A toilet roll holder must accompany almost every toilet in the developed world. They come made in metal, plastic, and wood and vary in style from the mundane to the fantastic. As stupid as it sounds, a toilet roll holder actually has to do quite a demanding job. There is no other bathroom fixture that gets the use that a loo roll holder does, so when choosing a new one, bear this in mind.
In its simplest form, it is a mere axle for which a toilet roll can be placed so that it can rotate freely. There are, however, more sophisticated versions for commercial use.
You should already have a pretty good idea about what fixtures would be best in your bathroom in terms of materials and styles. If you have a modern bathroom a chrome toilet holder would be ideal.
What form do toiler roll holders come in?
The classic toiler roll holder
This is the sort that you see everywhere, it is the most common variety that fixes the wall, they then have an arm that comes out from the wall and another component of that at 90o to put the toilet roll on. They are available in almost any material and come in traditional to contemporary styles. If you want to store more than one toilet roll with this option, then your choices are limited. I have only seen this style of holder that can take two rolls.
A modern take on the classic toiler roll holder
There are versions available that are an arm that sticks straight out from the wall, so the toilet roll is dispensed in line with the wall instead of being pulled away from the wall. It looks good. You can only store one roll on it, though.
The free-standing toilet roll holder
This is the most traditional toilet roll holder of all, in fact, this is probably the first design of toilet roll holders. You can get some very ornate brass versions, but there are now cutting-edge contemporary versions also available. The good thing about a freestanding toilet roll holder is that, more often than not, it is a multifunctional design – you can either store more toilet rolls (the amount depends on the height of it) or it has a toilet brush built into it.
Some even combine the features so that you’ve got a loo roll holder, brush, and additional storage all in one. The other good feature about free-standing holders is that you don’t need to fix them to the wall. This means no drilling through tiles and no fixing it back to the wall after over-enthusiastic use!
Fixing a toilet roll holder to the wall
A toilet roll holder (if not freestanding) is best fixed to the wall by screws. It may seem like a hassle at the time – particularly if you have a tiled wall – but in the long term, it is the best option.
Avoid this position for a toilet roll holder
It seems like a bit of a taboo subject talking about positioning loo roll holders, but without a doubt, the most annoying location for a toilet roll holder is on the same wall that the cistern is on i.e. behind you. Try to avoid this position at all costs!
Here’s a guide on how to fix not just a toilet roll holder but any fixture that needs securing to a tiled wall.
You will need a:
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Masking tape
- A cable finder
- Ceramic Drill Bit
- Masonry or wood drill bit (depends on your wall construction)
- A power drill
- Dustpan & Brush or vacuum cleaner.
- Position your toilet roll holder on the wall where you would like it. Most holders come with a concealed fixing so once you’ve put the holder on the wall draw around it with the pencil.
- Remove the loo roll holder and offer up the concealed fixing plate to the wall. Mark the hole positions.
- Using a cable checker check that there are no cables or pipes passing down or across the wall where you want to drill.
- Now, here’s a tip, put a piece of masking tape over the marked positions of the holes. When you start drilling with the ceramic drill bit, the masking tape will stop the bit from sliding all over the wall.
- Using the ceramic drill bit, drill through the tile. Once you’re through, change the drill bit for a wood or masonry bit, depending on your wall, and drill the hole to the required depth.
- Put some raw plugs in the wall, and screw your concealed plate to the wall. Be very careful not to over-tighten the screws. If the tile has uneven adhesive under it, it will crack very easily.
- Fix the toilet roll holder to the concealed plate, that’s it your done, just a bit of sweeping up to do.