closet.  They're more difficult to clean, as well as dark and gloomy. 
- A linen closet is a must-have.  I like the one I have now:  It's only 2' wide, but it has space in the bottom for a hamper and three shelves for towels. 
- I'm skipping towel bars -- instead, I'm going straight to handicapped grab bars (with plywood mounted behind).  We're not old yet, but we're also not young.  One day we'll NEED those grab bars, and we'll appreciate them already being in place.  The only downside is that they're more expensive than towel bars. 
- Small tile on the floor for "grippy-ness" to avoid falls.  Large tiles in the shower to minimize cleaning grout lines. 
- Natural light! 

I'm probably forgetting something, but I think this is most of it.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2015, 07:38:03 PM by MrsPete »

Rural

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #54 on: September 25, 2015, 04:13:19 AM »
Elongated toilets are much more pleasant to use...


...unless you're short. Then your feet dangle.

teen persuasion

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #55 on: September 25, 2015, 06:28:09 AM »
As mentioned:
In floor heating
Sunken in medicine cabinets.

How much room for the layout?
Do you share this room?
100y old house, my guess is just one washroom.

My dream shared bathroom would have the tub and toilet seperate from the sink.

This isn't exactly a "jack & Jill" bathroom but kind of. I thought it was called "rush hour layout" but a search for that didn't give me the plans I wanted.

I have seen this in some hotels.
This can be done in about a 5.5' x 10' space with all plumbing along the 10' wall.

Tub at far end. Just fits length wise with the 5.5' width.
Toilet beside tub
Wall w pocket door

Sink
Wall w pocket door to hall. (Optional)

This way someone can have their privacy (shower or toilet) while the other is brushing teeth etc.

My friend just built a house from scratch &, after I looked at her first plans, she incorporated this into her kids bathroom. She had the luxury (length) of putting in two sinks. Boy & Girl. They love it!

But even w one sink it makes sense. Why monopolies the entire room when you are only ever using 1 of the 3 things at a time.

I was thinking of keeping the tub separate from the toilet & sink, IOW the wall is between the tub and the toilet.  My line of reasoning is that I like to soak in the tub sometimes, but another person using the other two fixtures will be in and out fairly quickly (and not want to wait for me to finish first). 

I have an upstairs room that I want to turn into two full bathrooms, one accessible to the upper hallway for family use, one accessible to the (future) master bedroom.  Run all plumbing thru the common interior wall we add between them.  Roughly 6' x 10' each.  Tub furthest from door, then toilet, then sink nearest the door.  I may want transom type high windows in the common wall to equalize natural light levels between the rooms.

K-ice

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #56 on: September 25, 2015, 08:49:32 AM »
Sure. You can keep the tub seperate & have a half bath.

I like a small bath room. It keeps it nice & warm. Just be sure to have good concret board and humidity proof walls, ceiling & a good fan. 

I really don't like those master baths that are all open to the bedroom. I have seen them in the monster show homes.

That tub must be drafty & freezing!

mm1970

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #57 on: September 25, 2015, 09:58:15 AM »
I'd add a second one.

SomedayStache

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #58 on: September 25, 2015, 01:19:49 PM »
For my dream bathroom I would love a reading light for the tub.  The bathtub is my favorite place to read and I wish I didn't have to have the harsh big overhead light on to do so.  Didn't happen, but in a dream world a soaking tub w/ reading light would be perfect...

And this may sound weird, but I wish we had dimmable lights for getting ready for bed.

Install a dimmable light switch?  This has never crossed my mind, but its easy enough to do and sounds like multiple benefits.  I might just do that this weekend in my current bath.

Dee18

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #59 on: September 25, 2015, 01:24:14 PM »
I'd get rid of the pinkish beige-ish 12 x12 tile and the granite sink surround.  White is timeless and would look great with your tile. 

BlueHouse

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #60 on: September 26, 2015, 04:46:42 PM »
1.  Outlets in the vanity / Inthe cabinets.  All of my hair equipment (blow dryer, hot iron, etc) is in the vanity and I like it all plugged in. Even though I planned for this ahead of time the builder put it at the back of the vanity, so I still needed to use a power strip, but at least it's all concealed. Incidentally, if you keep the plugs at e top of the vanity and hang all the tools, then the cords don't get tangled.
2.  Outlet behind toilet. Need for toto washlet. Better to have it and not need it than to have to retrofit after.
3.  Wood blocking for future grab bar installation.
4. Reticulated arm magnifying mirror with LED light. Have the electrician hardware for this in advance so you don't have to have a cord hanging down your wall
5. Outlet inside medicine cabinets.  For charging toothbrushes, etc.
6.  Light in the shower
7. I'm not a fan of warm feet, but I do love my heated toilet seat.
8. I wish I had a European shower with no ledge and just glass blocks to walk behind
9. Hidden shampoo storage. I have a shelf for shampoo in my shower, but it's visible from my door. I hate that.
Good luck. Can't wait to see the finished product!

MBot

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #61 on: September 26, 2015, 05:43:47 PM »
Our bathroom has a shower surround installed over drywall, which is mouldering and falling apart with water leaking through into the kitchen ceiling. Because of that and a floor joist issue, it needs to be redone fully. When some cheap fixtures are put into the basement bath, we'll gut this one completely.

