The bathroom floor is not flat and the toilet will rock (front to back) considerably if I install it the way it is now. I have about a 1/8†gap at the front that needs to be shimmed or filled. It’s a vinyl floor (sheet goods) over 1/4″ ply, over 3/4″ sub floor
I would love to pull up the flooring and level the area correctly but it’s just not an option this time around.
So, what do you use to shim a toilet???
Replies
Plastic or plastic composit wedges cut and set to be just inside the leading edge of the toilet bowl at the floor. A minimum of two to minimize any rocking in the other direction.
Since it is a vinyl floor covering use a color matched silicone bath grade caulk to uniformly fill the gap. Tool smooth.
............Iron Helix
The boxes sell (I'm sure plumbing supplies have them also) polyester toilet wedges. You're not the only one with an unlevel bathroom floor.
I'm not green anymore.
Once I found toilet shims made of a rubber compound instead of poly.
Could jam them in tight and then easily cut the excess off with a knife.If not a well stocked plumber's supply shop in your area maybe one could order off the web.greencu invented the wedggie
A person with no sense of humor about themselves is fullashid
If it rocks back and forth, then I assume the 1/8" gap can be in the front or the back. I would shim the back if possible because I think it would be less noticeable.
As for shims, the next time I encounter this situation, I'm going to use self-adhesive vinyl flooring tiles as shims. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like a good choice because the tiles can easily be trimmed to match the curve of the toilet. Leave them clear of the edge just enough for caulk. I would use as large a piece as possible since vinyl will compress.
-Don
I have the same problem in my guest bathroom. I blew it when I tiled the floor and didn't notice it until I set the toilet. I used three tile wedges at the back of the stool and it's as solid as a rock.
It was a good lesson, though. When I lay a new bathroom floor now, I'm semi-paranoid about getting the stool area dead flat. - lol
Thanks to all!!
I knew it wasn't rocket science <G>
Still can't figure out how to " reply to all"
Dave, yeah I blew it too. I used some floor leveler between the sub floor and the 1/4" ply, it was reeeally bad before that. Still didn't get it right though...I'll add it to lessons learned.
Don, I was thinking of using a piece of the vinyl flooring I had left over for a shim, never thought of the self stick option...
Let's hope I can set a toilet better than I can use this computer....
Thanks, Bill
What you can do is get a couple of pieces of large ceramic tile. Cut each piece to receive the the flange and set the toilet on your new fancy 'pedestal'.
In the case of vinyl, it would be best to cut back the vinyl to the edge of the tile, then set the tiles up level.
I have also seen these 'pedestals' made up with fancy edging tiles added- looks like an 'I meant to do that!' in the end. Once saw one made of marble threshold material with mitered corners- looked nice.
After hitting the Post button, it occured to me that you could also build a pedestal out of cellular PVC (Azek, Marley, or whatever). Could even use stock with a fancy edge.
I've for a long time thought that toilets should come with a plastic sub-base. You first set the sub-base level and properly shimmed, then set the toilet on top.
I knew I had seen just such a thing somewhere, but could not get the right search terms.
Here it is:
http://www.quickfixplumbingproducts.com/toilet%20floor%20plate.htm
View Image
Yeah, of course that's ugly as sin. I was thinking something that would fit inside the base of the bowl and not be visible.That's probably a great solution for a bad floor, though, if you don't want to rip up and redo the floor.
That's probably a great solution for a bad floor, though, if you don't want to rip up and redo the floor.
That's a good solution for someone with bad aim and shag wall to wall in their "office".
Whenever I install a storm door, I always save the extra little rectangular plastic shims of varying thickness that they give you for the latch. After a few storm doors you wind up with quite a large assortment of these little guys. They are perfect for many little shim jobs such as this one.
On my tile floor the plumber used left over grout, mixed as dry as possible, and packed around the edges. I don't think it would look good with vinyl, but if you left it shy of the outer edge you might be able to caulk over it.Just another possibility.
Actually, if you have some strips of vinyl flooring, that would work for shims. Wedge it in tight (it'll compress a bit over time) and glue in place with a dab of silicone.
You're after a setup where the toilet absolutely does not rock in any direction.
I've never had much luck with the plastic shims.
cut pieces from a coffee can lid...
works well..
Use grout.
I had a rookie plumber install a toilet and ignore the slight rocking created by uneven tile. The tiles were of the rough variety so uneveness was to be expected. The toilet cracked within one month.
The master plumber came in and did the service repair. He mixed a batch of grout, the same color that was used in the floor and he bedded the toliet in it. It is solid as a rock now.
If you prefer to use a caulk that matches the toilet, then simply wipe the grout deeper to leave a void to caulk to.
blue
Ditto on the grout, I've done it that way before, dry-packed, as deep as I could work it, and clean-up with a damp sponge. It looked good, and held solid.
Nope..but I stayed at a HOLIDAY INN...
and they had a toIlet..and I shimmed it.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I've been welding all day, what is YOUR excuse?
Looks like you got some good advice. While it is not rocket science there is some art to setting one of these (or is it Mcguyver). I have set some on some really rough floors. I guess I am kind of anal about getting this right but I have never had a call back. I use various shim material depending on the challenge.
I place it so it is centered on flange and bolts, slide the shims in to stop any rock, take a pencil and mark the corners of the base and where it crosses the shims, I have seen some where just sliding an 1/8th or so will change it for the worse. Pick up the toilet and trim the shims so they will not be seen, sometimes put witness marks on shim. If on wood floor sometimes tack or staple it into place but usually put a little adhesive caulk to hold shim in place.
I use various plastic scrap for shims. Usually keep a few pieces of tub surround, vinyl siding, plastic lids, etc around to do what is needed. On my own house I did a bead of premixed grout (white to match bowl) to seal and finish. I left about three inch area open at back for "weep hole" in case of any leak.
The little wedges are usually too thick (too much ramp up) unless you have a really bad floor in my experience.
Edited 7/12/2005 11:01 pm ET by RASCONC
Plaster will do it. Plop some under the toilet where it will squish to the shape of the toilet, or put it all the way around and clean up what come out.
If you have just a couple high spots on the base, you can use a diamond wheel in an angle grinder to fit the toilet to the floor. Lot of dusty fun but it works.
Joe H
Just looking in - glad you noticed this rocking before the toilet was used extensively. Rocking would allow the gasket to come unstuck, water to seep thru, and damage to occur. IF it's too late, replace the gasket now. I've started using rubber gaskets as they always spring back to keep the seal.
ciao for niao
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.