Any plumbers here.

[ddpsnake]

Need some advice,working on a toilet flange,the last owners put in ceramic tile,and the flange is below floor height.Now I am going to add a new vinyl lifeproff flooring,I just did the kitchen and hall great product. What i need help with is how to raise the flange,have look at some spacers but little concerned it will leak. any tips,really don't want to hire a plumber,thanks.

 

[Lefty71]

There is no need to disturb the flange, as long as it is screwed down well in its existing location. They make longer toilet bolts. Use a fat wax ring with a plastic horn on the bottom, set right on the existing flange. Set another wax ring with no horn on top of that. You may have to experiment a little to get the right one (standard, fat, or super fat). You want a half inch or so of "squish". Make sure the wax seals are room temperature before you start. Do not stack two wax seals with horns on top of one another. Do not go for any gimmicky super seals or spacers, thats all bullcrap designed to steal your hard earned $$. When you are done setting the toilet, caulk down the bowl with water based tile/tub sealer or a silicone based if you prefer. Let dry, and chive on. HTH, Lefty71

 

[moparsaver]

Been there.. Done that. Stacking wax rings will get you by, but is not a forever fix. The extender kit is the way to go. No plumber required. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-1-4-in-1-5-8-in-Toilet-Flange-Extender-Kit-43400/305537804

 

[Richard Cranium]

 

[ddpsnake]

lmao classic.

 

[1967coronet440]

Need some advice,working on a toilet flange,the last owners put in ceramic tile,and the flange is below floor height.Now I am going to add a new vinyl lifeproff flooring,I just did the kitchen and hall great product. What i need help with is how to raise the flange,have look at some spacers but little concerned it will leak. any tips,really don't want to hire a plumber,thanks.

How do you like the life proof vinyl? We’re going to do our house and bathrooms soon and so far it looks like we will use that.

 

[ddpsnake]

Well it 3 days old,its ok,me i like the real things in this world,never a fan of fake,but it did go down well,took 10 hours by myself,i put over ceramic tile,hence the flange problim.the bathroom is next,going with a different color.7mm is good anything else is too thin.it helps that i am a carpet installer by trade.the joints are tight.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Sealing around the toilet base does nothing other than holding waste water. It all goes under the flooring when the wax ring goes. If you have a finished ceiling below it plan on replacing it also. But then again just go ahead and do it I may need the repair work some day.

 

[ddpsnake]

ok

 

[dual fours]

Sealing around the toilet base does nothing other than holding waste water. It all goes under the flooring when the wax ring goes. If you have a finished ceiling below it plan on replacing it also. But then again just go ahead and do it I may need the repair work some day.

mopar 3 B, What, your going to drive 16 hours, 1097 miles one way to do repair work. I hope you do not charge from when you leave the shop.
ddpsnake, Use 5/16'' brass toilet floor bolts. They give you a fatter load bearing footprint, much better then the 1/4'' bolts. If the bolts are not brass, don't use them. If you have to cut/shorten the bolts for the caps to fit, and their not brass, they will start to rust on the cut end and that rust will migrate down in to the threads.

 

[ddpsnake]

Well it looks like i will go the route that moparsaver,and i figures out,the best way it tear up the floor, new flange and so on.thanks to all who step up to solve my problim.I need to go back and restoring my cars in the winter,than sorry dear no time to work on the house,i kill me.

 

[ddpsnake]

Well it looks like i will go the route that moparsaver,and i figures out,the best way it tear up the floor, new flange and so on.thanks to all who step up to solve my problim.I need to go back and restoring my cars in the winter,than sorry dear no time to work on the house,i kill me.

 

[1967coronet]

lefty71 gave good advice, I do not like to seal the bowl to the flooring though.
Ceramic tile, you may need a shim or two to get the bowl level.
Great time to replace supply line and make sure you have a ball valve style shut off.

 

[mopar 3 B]

mopar 3 B, What, your going to drive 16 hours, 1097 miles one way to do repair work. I hope you do not charge from when you leave the shop.
ddpsnake, Use 5/16'' brass toilet floor bolts. They give you a fatter load bearing footprint, much better then the 1/4'' bolts. If the bolts are not brass, don't use them. If you have to cut/shorten the bolts for the caps to fit, and their not brass, they will start to rust on the cut end and that rust will migrate down in to the threads.

No I don't charge when leaving the shop.
5/16" bolts are getting hard to come by and I don't like using the 1/4" bolts. When possible I have simply started reusing the existing 5/16" bolts if still in good shape.
By the way some are supplying plastic bolts with their new toilets. Go figure. This will force me to find a good supply of 5/16" brass bolts. Some one needs their butt kicked.

 

[Lefty71]

lefty71 gave good advice, I do not like to seal the bowl to the flooring though.

There are three key points to my discussion about resetting the closet on an existing flange, which is too low. 1.) the existing flange must be fastened well 2.) the "squish" and 3.) Caulking down. Caulking down is both needed for holding the bowl tight, especially on a tile or harder floor surface, and it will also create an excellent visual aid if the bowl does become dislodged by an over weight or overzealous user. If there is never any movement, there will never be any problem with the wax seal, ever. Two problems I see with the Home Depot kit pictured are the need to seal every needed layer of the shims separately to each other, as well as to the existing and the new top flange. Also, the new top flange is crappy plastic, and will inevitably allow movement and seal failure anyway. Good Luck, Lefty71. BTW, not the kind of pedigree I'd brag about, but you can bet I've been around long enough, I'm not gonna screw up setting water closets and have to go back and redo those jobs. I know my methods are solid.

 

[JB400]

If done right, a toilet shouldn't move around. If the floor is unlevel, I shim the toilet until it sits even and doesn't rock around. Work requires that I caulk them down, but I don't rely on it to hold them down. Just a beauty thing for me

 

[dual fours]

If done right, a toilet shouldn't move around. If the floor is unlevel, I shim the toilet until it sits even and doesn't rock around. Work requires that I caulk them down, but I don't rely on it to hold them down. Just a beauty thing for me

Do you old guys remember when toilet bowls had two bolts and two screws to fasten them down?

 

[JB400]

Do you old guys remember when toilet bowls had two bolts and two screws to fasten them down?

I've never seen one, that I know of anyway.

 

[Bb70charger500]

Do you old guys remember when toilet bowls had two bolts and two screws to fasten them down?

You Know for the life of me I could figure out what the extra front holes were for on the antique toilet I bought, sadly my fat cat broke it before I could figure it out .

Thanks for the lesson!

And for the double wax rings I took up the org toilet in my house and it has never once been removed as per the org owners of the home it had to rings stacked ! 30 years without an issue ! If that's temporary .........

You'll like that flooring I thought it was junk first time I saw it but after seeing it take 5 years of abuse kids dogs .... I tell people it's a good bang for your buck !
I bought real bamboo for my house good expensive stuff. Best looking floor I ever saw . But anything rubs it (metal sofa feet ) or even wood chairs it will hurt it I'd say it's perfect for older people with say no kids one little dog that's it .

 

[steve from staten island]

Oakly sells extenders which fit inside 4'' roughing. If you have a lead bend I thought plumbing jobbers sell a extender piece used for damaged lead bends were there bent over closet flange. Id go to a good supply house. Im not in favor of fast repairs or gimmicks and that HD item I have no idea about. Or you can do it once. Your putting down a new floor? Ripe up the area of sub floor and replace the pipe. PVC couldnt be easier. Cast requires a little more work, specifically cutting the pipe. Then you can use know hub and be done and confident
BTW I still use plaster of Paris to set my bowls