Keywords: Adhesive, Caulking, Floors, Grout, Moisture, Water, Ceramic, Glues, Polyurethane, Tiles, Waterproof, Leaking, Levels, Repair, Tip, Water Penetration, Wax, Plumbing, Techniques, Toilets. 14 Tighten nuts on closet bolts. If it is level enough to your liking, the toilet is now fixed. if the toilet rocks (even slightly) then it needs to be shimmed and caulked. Sit on the toilet again and rock back and forth or use a carpenter's level to precisely measure how even the floor is. Underneath the toilet base is a round toilet flange that connects the toilet to the drain pipe. Tap cedar shims into the spaces underneath the toilet, using a hammer and flat-head screwdriver to wedge them in place. In most cases, the color varies from something between a shade of blue and purple and it seems like magic. Leave it be for 48 hours -- I want the adhesive completely set through and through. Yes, the toilet may appear firm now that it is bolted down, but the fact is that the irregularities around the toilet base will eventually cause the toilet to loosen and leak! Put tank on and the tile means the tank no longer fits flush to the base. When your toilet sounds like it randomly flushes, even though nobody is near the toilet, it is referred to as phantom flus… Once you understand what causes the problem you will be equipped to provide a solution. Source (s): Been there done that. A wax ring is a very simple and effective attachment. Joined: Aug 31, 2004 Occupation: Plumber Location: Getting a wobbly toilet to sit flat on the floor If you have a wobbly toilet because there is something uneven on the floor the ideal solution is to find a way to level the floor. An easy solution is to shim the toilet. Fill the space between the bottom of the toilet and the floor with tile grout. Before you do that, turn off the toilet shutoff valve, disconnect the supply hose with adjustable pliers and empty the tank by flushing it. A toilet is an easy fix. The previous wax ring tile guy put in was not thick enough, and the toilet was rocking. – Tester101 Jan 14 '16 at 4:25. 1 @Tester101 - I have been in many many a house with carpet in the bathroom. Hook the toilet bolts in the two tracks on either side of the flange and arrange them across from each other. Now it appears that it is leaking. Toilet tanks are connected to the toilet bowl with nuts, bolts, and gaskets. A toilet does not flush by itself, even though your toilet makes flushing noises when nobody is in the bathroom at the time. Clean the floor surface thoroughly so that glue will stick. More often than not, the wobble is caused by loose toilet bolts, but the flange may also be responsible. We need an adhesive that will not shrink, that will set rock hard and provide a solid foundation to the toilet. Hi. I would like to try and fix this so we don't run into anymore issues with it. Locate the cause of toilet wobble by rocking toilet gently. The objective is to be sure that glue will NOT stick to the toilet. It may not be holding the flange screws, and that may be the cause of the wobbling. Coccygeal pain may also be caused from sitting on a hard surface, causing pressure against the tailbone and tissues covering it. Anchor the flange support to the subfloor and then drill 1/8-in. Clean the wax off the flange with a putty knife if the subfloor appears dry. Any softer adhesive or caulking would eventually begin to wobble again. These shims feature a ribbed design that will fit under your toilet to help fill in the gaps and help stop the toilet rocking. If the toilet doesn't rock when you sit on it, which should be fixed regardless of the brand or type, what you are hearing is normal. A damaged seal could cause the toilet to rock, but anytime you lift or move the toilet, it’s always advisable to replace the seal. Toilets wobble when they aren't held securely to the floor, and if you let the wobble persist, they can leak and give you more serious problems. To correct this problem, slip toilet shims between the base and … Toilet Installation & a Broken Mounting Plate, How to Install a Toilet Flange on a Tiled Floor, How to Replace a Stainless Steel Closet Ring in a Toilet, Ask the Builder: Fixing Toilet Drainage Problems, How to Fix a Wobbly Toilet With a Plastic Repair Flange, How to Install an Adapter Collar for a Toilet Flange. Spray lubricant on the nuts if they are difficult to turn. Consequences of a Rocking Toilet Failure to address the problems mentioned above can lead to decreased energy efficiency as well as extensive damage to your floors, subfloors and substrate due to leaking water. Start by marking the outline of the toilet flange on the floor with a pencil, then remove the toilet. Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Dishwashers, Tubs and Garbage Disposals - Toilet water runs when sitting on it - Hello: My toilet water will run on and off (on for about 2 … The wax prevents the toilet from being stuck, and if you had waxed the overflow area, you can cut the adhesive just inside the pencil line and the excess will pop off. It may be corroded, broken or set too high. Loosen the anchor bolts, shim the toilet so it's level, tighten the bolts, cut off the excess part of the shim below the toilet using a hacksaw, then caulk. High Hamstring Tendonopathy. This will give you a permanent levelling without making any changes to the toilet, so the toilet will still work if you decide to renovate and change the floor. jadnashua, May 15, 2007 #2. Rock solid. Insert one or more Soft Wobble Wedges ® near back of toilet base until the wobble is eliminated. Tighten the toilet bolts with a wrench. If it is wood, you could shave it down to flat. No, it is not. It will settle down a bit more by its own weight. If you are in an extremely dry home or dry climate, spray a bit of water over the adhesive just before placing the toilet. Once the bolts are tight and the toilet is stable, hook up the water and turn it on. Was told to … If your toilet rocks or moves when you sit down, a loose bolt is probably the culprit. Now set the toilet into the bead of adhesive -- gently. But often in real life, we don't want to do either of those. Basically you will work just inside the outline pencil line. When the grout sets, remove the shims and fill the spaces they occupied with grout to complete the repair. This will probably involve cutting out the damaged section of the floor with a reciprocating saw, repairing any rotted floor joists, and installing a new section of subfloor. Then apply a thick bead of Polyurethane construction adhesive to the place on the floor where the toilet will make contact. To use a repair plate, unscrew the old flange with a screwdriver, slide the plate under the damaged section, line up the holes and replace the screws. Polyurethane adhesive is activated by moisture and this will help it to start curing. Trim flange bolts with a hacksaw if needed. If the flange has been installed too far above the floor level, the toilet will continue to rock and squeak even if the nuts are tight. - Answered by a verified Home Improvement Expert. You may want to work with someone who can watch the floor and guide you. If you're using a ring, place it on top of the damaged ring, adjust it so the tracks in both rings line up and screw it to the subfloor with 1 1/2-inch or longer screws. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described … If you can't get the toilet to stop wobbling, loosen the nuts and remove them. Before you bolt the toilet down, confirm that the base is stable and level by carefully rocking it from side to side and back to front. If a bolt turns when you turn the nut, hold the bolt steady with locking pliers while you turn the nut. I would say the the toilet sits between 1/4 to 1/2" above the floor. Just set it in. Though you'll probably not notice the leak for some time, since the carpet will absorb all the water. In the photo above I am working with half a toilet -- not a very good idea in a real home -- half toilets don't flush too well and they are hard to sit on. A wet subfloor can be problematic even if it isn't spongy. If it is a fracture in the tank itself you'll either need to buy a new toilet or tank, but tanks alone aren't easy to find. A wobbly or rocking toilet tank can lead to small or even disastrous leaks from the tank x bowl connection due to the gap located between the toilet tank and the wall. Follow this link for details on a basic toilet install. Wax the floor and apply the adhesive to the bottom of the toilet. It creates a tightness in the hamstrings and pain when sitting. Over time, these bolts can slowly freeze to the nut, which makes tightening them a difficult job. Let the caulk or grout dry for 24 hours before sitting on the john. If it's soft or spongy, you need to repair it before resetting the toilet. Toilets usually rock because they are not resting flush against the floor. Why Polyurethane construction adhesive? If you don't want the adhesive on the tiles, maybe because you may change the toilet and the new one might not have the same foot print, then you can simply reverse this procedure. Some prefer this sequence because the adhesive tends to stick better to the rough bottom of the toilet than the glossy surface of the tiles. 16 Install bolt caps over the closet bolts. If not, you may need to make additional minor or major adjustments. ... replaced toilet flange, tiled floor and wall behind toilet. Tighten toilet flange bolts gently until bolt feels snug and toilet is stable. hj Moderator & Master Plumber Staff Member. You’ll also have to replace the wax seal that sits under the toilet. Fixing a toilet that rocks back and forth requires the use of some type of wax or seal to ensure that the base of the toilet is firmly rooted to the floor. Once you've removed the nuts, lift the toilet off the flange. If it does not sit perfectly flat, it will rock and is more likely to leak over time. Put toilet base on flange. The only drawback is that the indentitions for the grout lines will force you to put the toilet back in the exact same position if you ever lift it for a repair. The toilet may continue to wobble if you use an oversized one. pilot holes … Our toilet in our spare bath sits too high and rocks. You may be able to fix the problem by letting