Creating a half wall to hide your cistern and soil pipe?

One of the most common questions we're asked when people are planning their bathrooms on Reno is around the space needed to create a half wall or built out section to hide a concealed cistern and soil pipe (also referred to as a pony wall, nib wall, concealment or false wall). This usually comes up when choosing a back to wall or wall hung toilet.

It's a great way to achieve a cleaner look, but it does need thinking through early, as the depth you need can affect the overall layout of the room.

As a rough guide, you'll need a minimum of around 100mm depth to conceal a cistern alone. In some cases this can sit within a 100mm stud wall, but it depends on the cistern model and the wall build up.

When it comes to height, you'll generally want something that feels comfortable to use and makes good use of the shelving space it creates. In practice, height is rarely the limiting factor.

As a rough guide, you'’ll be looking at a minimum height of around a standard basin height, roughly 850mm, and above. What usually defines the final height is less about the toilet itself and more about how the half wall lines up with the rest of the room. This might be a half height tile running around the space, the height of a basin or vanity unit, or another piece of furniture you want it to sit neatly alongside.

Thinking about moving your toilet? Read more on why moving a toilet is a big decision.

Front access cisterns are paired with a flush plate that also provides access to the internals. This is the familiar rectangular plate with the flush buttons that sits above the toilet.

There's no right or wrong option here, but it's much easier to plan this upfront than retrofit access later.

This can increase both the depth and the height of the half wall, which may influence things like shelf heights, window positions or tile layouts.