– What is the best concealed cistern which I can repair from top ? The toilet’s cistern is going to be placed inside the concealed wall – going to back to wall toilet. really worried as once cistern goes we wont be able to change it without smashing tiles!!
– Best distance between toilet and sink in small bathroom? Ad between toilet and wall?
– Fully tiled wall all around the bathroom or half tiled? Its small bathroom without windows in ground floor flat!
– Which colour tiles wont age quickly?? going got 60x60 cm tiles
those are very big tiles Half tile the room I suggest . Can you tile so the tile/tiles in front of the cistern and just above it are on a removable panel ? OR there are units on the market that can be concealed inside a wall but you make your own access
I have always used pastel shades usually light grey or pale lemon . All a question of taste I have found minimum tiling results in less condensation, but then I have always insulated the walls of bathrooms with 25mm kingspan under the plasterboard and then tiled. Fan in bathroom as well
Good ventilation a must especially as your bathroom has no outside opening for ventilation. Basic bathroom fans are useless unless they are extracting over a very short distance to the outside. Best placed on an external facing wall. If not possible, I suggest an inline fan unit but still with a relatively short distance to final external exhaust point. Try to have maximum one bend in the ducting. None is best. You’ll also need some way for air to get into the bathroom when the door is shut, like a sliding vent in the door.
Ive had a couple of concealed cisterns on different properties and had to replace both. Luckily the builder had tiled a removable panel and then used flexible sealant to attach instead of grout. When all the other tiles were in place, it blended in.
Best thing you can do is have a Removable tiled board as your false wall, Supported by screws in counter sunk washers, stainless steel.
Then fit your toilet into it, with Cistern obviously behind. Then, whenever you want to get to it, you have full access. The full board needs to be sufficiently above the top of the cistern to allow you access as required. Also, ensure that any internal parts to your cistern can be removed from within, and not having to remove nuts underneath, as this will save you a lot of work if you have a problem.
I’ve installed 2 concealed cisterns but only in a penthouse apt. we originally intended keeping for us as a UK bolt hole. I would never do it in an intended letting unit, unless of course you intend letting at the very high end of the market.
One had full access via the roof space loft, no problem, and another has access panels for the cistern and WHB plumbing access built to match the tile sizes and is completely undetectable since we used plastic sheet squares (made to measure) to decorate the WHB vanity unit / cistern void with a black backboard and no grouting required.
I personally fully tile my bathrooms / shower rooms usually with a white or neutral pale colour scheme, non-offensive to any tastes.
Ensure adequate heating and ventilation.
If you’re unsure about the layout look up the AJ New Metric Handbook - Planning and Design Data, full of guidance and anthropometric data used by architects.
Pictures attached for some free ideas for you, all built with my own fair hands, plumbing and electrics included. In future my services are £50/hr. for a well experienced architect consultation.
