So my buddy tiled his down stairs bathroom. He went and re installed the toilet, and now it rocks. How can we fix this situation?
Rockin toilet!
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How thick was the tile he added? He might need longer bolts due to the added thickness of the tile. If they are the standard bolts they might not be attached to anything if you know what I mean.
Careful tightening the bolts as you can crack the tile. Snug, not tight.
Careful tightening the bolts as you can crack the tile. Snug, not tight.
I had a toilet that rocked after a bathroom renovation. My problem ended up being that the new toilet I installed, had a shallower base, and when installed the base edges were not touching before the bottom was bottoming out on the cast iron drain pipe (picture a see-saw). Went through several wax rings and was tight as I could get it without breaking the toilet. Was fixed when I remodeled the bathroom again prior to selling the home, and used a thicker engineered wood flooring.
Be careful tightening as to not over tighten, or you'll be buying a new toilet.
Be careful tightening as to not over tighten, or you'll be buying a new toilet.
Sounds like the closet flange is too high now. Besides removing the toilet and reinstalling the flange at the correct height you can shim the base of the toilet. Try goggling shimming a toilet. Use a material for shimming that wont corrode like a piece of tile or plastic. After done you can caulk the base for a neat appearance and keep water from getting under the base.
Ok, for any of us who grew up in or otherwise survived the late 70s and early 80s, please queue the lyrics to Van Halen's "The Cradle Will Rock" and substitute toilet for cradle. If that doesn't have you falling down laughing, have another beer....
more seriously, there's some company that makes a bronze or stainless repair/ riser flange to deal with this increase in floor height, or with situations in which the original floor flange has lost its mojo and the bolts pull through. I've used them with happy success on at least two occasions where original crappy sheet metal/PVC floor flanges corroded away.
I think I got them from
http://www.jacobseninc.com
but can't find the specific item on their website at the moment. It's that 80s fuzz getting in my way...
also, use one of the new highfalootin hyrbid wax/foam/ poly rings or one of the even more highfalootin Fernco adhesive toilet fittings to prevent leaks
rock on, dude ! I said rock on...! Have you seen junior's grades... queue bad Van Halen guitar riff.... Dooo Dooo Dooo Dooo. and the toilet, the toilet will rock, I said Rock On, I said Rock on....
more seriously, there's some company that makes a bronze or stainless repair/ riser flange to deal with this increase in floor height, or with situations in which the original floor flange has lost its mojo and the bolts pull through. I've used them with happy success on at least two occasions where original crappy sheet metal/PVC floor flanges corroded away.
I think I got them from
http://www.jacobseninc.com
but can't find the specific item on their website at the moment. It's that 80s fuzz getting in my way...
also, use one of the new highfalootin hyrbid wax/foam/ poly rings or one of the even more highfalootin Fernco adhesive toilet fittings to prevent leaks
rock on, dude ! I said rock on...! Have you seen junior's grades... queue bad Van Halen guitar riff.... Dooo Dooo Dooo Dooo. and the toilet, the toilet will rock, I said Rock On, I said Rock on....
FatttFire said:
Use plastic shims.
(broken link removed to http://www.ezshim.com/prodez.html)
J.P.
Sounds good. I will tell him to use the plastic shims...................... even though I know I will be doing it!
FatttFire said:
if it's already rocking, replace the seal before you do anything- otherwise, the shims may stop the rocking, but he may have a slow (or later/ latent) leak at the seal-- toilet seals don't hold up well when things move around- which would slowly rot the floor
I did this. I used shims. Or was it coins... I forget. 
Plus, look for a thicker wax seal for the added thickness of the tile, thinset, whatever.
Plus, look for a thicker wax seal for the added thickness of the tile, thinset, whatever.
GVA said:
I saw a plumber do this on THIS OLD HOUSE and it work real well. He lifted the toilet up off the floor and laid down a good pile of mud(the kind used for gyproc walls) and being careful not to block the drain pipe, he put the toilet back in place. Then he push it down on the floor so as the extra mud squeezed out. A little clean up and tightening of the bolts and it was finished. This was on a new install and he recommended that the mud be allowed to cure before using. He said he used mud because if ever you needed to replace the toilet or the wax ring it would come up easier than if you used tile grout. It made sense to me.
Treebeard said:GVA said:
I saw a plumber do this on THIS OLD HOUSE and it work real well. He lifted the toilet up off the floor and laid down a good pile of mud(the kind used for gyproc walls) and being careful not to block the drain pipe, he put the toilet back in place. Then he push it down on the floor so as the extra mud squeezed out. A little clean up and tightening of the bolts and it was finished. This was on a new install and he recommended that the mud be allowed to cure before using. He said he used mud because if ever you needed to replace the toilet or the wax ring it would come up easier than if you used tile grout. It made sense to me.
If the ring leaks the mud will form a seal and make the situation worse that if you had not sealed the toilet to the floor.
Toilets were not meant to be caulked or grouted, and certainly not drywall mudded, to the floor.
Don't believe everything you see on T.V.
J.P.
In NJ as part of a final pluming inspection, we are used to the inspectors wanting the toilets cauled or grouted to the tile.
In NY where this is not normally done, on 2 occasions I have had odor complaints that when investigated were both a result of: the wax seal was sealed to the porcelain, and the horn was into the flange such that there was no leaking. In severe negative pressure situations such as the house up and the dryer or FP running, sewer gas was leaking around the wax seal. We reseated the toilets & the problem was solved. There was however no leaking. I believe this may be what they are looing to avoid in NJ and why they require it. Next time I see an inspector I'll ask
In NY where this is not normally done, on 2 occasions I have had odor complaints that when investigated were both a result of: the wax seal was sealed to the porcelain, and the horn was into the flange such that there was no leaking. In severe negative pressure situations such as the house up and the dryer or FP running, sewer gas was leaking around the wax seal. We reseated the toilets & the problem was solved. There was however no leaking. I believe this may be what they are looing to avoid in NJ and why they require it. Next time I see an inspector I'll ask
SmokinJoe said:Treebeard said:GVA said:
I saw a plumber do this on THIS OLD HOUSE and it work real well. He lifted the toilet up off the floor and laid down a good pile of mud(the kind used for gyproc walls) and being careful not to block the drain pipe, he put the toilet back in place. Then he push it down on the floor so as the extra mud squeezed out. A little clean up and tightening of the bolts and it was finished. This was on a new install and he recommended that the mud be allowed to cure before using. He said he used mud because if ever you needed to replace the toilet or the wax ring it would come up easier than if you used tile grout. It made sense to me.
If the ring leaks the mud will form a seal and make the situation worse that if you had not sealed the toilet to the floor.
Toilets were not meant to be caulked or grouted, and certainly not drywall mudded, to the floor.
Don't believe everything you see on T.V.
J.P.
My apologies if I accidentaly misled anyone on this subject. I do recommend talking to your local plumbing expert as they are much more qualified than me and should be able to better help with your problem. :red:
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