I just installed a new toilet and it is currently 3/4in off the floor. I have used shims on the floor. I’m wondering if I can just caulk around the toilet or should I put plaster around the bowl first? Thanks for the help.
Personally, I'd try a color match grout. To try to caulk that gap would look horrendous.
For grout though, wouldn’t it have to set for at least 24 hours? My other idea was using plaster at the bottom and then caulk around the plaster to make it waterproof. Do you think that would work? I know you said about plexiglass shims, currently I am using plastic door shims since I read that those are better than wood obviously.You might be right on that one i like the groout idea
I’m not sure why it’s so high because I didn’t pull up any floor, I just replaced the toilet and that’s what I found. There looked like dried up plaster underneath the toilet since the floor may not be perfectly level. Thank you for the advise to just lowering the flange.Just pull the toilet and lower the flange.
There are various ways to do that, post pics of the flange from several angles.
3/4 inch high toilet is subject to cracking, if you don’t have tons of perfectly installed shims.
Which tend to slip and move with use.
Why is the flange so high anyway?
You might have an older house which used to have a thick mortar bed under tile, which got torn out and new thinner flooring put in.
I’m not sure why it’s so high because I didn’t pull up any floor, I just replaced the toilet and that’s what I found.Just pull the toilet and lower the flange.
There are various ways to do that, post pics of the flange from several angles.
3/4 inch high toilet is subject to cracking, if you don’t have tons of perfectly installed shims.
Which tend to slip and move with use.
Why is the flange so high anyway?
You might have an older house which used to have a thick mortar bed under tile, which got torn out and new thinner flooring put in.
I believe they are cast iron. Definitely not PVCAre your drains PVC or cast iron. You may not be able to lower the flange.
Hey Jeff, thanks for the advise about the stacks of shims. I think I'm going to try that and see how it works out. Would you use mortar or plaster? Do you have a preference when doing this? I know plaster isn't water resistant is what DAP told me, but I also don't want something that will be so permanent that if I need to take out the toilet that it will break.Cast iron is tougher to cut down to lower it.
Probably just better to shim it with about 12 or more stacks of shims.
I would use some glue or caulk to hold the shims to each other and to the floor, and slide them almost out of sight under the toilet, but still getting a good grab on the porcelain.
Then you could fill in the gaps with mortar or plaster mix, and caulk all around when dry.
Leave a small gap for air flow and leak escape point at the rear of the bowl.
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