The new washroom will definitely have
- proper backerboard and tile up to the ceiling for the shower/bath
- hooks, not bars for the towels

In the interim, we put in 2 pieces we'll keep using and LOVE
- the concealed-trapway toilet with completely smooth sides. No trouble to clean. (best extra $$ i ever spent)
- The wall-mounted IKEA vanity with drawers. I actually built a vanity that was similar and got so thwarted by the finishing parts that I bought this one. It's amazing. Integrated one-piece sink and counter, soft-close drawers and wall-mounted so its easy to clean under.


Chranstronaut

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #62 on: September 28, 2015, 10:55:53 AM »
Love the little black and white bathroom!  With a full counter at the sink, I would love to have that bathroom.

I've added something else to my list: At least two towel racks.  I love big fluffy towels and it's hard to fit them on the same towel rack and make sure they are fully dry before the next day's shower.  SO likes to take a shower before bed if he works on the car or gets sweaty, but will take a second quick one in the morning, so he often keeps two towels in rotation just for himself.

This was the bathroom in our last rental house.  I loved the mint green everything, but hated cleaning all the grout.  It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't neglected before we moved in.  The counter was obviously added later and probably would have eventually been replaced by something mint or white if I'd owned it. I also would have ripped that window out so fast - a small one at the top of the wall would have been nice.


BeanCounter

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #63 on: September 29, 2015, 09:37:29 AM »
We just bought a new house and the previous owner had done a very expensive ($30k) master bath reno. I can tell you that I never in my wildest dreams thought I would enjoy a master bath like I do this. The things I love-

-HUGE walk in fully tiled shower with a glass wall (instead of a curtain) and a rain head shower plus a pull down massager
-TALL bathroom vanity
-sky light to allow natural light in- including moon light!!
-heated tile floors on a programmable thermostat
-attached huge walk in closet

Things I would change-
-would install a better (higher powered fan)
-would install a regular door- this one has a sliding door which doesn't give as much privacy

we are way too frugal to ever put something like this in a house, but we are really enjoying it in the house we bought

Cheshires_Coins

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #64 on: September 29, 2015, 10:00:52 AM »
Install a *good* ventilation system. Cannot stress this enough. My (flat, with five adults living there) house has two bathrooms, one has good ventilation the other does not, and the difference is noticeable very quickly in between cleans.

And, not this house, thankfully, but past bathrooms:
-Get rid of wood panelling, because who on earth has a brick kitchen but a wooden bathroom...?!
-Get rid of carpeted floor in bathroom because honestly who thought that was a smart idea?

The_path_less_taken

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #65 on: September 29, 2015, 10:09:24 AM »
I would insist that the tub be placed on TOP of the tiles: much easier caulking. Idiots who did mine didn't listen, pita to maintain now. IOW the tub is below the tiles on mine, so water has the potential to be behind things if you don't maintain caulk around that edge of the tub. Setting the tub lip down over the tiles eliminates that bs.

I'd also recommend a shower in the bathroom you use most. My master has a huge jetted tub: I never use it. Costs too much electricity to heat all of that water, plus the well is bad now so don't use that much water....pita to keep an entire tub and splash zone clean versus just a stall shower.

Windows/skylights. I have a huge window in there: country living. In the 'burbs though, I would build an 8 foot wood fence around a small outdoor zen garden with a star gazing hot tub in it with a sliding glass door out the bathroom. (assuming money is no object: I haven't read this thread yet, but you said dream bath)

They make a ceiling light that has a fart fan in it...kinda cool versus just that ugly overhead, loud vent in older homes.

As for the unglazed tiles: they'll be fine. Home Depot had some six inch slate in purple/indigo/gray tones in 2008 they were selling for trim tiles in walls or whatever but they were a quarter inch think and are working fine on my front bathroom floor. And they feel nice on your feet.

The master bath has ceramic tile floor....not as good a choice. I also put the cheapo under tile electric heat element down, although I don't use it: figured one day I'd get solar in a big way and it would be "free", because nothing says luxury like stepping barefoot onto warm stone.

m8547

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #66 on: September 29, 2015, 08:04:51 PM »
I would like a sink faucet where the water comes out more than one inch from the side of the sink. How am I supposed to wash my hands with so little room? But I can't bring myself to buy a faucet for the place I'm renting, and the local used building material place only has more of the same kind because no one wants them.

Catomi

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #67 on: September 29, 2015, 08:14:51 PM »
I would install a second toilet. Bear with me - we are currently sharing one toilet between four people, two of whom are very small and have limited ability to wait/high suggestibility (as in, my sibling is going potty? I need to, too!). And it's not like I get any privacy in the bathroom as is.

Failing that, I would have sink faucet handles that are far enough apart to actually clean between them. I have to pretty much floss mine to get them clean, which means it doesn't happen as often as it should.

