Urinals Becoming Trendy Home Addition.

More home designers and decorators are taking note of a novel, yet rarely discussed, bathroom design trend increasingly found in new and recently renovated homes around the country: the home urinal.

Until recently, urinals were rarely considered for residential use. It is believed, however, that they have gained interest and favor because of recent television exposure. For instance, singer Ozzy Osbourne proudly revealed that he has a urinal in his master bathroom. Not to be outdone, Curtis Martin, a running back for the New York Jets, showed the world on MTV that he also has a urinal in his home.

“Men are usually too shy to ask for one,” according to Barry Keidel, president of Keidel Supply Company, Norwood, Ohio. “And women never consider it when planning a bathroom … but spend the rest of their married lives wishing they had it.”

No statistics tracking the new trend are currently available, however, online retailer ImprovementDirect.com reports an increase in sales in urinals for homes, and some major restroom fixture manufacturers are now promoting or redesigning their commercial urinals for home use.

“There are probably a few reasons why this is happening,” says Klaus Reichardt, managing partner of Waterless No-Flush Urinals, Vista, Calif. “Most likely they are related to water and energy conservation.”

According to Reichardt, a standard urinal uses about a third less water than a conventional toilet, and waterless systems - which many homeowners like because they are so inexpensive to install - use no water at all, making them true water misers.

“The other reasons for installing urinals are the increasing water and sewer rate prices. Homeowners are charged for water delivered and removed from the house, so installing a home urinal or waterless system cuts water use, saves sewer charges and, possibly, energy costs. And the savings are passed on to the homeowner.”

Keidel agrees that water and energy savings are among the main reasons home water and waterless urinals are garnering greater interest. He says that one of the other reasons they are finding their way into homes deals with cleaning. He believes that urinals are easier to clean than toilets and stay clean longer because there are fewer users.