Rocking toilet question

[roger61611]

I have a typical toilet in a bathroom with a ceramic mosaic tile floor (mud job, tile embedded in concrete thing). The toilet rocks. I don't mean its wonderful, I mean it rocks side to side.

What I don't get is that the toilet is intact and has a flat surface. The floor sure looks flat. But the sucker rocks side to side. There's no plumber's putty under the toilet, it just rests on the floor directly.

Is there something (perhaps a big rubber gasket) I could get that would fit between the toilet and the ceramic floor that would even this out ? I've tried shimming it, seems like it's got a quarter inch of play.

Thank you !

[maradcliff]

Your flange is probably too high on the pipe. If you got a wax ring with the plastic insert, you might try a plain wax ring without that insert. There could be something stuck inder the toilet too. I'd pull it and do come checking. If its rocking you probably dont have a good seal anymore, so replace the wax ring. If it still rocks, they sell plastic shims for that purpose, but I always prefer to get the toilet flush if at all possible. Toilets crack far too easily, and having them rest on a few shims strains the bowl. Sometimes the bolts to hold the flange to the floor were not installed too.

If you must shime it, use white silicone around the bowl, not putty.

[nospamplse]

Had same problem a month ago. There was a plastic flange (embedded in concrete) to which the toilet was secured by the studs and the plastic retaining the studs had broken causing the toilet to be able to move. Had to cut out the top part of the flange with a dremel tool, purchase (any large home repair chain or plumbing store) a flange that could be inserted and glued (probably did not need to glue it)in the waste pipe, install a new gasket and reattach the bowl. It was suggested to me to use the round holes in the flange for the studs rather than the slotted ones for the round holes apparently do not crack and break as easily as the slotted ones. As a last point do not have your hand under the toilet to move studs while your son is holding the bowl over the studs.

[trader4]

Did you check the bolts on either side that hold the bowl down? If they are loose, the toilet will rock. If they are, I'd remove the toilet, inspect everything, install a new seal, and reseat it.

[BP]

There is no such thing as a perfectly flat surface. Ask any plumber or quantum physicist. My plumbing contractor carries a box of vinyl shims to shim the toilets from rocking. In over 100 toilet installations on tile floors that I can remember, I'd guess only a third of them were solid w/o any shims,

*especially* with natural stone floors. Now if you are an obsessive compulsive, anal, DIY superstar you could spend hours working on the toilet area to get it as close to perfect as can be accomplished by mere mortals. (I just love the advice here telling you to pull everything apart and do it again.) But if you've got other things to do with your life I'd just shim it and forget it. Make sure the bolts are tightened sufficiently. One caveat: I'm assuming that the rocking is fairly slight. If the gap is so large that after shimming it would be loudly noticeable then the flange is indeed too high. One warning: tightening the bolts on the toilet too much could crack the unit.

[roger61611]

Thank you all !

[Mikepier]

I usually pour plaster of paris where the bowl sits. It forms nicely and fills any gaps and imperfections.

[Kathy]

toilet

over the studs.

LOL

[hallerb]

if its a new problem the flange might be cracked or the bolts rusted thru....

get that fixed ASAP or your floor and even joints will rot. and you will need a new floor

[roger61611]

It's on a slab...

Never would have thought of plaster of paris.

[NickySantoro]

P of P works well. I actually prefer grout as it sets up slower and allows a bit more working time, but either will work fine. I set the bowl in place, making sure everything is lined up, then trace a pencil outline around the base. Then I lift the bowl back up, set the wax ring, then make a bead of grout about 1" wide and 1/4" deep around the inside perimeter of the outline. Set the bowl, bolt it down, wipe up excess grout or plaster then finish the rest of the assembly. So far so good. FWIW YMMV

[zxcvbob]

Interesting idea. What happens when you need to pull up the toilet?

Best regards, Bob

[NickySantoro]

Comes right up with a little encouragement. I've only had to take up one, the Eljer that was in our house when we bought it and had been rocking. I had reset that one with grout because I didn't have any P of P handy and took it up a few years later when I redid the bath. IIRC, I just gave it a jolt sideways with the flat of my hand after removing the nuts holding it down and it popped loose. FWIW YMMV

[NickySantoro]

Actually, I also did another one in my mother's house. This was one my father had set with P of P. Also came loose easily enough. FWIW YMMV

[Dave Combs]

Go to your local plumbing store. They should have plastic wedges to stop the rock. Cut the wedge flush. I was having my plumber install a new toilet over Satillo tile which isn't perfectly level. He had never heard of the wedges, He tried them and said this is a great idea.