MsPeacock

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #68 on: September 30, 2015, 06:05:17 AM »
My bathroom is so tiny - smaller than the bathroom we had on a cruise. So, the first thing I would want is a magic space folder so that my bathroom would somehow be bigger - not huge, but maybe twice the size that it is. (The space for a larger bathroom does not exist in my house, sadly).

Additional things I would want:
1. Sink (underset) and vanity space so that I have even a little room to set things down as I use them. I have currently no flat surface other than the toilet seat lid.
2. Fan that really works well to keep moisture down. A little space heater or ceiling heat lamp to warm the bathroom in the morning w/o turning on the furnace.
3. OMG - heated floors. YES! and a heated towel rack. That would be just awesome. Also enough space that the towel rack isn't over the toilet roll holder and 4" from the toilet. (Grossness currently - wet toilet paper, have to move towel to access toilet paper, not enough space to hang towels, proximity to poop.)
4. I love the old 1950's tile in the shower, but the floor has slippery 4x4 tiles that a later owner installed. If I were gutting it all I'd like a classic white or marble tile, and stone for the floor (like the actually like 2x2 stone tiles that are natural looking)
5. Cabinet for towels and toiletries and such. Maybe a drawer - a drawer would be awesome
6. Lighted, wired in, magnifying mirror
7. Sunk in the wall medicine cabinet and very large mirror
8. A deep soaking tub - preferably one of those 4' long sitting-up kind of tubs (Kohler makes one).
9. Shower w/ nice shower head and glass door closure (I had to take the door off the shower in my current bathroom because it is so small there really was no room to open/close the door). Nothing jutting out of the wall in the shower (like the soap dish) which is prone to have elbows cracked on it and being broken off. (My shower is about 2'x2' now).
10. Grab bars, because I want to stay in my house well into elderly years.
11. Electrical outlet near the sink for hair dryer. Outlet in the medicine cabinet for toothbrush.

I like PP idea of a door into a zen garden, high fence, and hot tub. I don't really want to own a hot tub, but this does sound very nice.

GuitarStv

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #69 on: September 30, 2015, 06:19:48 AM »
TMI warning.  I made a modern bathroom upgrade mistake that hopefully nobody else will follow.

I replaced the old and leaky toilets in our house a few years ago with fancy modern dual-flush toilets that we got at a great price.  They look cool, have large and comfortable seats, and are pretty tall.  The dual flush thing uses less water, but is well designed and clogs less often than the old toilets being replaced.  Turns out this was a tremendous mistake though.

Your body is designed to poop in a squat (or near squat).  When you poop like this, your colon makes a straight line and the poop shoots out easily.  When you poop in a more upright sitting position, it puts a kink in your colon and you have to strain/push harder to poop.  The lower your toilet is to the ground, the closer to a squat position you end up in, and the less likely you will strain/push hard . . . which is the cause of hemorrhoids.

So, about three months after installing these toilets . . . with no other change to my life/lifestyle . . . I started having butt problems.  Eventually I read something on the internet about squat pooping, stuck a small stool in washroom next to the toilet, and with the elevated leg position my problems went away.

The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #70 on: September 30, 2015, 06:25:25 AM »
The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

You mean like this?


Papa bear

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #71 on: September 30, 2015, 07:06:36 AM »

TMI warning.  I made a modern bathroom upgrade mistake that hopefully nobody else will follow.

I replaced the old and leaky toilets in our house a few years ago with fancy modern dual-flush toilets that we got at a great price.  They look cool, have large and comfortable seats, and are pretty tall.  The dual flush thing uses less water, but is well designed and clogs less often than the old toilets being replaced.  Turns out this was a tremendous mistake though.

Your body is designed to poop in a squat (or near squat).  When you poop like this, your colon makes a straight line and the poop shoots out easily.  When you poop in a more upright sitting position, it puts a kink in your colon and you have to strain/push harder to poop.  The lower your toilet is to the ground, the closer to a squat position you end up in, and the less likely you will strain/push hard . . . which is the cause of hemorrhoids.

So, about three months after installing these toilets . . . with no other change to my life/lifestyle . . . I started having butt problems.  Eventually I read something on the internet about squat pooping, stuck a small stool in washroom next to the toilet, and with the elevated leg position my problems went away.

The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

I'll reiterate what I posted before as well.  Comfort height/chair height/16"/disability toilets are about the only thing you find on the market!  And I despise them.

I went out of my way to purchase a standard height/14" toilet.   There are very few options at your big box home store. (2 options vs 15?).

Having trouble getting on and off your toilet?  Install a grab bar.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

plainjane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #72 on: September 30, 2015, 07:35:47 AM »
I really wish we had put an outlet in the linen closet where we store all items (insufficient room for a vanity).  That would be helpful for recharging electric toothbrushes, electric razors.  (I also wish we had thought to take advantage of that wall being open to change up some of the electrical in the room on the other side.)

I'm really happy our contractor put our fan on a timer.  Nobody needs to remember to turn off the fan, or turn it off before it has finished doing its job - we just set it and it turn off automatically.  I'm also a fan of the dual flush Toto toilet - though it does require more consistent cleaning than the full flush did.

justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #73 on: September 30, 2015, 08:38:49 AM »
I'm struggling with the ventilation issue. Obviously it is very important to a lot of people, but this bathroom has never had a fan before. And I honestly can't say I miss it. In the summer, we have the air conditioning on most of the time, and wouldn't a fan be working at cross purposes to your AC? Also, how long do you have the fan on? I remember reading that, especially in the summer, it is inefficient to leave it on for longer than a few minutes.

