In this tutorial, you’ll see toilet installation tips and tricks that most DIYers don’t know.
These are great whether you’re new to home renovation or have been doing it for years.
You’ll learn something new, and your toilet installation won’t leak.
If you do nothing else, watch the video at the end – I promise you’ll like it.
Let’s dive in!
How to Remove a Toilet
Toilet water is disgusting. Some folks shop-vac the bowl (which is gross) or pick up the bowl and place it in a garbage bag.
I prefer the easier route and use Oatey LiquiLock.
I pour LiquiLock into the bowl, and within five minutes the water has turned into a gel.
This prevents toilet water from dripping all over the floor, carpet, tile, or hardwood.
Then I remove the water supply line from the toilet fill valve; normally, the water supply line is only hand-tightened.
Toilets are typically secured to the closet flange with two closet flange bolts and two nuts.
I unscrew the nuts counterclockwise with a stubby gear wrench.
If that doesn’t work, you can cut the closet bolt just below the nut with an oscillating multi-tool.
The best accessory for the multi-tool is a carbide blade. Grinders are also great tools for cutting closet flange bolts.
Finally, I love the Pick Up Stix Toilet Tool. This is great for anyone with a bad back and allows a single person to easily move a toilet.
How to Install a Toilet Closet Flange Spacer
Years ago I learned how to install closet flange spacers. And boy, was it worth it.
Often the toilet closet flange is too low or broken. Closet flange spacers are an affordable way to fix this problem.
In this bathroom, the closet flange was below the tile floor.
This is bad because the wax ring (even a double wax ring) will ultimately compress too much.
The result is a gap between the top of the wax ring and the bottom of the bowl, which leads to leaking toilet bowls.
Ideally, the closet flange should be 1/4″ above the tile floor.
I applied Lexel to the existing closet flange and bonded a 1/4″ Oatey closet flange spacer.
Lexel is an outstanding sealant and has much better elasticity than silicone.
I then added another 1/4″ Oatey closet flange spacer to the first one, again using Lexel.
I used 1/4″ x 3-1/2″ extra-long closet flange bolts in the slots of the original closet flange.
And then used nuts and washers to clamp the spacers together while the Lexel cured.
If this is done properly, the closet flange will be about 1/4″ above the tile floor, and there will never be a leak between the flange and spacers.
Never use two wax rings to make up for the flange height.
I’ve unfortunately seen a lot of people do this and then suffer the dreaded toilet leak down the road.
How to Install a Toilet Bowl
Honestly, the toilet bowl is easy to install if the closet flange and tile are installed correctly.
Step one is to have the closet flange on the finished floor.
Step two is to have a relatively level or flat tile floor. Any time I set tile floors, I always take my time around the toilet area.
The better the tile floor installation, the less likely shims won’t be necessary.
If the toilet is really out of level, plastic shims should be used.
Always dry-fit the toilet bowl before adding the wax ring to the closet flange.
Frankly, if that bowl is 1/8″ or less out of level, I’m not shimming it because the wax ring will seal properly.
Plus, nobody is going to notice the water being off by 1/8″ in the bowl. But that’s just my opinion.
Here’s the question,
Should the wax ring be placed on the bottom of the toilet bowl or on the closet flange?
I place the wax ring on the closet flange.
Here’s why: gravity
Gravity always wins. Thus, when I place the wax ring on the closet flange, I’m working with Gravity, not against it.
Make sense?
I hope so.
Then I pick up the bowl and lower it down over the closet flange bolts.
I simply compress the bowl straight down; I don’t rock it because that can break the wax ring seal.
Yes, this looks weird. But it works.
Toilet Installation Tricks DIYers Don’t Know
Unfortunately, most toilet installs run into challenges.
For that reason, I created the tutorial below with 10 tricks that’ll make it a lot easier.
What’s Next
Toilets are just one aspect of bathroom upgrades.
But if you need to replumb an entire bathroom, there are several step-by-step tutorials inside Home Repair Tutor.
You can unlock all my bathroom remodeling videos, courses, and personal coaching by joining Home Repair Tutor today – it’s one of the best online resources for anyone renovating a bathroom. Tap the button below to learn more
Cheers,
Jeff
