by Logan Stewart

Created on: March 17, 2008   Last Updated: April 24, 2008

Whether you are preparing your bathroom for a bevy of party guests or simply designing it to pamper yourself, the toilet seat is a central, and yes, integral, part of the bathroom. Depending on the amount of traffic your bathroom gets, you should consider replacing your toilet seat every 5-7 years; sooner than that if the seat is unsightly or stained. Like the clothes on your back, even the simple toilet seat offers a range of models, from the less expensive and plain, to more high-end, showy styles.

When perusing for that perfect piece of porcelain (or plastic, or wood, or whatever material you desire), there are basically just two sizes of toilet seat you need to focus on. Round toilet bowls are 16.5 inches and oblong toilet bowls measure 18.5 inches. You can measure your toilet if you are uncertain which you have, by checking the area from the front of the bowl base to the back part of the bowl where the screws are located. The majority will have the round uniform diameter and width, but some older variations in historic homes or designed with a modern flare may tend more toward oblong.

When choosing that ideal toilet for your derriere, material is one aspect you must take into consideration. Plastic and wood are the most commonly used materials, and while plastic is slightly more economical, it shows wear and stains more, and can also be colder to the touch than wood seats. If you live in an unheated house, this is a logical point to contemplate! Soft vinyl toilet seats are viewed by some as out of fashion, but it's hard to deny that they offer a comfortable resting spot, not to mention they are often used by those with quadriplegic and spinal cord injuries.

Don't forget that when you seek out a replacement for the toilet you currently have in your home, you need to take color matching into consideration, unless you don't mind winding up with a two-toned toilet. Sites like www.plumbingworld.com allow you to locate a more difficult to find obsolete toilet seat hue with their Close-Color-Match-toilet-seat-kit, shipped to your home to make matching easy, with 94 colors to choose from. The site www.plumbingsupply.com also provides a similar service.

And just where should you go to shop for that perfect toilet seat to accommodate your needs? Department stores and furniture retailers will probably have a varied selection. For the most bang for your buck, a home improvement store or a hardware store will normally be less expensive, albeit carry plainer, more unpretentious models. Specialty bath and plumbing stores also carry toilet seats, as do their online counterparts.

If money is not as important a factor as panache, there are stores out there that cater to lavatories requiring a bit more lan. Online sites www.bedbathstore.com and www.inspirationsbathrooms.com feature contemporary offerings for those with a penchant for modern fixtures. If your taste ranges to the somewhat eclectic, peruse the highly entertaining website www.funkytoiletseats.com. And even Amazon.com will have shoppers taking a seat with its Considerate Seat: Self-Closing Toilet Seat possibly the smartest $38.95 a wife could ever spend!

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