In the winter, the humidity from a shower is welcome in the home. I open the door to the bathroom and let that humidity out into the rest of the home.

So that leaves me with spring and fall. Admittedly, I use the fan in our new bathroom more during those seasons, but wouldn't an open or cracked window function similarly? We currently have a window in there, and to make the bathroom to code you either have to have an exhaust fan or a window.

Maybe it just depends on where you live. We have sky high humidity where I am in the Midwest, but I still don't have mold issues in the bathroom.

FatCat

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #74 on: September 30, 2015, 08:44:11 AM »
The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

You mean like this?



I don't know why these haven't caught on here. The public toilets in my town are stainless steel with no seat that I assume they expect you to hover over because if you try to sit on it the rim will hurt your bum. It's much easier to squat over the Asian style floor toilet than to hover over a Western style toilet. Since so many people tend to hover over the public toilets anyway it would be better to start having these squatting toilets available. Public restrooms in Asia usually have several squatters and then one or two sitting toilets in the back.

It really pisses me off when someone urinates all over the seat and then leaves the mess for the next person. They don't want to touch anything because the public bathroom is unsanitary, but they are the main reason it's unsanitary.



Back to original question... If I could do whatever I wanted to my bathroom and if I didn't care about the costs, I would probably install those fancy Japanese toilets that play the sound of running water, have a seat warmer, and a built in bidet. Also, I noticed several upscale homes had urinals in the toilet room. I have no use for this so I wouldn't bother with it, but I guess men like it. I also liked the toilet room being a separate room from the actual bathing room. It's much more pleasant.

Jack

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #75 on: October 03, 2015, 05:51:56 PM »

TMI warning.  I made a modern bathroom upgrade mistake that hopefully nobody else will follow.

I replaced the old and leaky toilets in our house a few years ago with fancy modern dual-flush toilets that we got at a great price.  They look cool, have large and comfortable seats, and are pretty tall.  The dual flush thing uses less water, but is well designed and clogs less often than the old toilets being replaced.  Turns out this was a tremendous mistake though.

Your body is designed to poop in a squat (or near squat).  When you poop like this, your colon makes a straight line and the poop shoots out easily.  When you poop in a more upright sitting position, it puts a kink in your colon and you have to strain/push harder to poop.  The lower your toilet is to the ground, the closer to a squat position you end up in, and the less likely you will strain/push hard . . . which is the cause of hemorrhoids.

So, about three months after installing these toilets . . . with no other change to my life/lifestyle . . . I started having butt problems.  Eventually I read something on the internet about squat pooping, stuck a small stool in washroom next to the toilet, and with the elevated leg position my problems went away.

The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

I'll reiterate what I posted before as well.  Comfort height/chair height/16"/disability toilets are about the only thing you find on the market!  And I despise them.

I went out of my way to purchase a standard height/14" toilet.   There are very few options at your big box home store. (2 options vs 15?).

Having trouble getting on and off your toilet?  Install a grab bar.

Since we're reiterating, I'll point out that a wall-mounted toilet can be installed at any height you want (give or take code, I guess).

justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #76 on: October 13, 2015, 06:45:28 AM »
So we got the bids for the new bathroom, and I have to admit I am flummoxed. This is not our first time to get bids -- we paid 75K for an addition a few years ago--, but this is the first time there has been such a vast discrepancy. The first bid we received was for around $12,250. The second was for $6,100! Neither of these include the plumbing work, which is going to be about $5,000. Neither included the cost of the tile or fixtures, which will be around 2.5K, mainly because the custom tile was over $600.

After looking at the cheaper bid, we realized he neglected to include tiling the non-shower walls, so that might add about 1K at the most. Otherwise, the bids are pretty much the same. I'm particularly confused because the sense we got from our neighbors who had used these people was that the 12K contractor was a steal. He lives a few blocks over, doesn't have the overhead of a fancy truck with his name on it, and he routinely works in our neighborhood. The other guy used to work for a huge trusted firm and started his own contracting business a few years ago. He did the ginormous addition/whole house renovation on our neighbor's house, which included two bathrooms.

I guess I'll just be happy and go with the cheaper guy. We trust both of them based on reviews. But I am very confused. I know the 12K one was wholly unthrilled with the thought of the putting the cast iron tub in place in a second floor bathroom, so maybe he jacked up the price for that.

So, back to bathrooms, what concealed trapway toilets have you guys bought? I am pretty Toto loyal, but the concealed trapway really raises the price on that brand. Anyone have luck with American Standard? I will not buy a Kohler toilet, as I have had bad experiences with them clogging in the past.

