Tightening toilet bolts

[Bclev77]

Hello I am not a plumber me and my dad were doing the bathroom floor in my grandmothers bathroom and had to pull the toilet to lay linoleum down well we noticed the baseboard was wet because the toilet was leaking well taking the toilet off we noticed the toilet bolts weren’t even tighten so it could rock back and forth. Well my uncle (who seems to know everything)

he said “you don’t want tighten the bolts all the way because the seal will shrink.” So I just am curious is this true because I was under the impression you smash the wax ring down as you set it on the flange the tighten the bolts down To hold the toilet still.

 

[Jeff Handy]

The seal does not shrink.
You want the bolts to be tight so the bowl does not rock.
But not so tight to crack the china.
If the floor is wet, you might have rotten sub floor.
If sub floor is rotted, the seal might keep failing because the bowl will move with the floor as the toilet is sat on and off.
At the very least, the wax seal should be changed, if the floor is wet now.
If the floor is spongy, a non wax seal might be better, it can move a little as the floor deflects with use.

 

[sarg]

Danco is wax on the bottom / flexible rubber on the top.

 

[Bclev77]

The seal does not shrink.
You want the bolts to be tight so the bowl does not rock.
But not so tight to crack the china.
If the floor is wet, you might have rotten sub floor.
If sub floor is rotted, the seal might keep failing because the bowl will move with the floor as the toilet is sat on and off.
At the very least, the wax seal should be changed, if the floor is wet now.
If the floor is spongy, a non wax seal might be better, it can move a little as the floor deflects with use.

The flooring isn’t rotted it’s still really solid we let it dry before we put the linoleum down and set the toilet. I just wanted to make sure I was right in the argument.

 

[TomFOhio]

You were right.........

 

[House Doc]

Years ago I snapped the flange on a toilet I was installing. I may have been a little heavy handed, but also think there was a casting flaw.
From that day to this I use a little 4" 7/16 box wrench. As it gets snug I use only 1 finger to tighten it the rest of the was. This has worked out for the last 20 years without any problems.