Water damage near toilet

[soonerbrink]

Trying to help diagnose this problem, and looking for some confirmation before I get started.

Discoloration has been present on cabinet side for awhile now... but I wasn't sure what it was.
Obviously a leak somewhere, and edge of cabinet is starting to bow.

Before I get started and attempt to replace the seal where the toilet meets the floor, anything else I should look for first?

Toilet is dry, so no leaks from above. Inside of cabinet is dry. Bathtub is on the other side... but my guess is it is probably from the toilet since it's closer and there is moisture indicators on the grout around it.

Never had a problem with the 15 year old builder grade toilet, except for replacing the internal mechanism once. Tempted to get a nicer model, on the other hand this has worked and probably will continue to work.

I replaced my water heater a couple of weeks ago, so surely this is manageable?

Thanks for the input... it's always nice to get confirmation you are headed in the right direction... before replacing something unncessary!

 

[soonerbrink]

Additional images

 

[Geofd]

Wipe up dry out at the base of the toilet put toilet paper all around the base then flush you should know quickly

 

[Jeff Handy]

Pictures are not great, some are too blurry, most are too zoomed in to really give an idea of the layout, and how fixtures and cabinet relate to each other.

However, it is very possible the toilet seal is leaking.

There could also be a sink drain leak, or faucet leak above or below the sink, which is rotting the side of the cabinet.

 

[soonerbrink]

Wipe up dry out at the base of the toilet put toilet paper all around the base then flush you should know quickly

Thanks for the suggestion!

The base of the toilet is already dry.

I am thinking the moisture is seeping under the tile.

The edge of the toilet has that grout style caulking around it and it is dry as well.

I also cleaned the grout a few years back and put aerosol grout sealer on it.

Better quality picture to follow soon.

If you have any other suggestions, they are always appreciated.

 

[soonerbrink]

Pictures are not great, some are too blurry, most are too zoomed in to really give an idea of the layout, and how fixtures and cabinet relate to each other.

However, it is very possible the toilet seal is leaking.

There could also be a sink drain leak, or faucet leak above or below the sink, which is rotting the side of the cabinet.

Thanks for the reply!

My phone has been having trouble taking good pictures lately, hopefully the ones I am attaching now make it easier to visualize.

 

[soonerbrink]

For to mention.....Under the sink looks and feels dry.

 

[soonerbrink]

Looks like it’s a “Briggs” toilet.

also, I am going to measure the water in the toilet to see how quickly it lowers.... to confirm it might be leaking from the seal.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Looks like the toilet wax seal has been leaking slightly for months or years, and soaking through the subfloor all the way to the cabinet.

 

[soonerbrink]

Looks like the toilet wax seal has been leaking slightly for months or years, and soaking through the subfloor all the way to the cabinet.

Thanks! That's what I was thinking as well. I'll pick up a wax ring and get started on the repair!

 

[Jeff Handy]

The subfloor might still be wet, or spongy, or bouncy, or otherwise unstable.

The tile might be glued right to it, or there could be cement board or mortar over it.

So if you just change out the wax seal, the leak might continue, because the toilet will be unstable against the wax seal.

It depends on what you find once you pull off the toilet.

Post here again after you find out what the condition of the floor is, around the toilet flange.

At the very least, I would stuff a big rag in the toilet flange, and run a fan onto that area for a few days, to try to dry out the area and make it less mushy.

That is assuming you have another toilet you can use for a few days.

 

[TomFOhio]

Jeff is correct. Replace the seal like he said and then take a shop vac and try to suck any water out of cracks and
openings in the floor. Maybe even put a fan in for a day so it can dry out.

 

[Diehard]

FYI...the water level in the bowl will not be lowered as a result of a leaky seal.
If it does lower with time, that would be an indication of a cracked toilet bowl pathway.

 

[soonerbrink]

FYI...the water level in the bowl will not be lowered as a result of a leaky seal.
If it does lower with time, that would be an indication of a cracked toilet bowl pathway.