Matt_D

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #77 on: October 13, 2015, 07:43:51 AM »
To answer the original question: I mostly just wish it was bigger! I think we have about 3ft x 5ft of actual floor space. Also, there is no vent... we have a window we can open but on days when it's raining/snowing/etc. that's not terribly helpful. Also, during the winter that method of ventilation gets COLD when I've just taken a shower and then need to see in the mirror to shave! Actually, now that I think about it... my bathroom might be a big part of why I tend to grow a beard during the winter!

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #78 on: October 13, 2015, 08:16:48 AM »
We remodeled our main bath, about 10 years after the first remodel which was done in a hurry and inexpensively as possible. Some things we did that were nice: replace the old long window for one that is higher and squarer, that has the kind of glass you can't look through, and is awning style. That way you don't need a curtain, and get lots of natural light and can crank it open for extra ventilation. We kept the cast iron tub, and oriented it so you can walk all around it, better for cleaning and ventilation. replaced old pedestal sink with a long vanity with lots of drawers that is big enough for 2 sinks, but only installed 1 sink for more counter space, with quartz countertop. My husband and I have opposite schedules so using the sink at the same time is not an issue with us, and this way get to have plants and extra countertop space. Medicine cabinet inset between the studs, with mirrored inside and back (in case you need extra angles for viewing). Multiple lights above the countertop for more even lighting. We couldn't afford a heated floor, but we did get a heated towel rack which is AWESOME! It dries and heats the towels and washcloths between uses, so they stay fresh and can use more than once, plus it feels nice getting out of the shower. We also oriented things so we could have for example: a stool below the towel rack and next to the bathtub for getting out, room for a storage shelf near the toilet, and also room for a linen closet for storing our linens.
I don't remember the brand but something like this. http://www.walmart.com/ip/22401776?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222016404133&veh=sem
« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 08:22:11 AM by partgypsy »

soupcxan

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #79 on: October 13, 2015, 09:08:37 AM »
- I hate double sinks.  Extra expense for no point.

If you have two people who have to get ready to go to work at the same time every day, two sinks is incredibly convenient. Totally worth the expense.

Wilson Hall

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #80 on: October 13, 2015, 10:31:02 AM »
So we got the bids for the new bathroom, and I have to admit I am flummoxed. This is not our first time to get bids -- we paid 75K for an addition a few years ago--, but this is the first time there has been such a vast discrepancy. The first bid we received was for around $12,250. The second was for $6,100! Neither of these include the plumbing work, which is going to be about $5,000. Neither included the cost of the tile or fixtures, which will be around 2.5K, mainly because the custom tile was over $600.

After looking at the cheaper bid, we realized he neglected to include tiling the non-shower walls, so that might add about 1K at the most. Otherwise, the bids are pretty much the same. I'm particularly confused because the sense we got from our neighbors who had used these people was that the 12K contractor was a steal. He lives a few blocks over, doesn't have the overhead of a fancy truck with his name on it, and he routinely works in our neighborhood. The other guy used to work for a huge trusted firm and started his own contracting business a few years ago. He did the ginormous addition/whole house renovation on our neighbor's house, which included two bathrooms.

I guess I'll just be happy and go with the cheaper guy. We trust both of them based on reviews. But I am very confused. I know the 12K one was wholly unthrilled with the thought of the putting the cast iron tub in place in a second floor bathroom, so maybe he jacked up the price for that.

So, back to bathrooms, what concealed trapway toilets have you guys bought? I am pretty Toto loyal, but the concealed trapway really raises the price on that brand. Anyone have luck with American Standard? I will not buy a Kohler toilet, as I have had bad experiences with them clogging in the past.

Hi Justajane,

We are in the process of remodeling the upstairs master bath in our 1970s house. Your experience with quotes sounds remarkably similar to ours: $11,000+ for the full remodel with a licensed contractor vs. around $6,000+ for a partial (shower and pocket door only, cash only). Everything was ripped out down to the joists. Here's what our remodel will have:

-walk-in tile shower replacing old tub; beige tile/grout for easy cleaning, bench for sitting/shaving; glass door w/ handle;
-same tile as flooring/border;
-comfort-height toilet;
-recessed lighting (a light box was built for this);
-pocket door;
-two undermount sinks w/granite countertops, each at a different height (husband is over 6' and got tired of stooping);
-rice paper over the window for privacy;
-cabinets/storage TBD; we think we'll have one above the toilet and others adjacent to each sink.

Because the husband is handy, he's only contracted out parts of the work, mostly involving the shower-building and tile installation, and even then he assisted with the work to 1) keep the price down and 2) learn the skill so he can do most of the work next time. A plumber has been paid a few hours' labor to handle things like moving the tub drain and the shower head. We have a few licensed-contractor friends who have been happy to come over after work to lend a hand for an hour in exchange for libations. All in all, we're still looking at close to $10,000 in materials and labor costs for the whole project, but that's still at least $1k less than if we'd contracted out the entire job. We still have to pay for the glass shower door and buy/build cabinets, but that should be about it.

I love your idea of having a clawfoot tub! Both our full baths are too small for a big tub and walk-in shower, which means separate remodels. We did a minor remodel (think $500) on the guest bathroom a few years ago: paint, new hardware, light fixtures, faucet, mirror, and exhaust fan. That should hold us for a few more years until we are ready to rip out the old tub, put in a larger one, retile the room, and put in a new vanity. In terms of time, effort, and money, it should cost far less than the master bath since we won't be building a new shower from the joists up. I do love soaking in a big tub...my garden tub from my previous residence is the one thing I miss most about that home.

