Ellie Broderick, Product Manager – Geberit Duofix, explores the drivers behind an industry shift in favour of wall-hung toilets on a budget, as well as the installation efficiencies presented by prewall frame systems for installers.
Traditionally wall-hung toilets are a popular choice for the design conscious homeowner or interiors specialist with money to spend on achieving a seamless and creative aesthetic. Typically, this design choice has been reserved for bigger budgets, those with more time to tackle a tricky installation and customers favouring higher-end product ranges. However, with product and system development from leading manufacturers, this is no longer the case.
Many installers are guilty of shying away from offering wall-hung toilets, concerned that the cost of the works will blow the bathroom budget out of the water. They worry also that subsequent maintenance will be challenging or create disgruntled customers, with an incorrect perception that the wall must be destroyed to gain access to the cistern on top of the service cost. However, none of this needs to be the case.
The creative flexibility afforded by wall-hung toilets and basins offers style-focused homeowners the ability to create interesting, dynamic spaces which are easy to clean and enjoyable to use.
With UK homes becoming smaller, the space-saving attributes of wall-hung sanitaryware speak for themselves, creating the illusion of larger rooms, whilst making better use of areas dominated by windows or sloping ceilings.
Lower budget?
When it comes to installing wall-hung toilets in bathroom refurbishments which are bound by tighter budgets, there are typically two considerations; the cost of the ceramics and the cost of the installation. However, product and system development from leading manufacturers like Geberit is challenging these considerations.
Fully-guaranteed, affordable wall-hung ceramic ranges are now readily available through most merchants, bathroom specialists or online, debunking the myth of wall-hung toilets being a luxury-brand item. With the cost of ceramics addressed, let us consider the issue of difficult installations, ramping up the cost of an overall bathroom refurbishment – another issue which manufacturers are tackling head on with versatile, quick-to-fit prewall frame systems.
Quick and affordable
A good example of this innovation is the Duofix system from Geberit, boasting a load bearing capacity of up to 400 kilos and a variety of options for different heights or design configurations.
Specifically designed with installation and ease of maintenance in mind, systems like Duofix make concealing the cistern inside a drywall quick and neat by eliminating the need for additional, carefully positioned studding. The result? A strong, reliable and leak free finish, thanks to its one-piece blow moulded cistern, angle bracket fixings and tool free fixings.
Installing systems like this typically reduces the often complex installation procedures associated with wall-hung toilets, with cleverly concealed fixings and the inclusion and position of water inlets and waste outlets. Importantly, the Duofix system works seamlessly with fully-guaranteed and affordable wall-hung ceramic ranges.
Maximising opportunities
Wall-hung ceramics and prewall frame systems allow customers to strike a balance between their design aspirations and an achievable budget. The combined benefits of more affordable wall-hung ceramics also give installers the chance to introduce homeowners to more style-led choices, that would traditionally be unachievable for the cost-conscious refurbishment.
Best in class prewall frame systems, like the Duofix, offer homeowners a variety of design and location choices, including remote actuated flush buttons, which enable the flush to be located away from the cistern.
With such design flexibility, plus the opportunity to sell affordable ceramics and installation equipment to a wider variety of homeowners, wall-hung toilets for budget bathrooms are a win-win for both the customer and installer alike.
