Hey, I am in the process of removing a tile floor that was laid over a tile floor. I am having a problem removing the toilet, I can not get the bolts off, they just keep turning…. Any suggestions
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Tanner,
Last one I did in our master bathroom was the same way. I had to cut them off and also needed a flange repair kit when putting it all back together. I used a small hacksaw.
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Tanner here: the bolts have no room for me to cut, I can't get between the bolt and the washer
Use a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to cut the nuts off. Or just hacksaw through the bottom edge of the nuts -- brass is easy to cut.
You're going to have to cut the bolts. Use a Dremel with a mini cutting wheel if you've got one; otherwise use a 4" cutting disc in a regular grinder but be careful not to nick the porcelain. A hacksaw will work, but sometimes toilets are installed in tight spots where it's difficult to get a decent stroke on the bolt. I wouldn't recommend you use a recip with a metal blade; too much vibration.
Virtually any toilet that's been installed for a good number of years has this same problem. The bolts are supposed to be pure brass...and you're supposed to cap them with a little plastic gizmo that comes with a toilet bolt kit. The pee still gets to the metal and causes corrosion.
When you go to reset it, you may find a problem with the height if you are removing two tile floors and re-laying only one. If so, you can re-trim the lead and peen it over into the flange like this:
View Image
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Sometimes you can cut a slot across the top of the bolt for a screwdriver that can hold the bolt enough so you can turn the nut.
Sometimes.
Good luck.
sobriety is the root cause of dementia.
Sometimes prying up on the metal Flange helps seat the bolt heads beneath the flange enough to let you break the nuts loose. You can always take a chisel to the bolts, especially since you are laying a new floor atop the drain opening.
Its probable that I'm too late to put my 2 cents in but here it is anyway. Force the toilet to the right upward angle, see if that gives enought friction to remove the nut; if that does do the same on the other side. If this dosen't work take a bare hack-saw blade with the teeth facing you, slide it between the toilet and flange [with upward tension on the toilet] and procede to cut by pulling blade toward you. A pain in the ####, but it always works. Good luck.