Did I miss something about why the plumbing for your remodel will cost $5,000? That seems awfully steep!


justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #81 on: October 13, 2015, 10:56:18 AM »
Did I miss something about why the plumbing for your remodel will cost $5,000? That seems awfully steep!

Thanks for the reply, Wilson Hall. I love hearing about others' remodels, what they are doing, and what they cost. To clarify, we are actually putting in a cast iron alcove tub. The bathroom originally had a clawfoot tub, but since the bathroom will moslyt be used to shower, I didn't want the inconvenience of climbing in and out of a clawfoot. Plus the clawfoot with shower will cost approximately four times what an alcove tub will. That exposed plumbing and circular shower rod are damned expensive, as is a clawfoot itself.

Yes, the plumbing is steep, in large part because they are removing the original cast iron stack that runs through the wall of 2.5 stories. It is literally built into the brick of the home, i.e. carved into the brick. Plus this will include a new vent for the shower, all new plumbing, and the finishing plumbing work in the bathroom. I guess I could get another bid from another company, but we have asked people in the past, and it's always come out over 4K. We've compared notes with neighbors and that's what they paid as well. We paid 4K for the brand new plumbing on our addition bathroom as well. It seems to be the going rate when you're talking about building a bathroom from the ground up, which is essentially what we're doing here. It's going to be approximately four full days of work for the plumber.

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #82 on: October 13, 2015, 01:13:58 PM »
The best thing we did during our bathroom reno was our "poor man's towel warmer/dryer." (Attached a photo below)

We had them change the style of the floor vent, and recess it into our wall.  This way the warm air keeps our towels warm, and dries them quickly - helping to prevent moisture issues, and a warm towel in the winter is an awesome luxury!  Not smashing elbows on the now recessed towel bar is an added bonus!
« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 06:55:03 PM by SandyBoxx »

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #83 on: October 13, 2015, 02:20:04 PM »
I had a 1950's condo with a wall heater in the bathroom, directly across from the toilet.  It was just a big metal box recessed into the wall and a big orange heating element like on an electric stovetop.  Gosh it felt great on cold mornings.

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #84 on: October 13, 2015, 03:23:30 PM »
This thread has inspired me to change what I can (without major $) about my bathroom:

Replace nasty old caulk in shower/tub enclosure (done)
Replace caulk at tub/floor and toilet/floor junction
Paint
New vinyl floor (maybe--we have to remove the toilet to paint, so why not do the floor, too)
Lower medicine cabinet so i can see my entire face in the mirror, not just from the nose up
Replace nasty old water taps with one-handle faucet

I plan to do most of this myself. Doing the caulk was way easier and smoother than I expected, so I have new confidence.

We have the plunger and the toilet brush standing on the floor next to the toilet. I really want them off the floor. What do you do with yours? Do they fit under the sink, or ?

Zaga

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #85 on: October 13, 2015, 03:31:19 PM »
Our plunger is one a scrap of cardboard in the closet.  Perhaps not ideal, but at least it's out of sight.

Goldielocks

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #86 on: October 13, 2015, 04:57:23 PM »
Hi -- re Toilet brands

We have a Toto (put in by prev owner, circa 2005); and two American Standard Toilets.

I had put in a different brand (with elongated bowl, hidden trapway, nice looks) from Costco at one location, (to replace a round bowl American Standard Cadet), but ripped it out after only 1 year of horrible toilet issues.   Replaced with American Standard Champion.

Review:

Toto works amazingly well 10 years later, looks nice.  The handle broke 3 years ago (inside reinforcement connection to the lever) and DH fixed it with heat polymorph plastic (the stuff that "melts" in hot water, then firms up).   Parts seem expensive, so we are happy to not have needed any other than the handle fix.

American Standard Cadet and Champion, are by far the best flushers.   We now have the ultra low water versions, 1.3L (because of our local municipal zoning) and the biggest issue is a small diameter water "spot" that results in the occasional track. 'nuf said. The Cadet with the normal 1.6L flush was an amazing performing toilet and huge value.   Always flushes, large water spot, just keeps working.

I installed the Am. Std. Champion toilet myself and it was the easiest toilet EVER to install, from the handy plastic "wrenches" for the tank bolts to the provided floor bolts and self leveling (pretty much)..  easy peasy.   I have now installed maybe 8 toilets in my lifetime and the Champion has thought through a lot of the newbie challenges very well.  It is easy to keep clean.


These toilets come in many variations, including hidden trapway.  I do find that the exposed trapway we have for them is quite subtle and very very easy to quickly wipe down -- easier than the Toto which somehow attracts dust from the floor and is obvious when in need of cleaning.

Hope that helps.



labrat

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #87 on: October 13, 2015, 06:08:20 PM »
I just wish we had a fan =( As it stands, we have to open the door and run a dehumidifier immediately outside the door for a while (no room in the bathroom for the unit...).

