bathroom floor and toilet flange

[L Beck]

The saga continues.

Okay, so we pulled up the toilet in preparation to start the process of laying down a new tile floor and discovered water damage severe enough to have to replace the sewer pipe and a new flange. The damage was also enough that we pulled up the old 1/2" particle board underlayment that was under the vinyl (it was swelled pretty badly). Here's the problem - when we replaced that 1/2" underlayment with 1/2" plywood that we know is the same thickness (laid it next to some of the good stuff that wasn't damaged) the flange no longer sits on the floor. We've got about a 1/4" gap.

One idea is to put down 1/4" plywood over the whole floor. However, by the time we do that, we'll be raising the overall height of the new floor 3/4" intead of 1/2" (we've got an adapter that will raise the flange connector that much). However, if we just put a 1/4" ring under the flange so that it sits correctly on the underflooring, then lay the new floor, will that spacer then make the flange assembly too high and cause the toilet to sit too high off the floor? Or if we leave the adapter out will we have trouble with the top of the flange not sitting flush on the bottom of the toilet?

We're in a bit of a dilemna here. Do they make 1/4" flange adapters? The sewer pipe cannot be pushed down - it sits on another water pipe (don't ask - we didn't build the house, and the basement ceiling is finished).

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, we'd be very grateful to hear them. This has turned into the project from hell. Completely redid the whole bathroom - walls, tub (refinished, not replaced), cabinets (repainted), sink, and walls. The floor was the last piece, and it's turned into a major undertaking.

Thanks to all in advance.

LB

[donald girod]

Actually, flange height is not all that fussy, but if it is 1/4" off the floor, and is 1/2" thick, then you are kind of high for the toilet (total of

3/4" above the floor). When the toilet is sitting on the finished floor, you would like at least 1/4" clearance between the horn and the flange to leave room for the wax ring to seal. You can check how high your particular toilet horn sits above the flange. I suspect that it is possible that the leaking which damaged the original floor may possibly have been caused by the flange being too high and making a thin seal. If you can't lower the flange, then you should probably just make the floor 1/4" higher.

You say "tile floor". Is this ceramic? Because if so, then the tile itself is going to give you at least an extra 1/4" more than, say, vinyl (the toilet rests on top of the finished floor). But if by "tile" you just mean vinyl tile, then raise the floor 1/4" with plywood, and deal with whatever problems this causes (mainly at the doorway, I would think).

[L Beck]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, it's ceramic, and we will be putting down also a 1/4" hardibacker board, set in mortar, then the 1/4" tile, also set in mortar. If we don't use the 1/2" adapter on the flange, we'll have *maybe* 1/4" or less of flange above the level of the finished floor. So, I guess one other question is - just how much of the flange needs to be above the level that the toilet will set on?

And the major leaking that damaged the most of the floor came under the wall at the head of the toilet from another bathroom shower drain. However, the old flange (metal) was completely rusted away - thus all the other work.

[jim]

when i replaced the toilet in my home the original was down to code.. it was a concrete floor with ceramic time on it... the flange was level with the ceramic tile... the toilet then went onto the ceramic tile and the wax ring took care of the seal job.. i guess this is what was done to code as the home was built by a general contractor and each job had to be inspected by the county and the homestead to make sure it was up to code..... hope this helps.

[L Beck]

Thanks to both of you for your replys. I think we know how to proceed. Thanks again.