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Discussion Forum

toilet flange height

alrightythen | Posted in General Discussion on March 8, 2006 09:09am

my plumber has the the toilet roughed in and now I am laying the floor.

Question: what height does the flange need to be in relation to the finish floor, or is their room to play.

I know that if it is too low some guys will double up on the wax ring; or a better solution, using an adaptor. But my lange is about 1/4″ – 3/8″ higher than floor. what is it supposed to be?

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Replies

  1. DanT | Mar 08, 2006 01:39pm | #1

    For that situation we use a standard wax ring with no plastice hub or sleeve.  Works fine.  The flange on the bottom of the toilet will fit right down in the flange and the area around the flange is typically about 1/2" higher so it should fit like a glove.  DanT

  2. DanH | Mar 08, 2006 03:01pm | #2

    1/4" high is ideal, actually. If it ends up being 3/8" then you may need to use a ring without a reenforcer or flange. Depends on the toilet.

    If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

    happy?

  3. User avater
    maddog3 | Mar 08, 2006 04:01pm | #3

    I just used the Fliudmaster WAX-FREE ring and so far no leaks, and no mess

    1. BoJangles | Mar 08, 2006 04:19pm | #4

      Everyone should take a look at the new Fernco product.  It is so far superior to any other type of wax ring or anything else,  that I will probably not use wax rings again unless the floor flange is sticking too far above the floor.

      The Fernco unit adds about a 1/4" of thickness to the bottom of the toilet.

      You can easily remove the toilet and reinstall it with no damage to the Fernco unit in cases where you may want to paint or panel behind the toilet.

      1. User avater
        maddog3 | Mar 08, 2006 04:30pm | #5

        the Fliudmaster I used claims it is reusable as well, but it dit not raise the whole toliet....and used an O-ring inside the flange......which is 3/8 off the floor BTW..I would have considered the Fernco, just didn'tknow about it

      2. CCI | Mar 08, 2006 04:33pm | #6

        I may be missing something but the last 2 times I did this the plumber left the PVC pipe long coming out of the floor and when I finished the tile floor he cut it to height and installed the flange right onto the finished floor.  I didn't really pay attention as to how he did it since I am the world's worst plumber and if I gather too much knowledge I may be tempted to try it on my own which will only cause much heartache and sorrow.

        I was under the impression that this was typical but maybe I just got lucky.

        1. DanH | Mar 08, 2006 05:43pm | #7

          Depends on the plumber, the type of floor, the way inspectors want it, etc.
          If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

          happy?

  4. chascomp | Mar 08, 2006 07:27pm | #8

    1/4 inch above the FINISHED floor is ideal, TWO WAX RINGS is inviting disaster. We used to routinely use two wax rings but the first time someone plunges the toilet and POW no more seal.

    A smart man asks, a dumb one remains so.

  5. davidmeiland | Mar 08, 2006 07:41pm | #9

    When you guys say "1/4 inch above the finished floor" I assume you mean the bottom face of the metal flange is sitting on the floor.... right?

    1. Shacko | Mar 08, 2006 11:14pm | #10

      I'll answer your question, a toilet flange should sit on top of your finished floor. The height varies with the thickness of the flange, most of the time 1/4 to 3/8 inch.

    2. DanH | Mar 08, 2006 11:27pm | #11

      Right. It's as if the 1/4-inch-thick flange were placed on the finished floor after the floor was installed. Of course that's not always the order in which things are actually done.It's probably better to be a hair low than a hair high. If less than 1/8" proud you should probably use an extra-thick ring. If it gets too much above 1/4" then, depending on the particular toilet, you can have trouble with the ring being squashed so flat that it no longer has any "give".

      If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

      happy?

      1. davidmeiland | Mar 09, 2006 12:26am | #13

        I was just a' checkin. I have set many of them directly on the finished floor, sometimes going to a fair amount of trouble to tile in under a flange, etc. My plumber has set them on the CBU on my jobs and I've tiled around them (this makes the top of the flange just about flush with the tile).

    3. DanH | Mar 08, 2006 11:30pm | #12

      Also, beware of installations on concrete floors in particular. There's a tendency for concrete to "mound up" around the drain pipe, resulting in the floor at that point being significantly higher than 8-12 inches away where the stool's outer rim will rest. The same thing can happen with a sloppy tile install.
      If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

      happy?

  6. alrightythen | Mar 09, 2006 06:10am | #14

    Well....seems I should be ok....

    which is good cuz this morning my comp was crashed and I couldn't check replies before heading to the site.. So I had to make the executive decision and continue with the floor.

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