Leveling a toilet

[Ivan Vegvary]

Concrete basement floor. Rough plumbing for toilet done 20 or so years ago by others. Concrete floor to get 12" x 12" ceramic tile. Floor slopes approximately 1/8" in 12 inches, left to right, as one sits on the toilet.

What is the best way to lay level tile under the toilet? Grout bed? Plastic shims? After tile is laid level under the toilet, the remaining tile will have to catch up with the sloping concrete slab.

In summary: Sloping floor, want level toilet.

Thanks for all suggestions.

Ivan Vegvary

[DanG]

On 12/4/2013 12:37 AM

If this room is typical bathroom 5x5, this would be quite affordable to do the entire room:

Make sure you have enough and mix enough to do the entire space at once. Custom and Maepi specialize in tile setting materials.

[Norminn]

Don't know about toilets, but we had a couple of levelling issues when we had tile installed....getting dining room tile even with terazzo of kitchen at the doorway.....tile contractor explained to us beforehand that adding extra mortar would do the job. There is a variation of about 1/4" or 3/8" sloped so gradually it can't be seen, even when looking for it.

[dadiOH]

I would...

1. lay tile

1. install toilet, shim to level with 3 small shims

2. mortar in space under toilet base rim

1. when mortar is set in a day or two, pull shims and fill holes with mortar

If you are concerned abou the mortar preventing removal in the future, either use some sort of release agent on the base or use putty instead of mortar. If you use putty, leave the shims in place.

[BobMCT]

If you're not concerned about the slope on the floor and only want the toilet to be level, then use "Toilet Shims" available from any home store. They cost about $.25/each and are slid under the rim of the lower point(s) of the toilet. Cheap/easy/work like a charm. If done correctly they're not that noticeable.

Good luck.

[Snag]

Using shims and the same grout used on the floor tile has worked out very well for me in the past . Pull the shims if you use wood, if you leave them they will rot out over time .

[jamesgang]

go by others. Concrete floor to get 12" x 12" ceramic tile. Floor slopes approximately 1/8" in 12 inches, left to right, as one sits on the toilet.

tic shims? After tile is laid level under the toilet, the remaining tile w ill have to catch up with the sloping concrete slab.

You can adjust for that while you are tiling around the toilet area. Just use a little bit of extra thinset under the tiles at the toilet to the low side. I always place the toilet on the tiles right after I set them in pla ce. You can put a level on the toilet then if you want it to be perfect. Then before the thinset sets I carefully sit on the toilet to even out the tiles under it. Just leave the toilet there while you do the rest of the r oom. That eliminates that occasional unevenness of the tiles under the toi let.

That the rest of the floor slightly slopes will never be noticed in that sm all a space.

[Ivan Vegvary]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I will lay ceramic tile and then shim the toilet. Ivan Vegvary

[krw]

A little spot of silicone will keep the shims in place. Works like a champ.

I've also heard of using plaster of paris. It's easily removable if/when the toilet has to be removed.

[Thomas]

A novel suggestion...Shim the seat. :)

[woodchucker]

You didn't say what type of tile. Follow the floor if you did not decide to use self leveling concrete. Then mount the toilet on a plaster of paris mix, and use that to level the toilet. put sealer around the plaster of paris when done.

Don't forget to put your wax in b4 the toilet goes down.

I used that method years ago, the plumbing supply told me this is the way it's done.

[Harry K]

Do people still use wax seals? I quit using them when the waxless toilet seals came on the market. Mess free, reusable (don't need a new one to remove/replace toilet).

Harry K