THIS!  I have a window in our 1953 bathroom and can run the house fan to force the air out, at least.  A timed fan was mentioned above and sounds great. I had a continuously running, super-quiet vent fan in my last rental condo which was a brand new bldg.  It ran slowly enough that the bathroom would steam up during the shower, but cleared within a minute or two afterward.  I imagine a timed fan would be more efficient.

I have to say that my 1953 cast-iron bathtub is in fabulous condition.  It was a bit grimy when I moved in, but the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda cleaning method worked wonders.

My dream bathroom includes many of the things already mentioned:
  • vent fan!
  • raised height, elongated toilet
  • bidet
  • japanese soaking tub
  • walk-in shower with niche for shampoo and glass wall (no more shower curtains!)
  • neutral tile floor and walls
  • natural light
  • large medicine cabinet
  • double sink w/long single bowl and easy to clean faucets
  • vanity with adequately sized drawers and integrated organizers/compartments
  • small linen closet and towel niches to maximize space
  • radiant heat (floors and towel warmer)

Jakejake

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #88 on: October 13, 2015, 07:25:16 PM »
My husband replaced the toilet in our master bathroom with the Toilet of Misery.

It's too tall. It puts all my body weight on the backs of my thighs and my feet don't rest right on the ground - generally uncomfortable, but after a serious leg workout when those muscles are already sore it fills me with pain and secret bitter resentment.

It has the Observation Shelf. I do not need or want to observe anything happening in the toilet in that much detail.

It is low flow. The theory is that it saves water. The reality is that if you have to flush 50 times to get yer shit off the observation shelf, it's counterproductive. It's worth driving to Canada to smuggle in a real toilet.

labrat

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #89 on: October 13, 2015, 10:00:10 PM »
Something like this might help with too-tall toilet issues: http://www.squattypotty.com/

Extra short toilets are not fun when you have knee issues - otherwise I wouldn't care. I agree that there is pressure on the thighs with the taller toilets.  Observation shelf?  WTF?! 

PFHC

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #90 on: October 14, 2015, 01:44:52 AM »
Put it on a 30 ft sailboat making its way around the world.

Seriously, I'd make it smaller, and I plan to. 5' x 8' absolute max for the main floor. Study hotel bathrooms, especially European ones for inspiration. Even smaller for the upstairs. Basically a 3' shower with a sink in it and a toilet in a closet. Put a floor drain in and tile the whole thing. Done.

Wilson Hall

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #91 on: October 14, 2015, 11:36:32 AM »
Did I miss something about why the plumbing for your remodel will cost $5,000? That seems awfully steep!

Thanks for the reply, Wilson Hall. I love hearing about others' remodels, what they are doing, and what they cost. To clarify, we are actually putting in a cast iron alcove tub. The bathroom originally had a clawfoot tub, but since the bathroom will moslyt be used to shower, I didn't want the inconvenience of climbing in and out of a clawfoot. Plus the clawfoot with shower will cost approximately four times what an alcove tub will. That exposed plumbing and circular shower rod are damned expensive, as is a clawfoot itself.

Yes, the plumbing is steep, in large part because they are removing the original cast iron stack that runs through the wall of 2.5 stories. It is literally built into the brick of the home, i.e. carved into the brick. Plus this will include a new vent for the shower, all new plumbing, and the finishing plumbing work in the bathroom. I guess I could get another bid from another company, but we have asked people in the past, and it's always come out over 4K. We've compared notes with neighbors and that's what they paid as well. We paid 4K for the brand new plumbing on our addition bathroom as well. It seems to be the going rate when you're talking about building a bathroom from the ground up, which is essentially what we're doing here. It's going to be approximately four full days of work for the plumber.

My goodness! That does sound like some pretty invasive work that needs to get done. No wonder the price is above $4k.

Once it is complete, you should have no regrets. I can't walk into our (almost) renovated bathroom without grinning. You will enjoy the upgrade for as long as you own your home, and it should be a selling point if you ever decide to move.

Wilson Hall

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #92 on: October 14, 2015, 11:39:14 AM »
My husband replaced the toilet in our master bathroom with the Toilet of Misery.

It's too tall. It puts all my body weight on the backs of my thighs and my feet don't rest right on the ground - generally uncomfortable, but after a serious leg workout when those muscles are already sore it fills me with pain and secret bitter resentment.

It has the Observation Shelf. I do not need or want to observe anything happening in the toilet in that much detail.

It is low flow. The theory is that it saves water. The reality is that if you have to flush 50 times to get yer shit off the observation shelf, it's counterproductive. It's worth driving to Canada to smuggle in a real toilet.

Observation shelf? I'm not sure I want to know...

I'm with you on the low-flow problem. Our new toilet is dual-flush, which seems like the ideal solution.

3Mer

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #93 on: October 14, 2015, 11:44:32 AM »
My bathroom is really small, and has this plastic wallboard material on the lower halves of the walls, a really old lighted mirror and really old flooring.  The only thing that really bothers me is the lighting / outlets need updating, the wall board material, and the size of it. 
It would be nice to have a little bit bigger counter around the sink.  But it isn't a must-have so I live with it.