Thanks! I looked up a youtube video on how a toilet works and realized that afterwards!

 

[soonerbrink]

Jeff is correct. Replace the seal like he said and then take a shop vac and try to suck any water out of cracks and
openings in the floor. Maybe even put a fan in for a day so it can dry out.

Great idea! Looks like I will have another project on my hands after the toilet, when I try to figure out what to do with the side of the cabinet. The shop back and fan is a great place to start!

 

[soonerbrink]

The subfloor might still be wet, or spongy, or bouncy, or otherwise unstable.

The tile might be glued right to it, or there could be cement board or mortar over it.

So if you just change out the wax seal, the leak might continue, because the toilet will be unstable against the wax seal.

It depends on what you find once you pull off the toilet.

Post here again after you find out what the condition of the floor is, around the toilet flange.

At the very least, I would stuff a big rag in the toilet flange, and run a fan onto that area for a few days, to try to dry out the area and make it less mushy.

That is assuming you have another toilet you can use for a few days.

Thankfully we have another toilet. This is a single story house in Oklahoma with a concrete foundation. How much would it benefit from drying out with a fan with the toilet out? Reason for asking is that I might get someone to help me and try to do it all at once. Since the floor is concrete, there is tile surrounding it.... it appears the wood absorbed all of the water (and that can be reached by fan rather easily (obviously).

 

[soonerbrink]

Also, I told the kids to use the other toilet and will attempt to dry it out. Sounds like this was a bad combination of me sealing the grout, caulking around the entire toilet, two young kids being pottytrained (using the toilet all the time, and me not addressing the issue right away. Looks like I am on the right track now!

 

[Jeff Handy]

Even concrete slabs can absorb some water.

If you pull off the toilet, and there is only concrete and tile down there, no wood, then I would wipe the area down with Tilex or bleach water mixture, and still run a fan onto the flange area for an hour or so.
With a big rag stuffed into the flange, to block sewer gas.

While the toilet is off, check from underneath for any cracks in the china.

Then new wax ring, new flange bolts, and all should be well.

Don’t be in a hurry to try to refinish the bottom of the cabinet.
Particle board holds water for a loooong time, as in several weeks at least.
Once it is dry, you might consider adding a thin piece of tall baseboard or a short strip of paneling at the bottom, to hide the stained and distorted cabinet bottom.
Sand or grind off anything that has gotten puffed up from water.

 

[soonerbrink]

Alright... back for more fun!

I'm in the middle of the process and wanted to provide an update and maybe get feedback.

When I removed the toilet there was basically no wax (perhaps it is on the underside of the toilet. Other observations. There was this weird stuff coming from under the tile and looked like duct tape. Maybe it was some tile backer material. It was handing out over the flange so I trimmed it up.

I cleaned off the flange and the biggest concern is the closet bolts appear to be installed in the wrong place in order for them to be removed! Bummer!
Did the plumber mess this up? Bolts have a lot of corrosion on them but are still firmly in place and I cleaned up the threads so they are usable just not sure how long... (on another note... my other toilet wobbles a little bit... I sure hope they didn't install it the same way in case one of the bolts is broken on it)

I read some reviews and was planning on trying this rubber/plastic seal instead of the wax ring since it would be more forgiving if you don't get it lined up right the first time, and you can reuse. There are lots of good reviews out there, but the old school plumbers say they always just use the wax ring. Would my particular scenario lend it self to one way or another? Also, are there any pros/cons in using this with my old closet bolts?

I'm planning on cleaning the wax from the underside of the toilet, cleaning up the grout, and then putting it back together. Any suggestions or feedback while I have it apart?

Thanks!

 

[soonerbrink]

Update.....the wax ring was all on the underside of the toilet.

I'll see if anyone has some responses by this evening, then proceed with putting it back together.

Thanks!