ᐅ Installing a Toilet – Is a Wall-Mounted Frame Necessary?

Hello everyone,

I have a technical question that I couldn’t find an answer to on Google, or maybe I just didn’t search correctly...

Here is the situation: We are in the process of buying a house. Unfortunately, we will only get the keys in two weeks, and we will then plan everything with a professional company, but I would like to get some information beforehand.

The house unfortunately has only two very small bathrooms. Currently, the old toilets with visible flush tanks are installed. We would like to change that. I thought a wall-hung frame system, which is then clad and has a shelf on top once finished, was the only option.

However, I have heard that someone installed the toilet system inside the wall behind the toilet. At the moment, I doubt that this works or is allowed, but I am not an expert. Of course, the wall has to be thick enough so that the installation components don’t come through to the other side.
Is such an installation really acceptable? Can the toilet system components simply be fitted inside the wall? From the pictures of wall-hung frame systems, these are large units, and I cannot imagine that cutting such big holes in the wall is permitted.

Are there any alternatives to the wall-hung frame system besides the old, unattractive flush tanks?

Best regards

If this ledge bothers you, you can make the drywall cladding floor-to-ceiling, which will prevent it from being a visible box.

The shelf is not an issue. It’s more about the space required for the concealed cistern frame since the room is quite narrow.

I have never heard of that before, so probably only a professional can help you. The structural engineering also plays a role in this. I’m not sure how all the drain pipes could be routed inside the wall, especially since they aren’t just 5cm (2 inches) in diameter. Additionally, some kind of steel framework is needed, as the toilet is quite heavy and the pipes also need to be concealed. But I’m not an expert, so maybe it’s possible. We’re also talking about saving only 20cm (8 inches) of space in exchange for a lot of work.

jessi7755 schrieb:
I thought a pre-wall element, which is then covered and has a shelf on top after completion, was the only option.

Or it is built into a solid wall.

Alternatively, the "pre-wall" can be recessed toward the back (if it’s not on an exterior wall).

There are no other alternatives.

jessi7755 schrieb:
But I’ve heard that someone installed the toilet system inside the wall behind it.

In that case, the wall was either correspondingly thicker or otherwise planned for that installation.

jessi7755 schrieb:
Is such an installation really acceptable? Can the toilet components just be installed inside the wall?

In hindsight, not really.

Of course, you cannot simply reduce an exterior wall by half to install a pre-wall system or a pipe there. This is not possible, even for interior walls that have a structural function.

Walls with a thickness of 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) are too narrow to build something into them.

Pre-wall installations were specifically designed for such issues: so that they can be placed in front of a wall without affecting the structural integrity or having unsightly pipes visible.