Lookilu

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #94 on: October 14, 2015, 07:00:01 PM »
Re: Concealed trapway toilets

Both of mine are from Toto: the Acquia I in the bathroom that has a 10" rough-in and the Acquia II in the other. No problems to report with either one.
I ended up ordering mine from Amazon for about $350 each.

oneday

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #95 on: October 17, 2015, 02:57:30 AM »
- I hate double sinks.  Extra expense for no point.

If you have two people who have to get ready to go to work at the same time every day, two sinks is incredibly convenient. Totally worth the expense.

Ha, I was just going to +1 MrsPete's comment!  You make a good point about two people at the same time.  DH & I have opposite schedules, so our double sinks are a waste.

Believe it or not, I would make the bathroom smaller. Unused second sink area for one, and the tub for another.  We aren't bath-takers...I would change to just a 4x4 shower or something.  We could use the extra space for storage or just general living area.  Actually, our 935 sq ft could be laid out better overall...oh well.  Fixtures ideally would be smooth & with space between like another poster mentioned for ease of cleaning.  Sink can't be too shallow.  Faucet has to jut out over sink enough to wash hands etc.  These last two I didn't ever think I would need to mention, but have recently had experiences with shallow sink/short faucet.  Who makes that kind of crap? Anyway I'm not looking for luxury, it's just a room to go in, get the job done & move on with life.

justajane

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #96 on: October 17, 2015, 06:08:33 AM »
@oneday, I can't stand wasted square footage in bathrooms and, I might add, in closets as well. We are lucky to live in a 1920s home that has a walk in closet in the master. That is almost unheard of and was original to the home. I don't imagine the original home owners used it as a walk in closet but rather another room adjoined to the bedroom. Well, when we bought the house, we immediately removed all the closet hardware and shelves and turned it into an office (we called it the "cloffice") and later a nursery (actually the "clursery"). I mean, we just don't have that many clothes and there was another closet in the room that worked just fine.

Oftentimes when we watch House Hunters (usually to mock it), we think with square footage, "Wait, this house is supposedly 2,500 sq ft but the living room isn't that large. Where is it?" It's usually in the bathrooms and closets. And when new houses are designed that way, it is very hard, sometimes impossible, to change it and gain that square footage elsewhere.

Zamboni

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #97 on: October 17, 2015, 06:45:45 AM »
At the moment I would change my shower door, since it is broken and will not close. That is this weekend's project. Next I would change out the ugly light fixtures that the owner before me picked out. Then I'd replace the commode with one that always flushes properly. After that I'd replace the cheesy faucet fixture with the single central plastic fake crystal handle. Lastly I would smooth out the popcorn ceiling. But other than that, the bathroom is great. Big size, big tub, light-colored neutral vanity, molded sinks, giant mirror, white tile, walk in closet attached.

I second rethinking the cast iron tub, or even a much bigger tub, in an upstairs bathroom unless you have someone make structural calculations on floor reinforcement. Bathroom floors are usually quite sturdy already (because a tub full of water is heavy), but I've looked at a low-priced investment house where the tub clearly fell right through the floor into the room below.

enigmaT120

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #98 on: October 18, 2015, 01:33:18 PM »
Any new bathroom gut job I've done, I have an electrical outlet near the toilet for charging devices.  It's amazing how often it is used.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK, that was funny.

I want that big antique urinal that they used to have in Grant's Brewery and Ale House in Yakima, WA back around 1989.  I don't know what happened to it though, and they went out of business.

I definitely don't have room for it though, and since I live in the woods I pee outside as often as not.

aspiringnomad

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Re: If you could, what would you change about your bathroom?
« Reply #99 on: October 19, 2015, 07:32:35 AM »
TMI warning.  I made a modern bathroom upgrade mistake that hopefully nobody else will follow.

I replaced the old and leaky toilets in our house a few years ago with fancy modern dual-flush toilets that we got at a great price.  They look cool, have large and comfortable seats, and are pretty tall.  The dual flush thing uses less water, but is well designed and clogs less often than the old toilets being replaced.  Turns out this was a tremendous mistake though.

Your body is designed to poop in a squat (or near squat).  When you poop like this, your colon makes a straight line and the poop shoots out easily.  When you poop in a more upright sitting position, it puts a kink in your colon and you have to strain/push harder to poop.  The lower your toilet is to the ground, the closer to a squat position you end up in, and the less likely you will strain/push hard . . . which is the cause of hemorrhoids.

So, about three months after installing these toilets . . . with no other change to my life/lifestyle . . . I started having butt problems.  Eventually I read something on the internet about squat pooping, stuck a small stool in washroom next to the toilet, and with the elevated leg position my problems went away.

The moral of the story - tall toilets are designed to make you unhealthy.  Buy the shortest ones you can.

I'm 6 foot but have always strongly preferred the lowest possible toilet seat because it's always produced by far the best....results. I think the "comfort" toilets were initially made for folks with disabilities and then successfully marketed to non-disabled American consumers who see squatting as an unbearable burden. When I redo my bathroom, I hope it's not too difficult to find a good, old-fashioned low toilet seat.