the floor dry out, filling the screw holes with epoxy filler and resetting the flange. My toilet rocks when you sit on it. 17 Check to make sure toilet is tight to floor and doesn't rock. You need to come down in the right position because if you move too much back and fourth, you will scrape away the adhesive from where you need it. Any pressure against the tank causes stress to the bolts, nuts, and gaskets connections. None of these conditions is very difficult to correct, but if the toilet is wobbling because the subfloor is soft, the repair gets more complicated. If the problem is tiles, you could remove the tiles under the toilet. Inspect the flange ring. Repair a broken flange with a repair ring or a repair plate. What I mean is – the toilet in our hall bathroom has rocked a little bit from the day we moved in (the inspector even noted it on our little home inspection form). When you sit down on the toilet, immediately you can hear a rapid dripping sound coming from somewhere within the wall - Answered by a verified Plumber. Shim the toilet with wooden shims if the flange is too high. Yea its gross but haven't experienced the rocking toilets. ). Sponsor Paid Advertisement . Tighten the nuts on the toilet bolts with a wrench. If the problem is tiles, you could remove the tiles under the toilet. If it's corroded or broken, you can repair it with a repair kit. I use paraffin wax but any heavy wax will work. This is most commonly caused be someone leaning on the tank while sitting on the toilet. Place a wax ring on the flange opening, drop the toilet and push down on the bowl to compress the wax. A mechanical condition with a toilet will cause it to sound as if it is being flushed by an unseen force. You might also feel that it’s wobbly and rocks from front to back when you sit on it. Also known as hamstring tendonitis, this pain is caused by an inflammation at the origin point of the hamstrings. The cause of this problem is when the wax seal/flange that attaches to the toilet has failed. If you see any, test the floor around the flange opening. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. If it's set more than 1/2 inch above the surface of the floor, you'll probably have to shim the toilet to keep it from rocking. . When the adhesive is hard you can trim off the excess around the toilet, or even lift off the toilet to clean off what has flowed outward. Avoid tightening the nuts too much -- you can break the toilet. It had shims and then we were told to put caulk under it to try and stablize it. If it is wood, you could shave it down to flat. As long as the floor is not rotten, you can use this technique. Use a standard wax ring when you reset the toilet. 15 Trim bolts with hacksaw. It is constructed of clear plastic that is easy to use and install. Vertical use is acceptable (sorry, ladies! Toilets wobble when they aren't held securely to the floor, and if you let the wobble persist, they can leak and give you more serious problems. You may want to wax the floor outside the pencil line so that excess adhesive will not stick there either. Don't call the plumber, he's gonna charge probably $45 an … Cleaning the toilet the other day I noticed a really foul smell, and water dripping from the back of the tank. Moreover, the person who installed the toilet may have used a wax ring that is too thick. Look for signs of leakage on the subfloor. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. sum, if the toilet sits tight to the floor then there is no way that sitting on it can make a noise. If you have a wobbly toilet because there is something uneven on the floor the ideal solution is to find a way to level the floor. One Wobble Wedge ® on each side of base normally does the job. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Trying to maintain a good toilet position may be useful for people that find it difficult to pass a stool, who strain when defecating or who suffer from constipation. Your wobbly toilet may be moving because the mounting bolts that hold it down have nothing to grab onto anymore. That toilet's going to be rocking and rolling, and will be leaking in no time. The sticky, pliable wax is expanded by the pressure of the toilet base creating a watertight seal. When my plumber came over, he saw this metal piece on the flange, so he knew it had been “repaired” from the tile guy. Install the flange support. Use these DANCO Plastic Toilet Shims when your toilet needs stabilizing. The simplest and most correct way to fix this is to use shims to stop the rocking. Toilets are not supposed to rock when people sit on them. Reconnect the water supply line and open the shut-off valve again to turn it back on. Last Updated: Saturday, December 12th, 2020, Created: Wednesday, February 4th, 2004. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. 13 Set toilet back into place; press down to compress gasket. Now wax the bottom of the toilet, even a bit up the inside and outside of the part that will be in contact with the floor. These additional repairs can prove to be costly so it is to your benefit to address a rocking toilet as soon as possible. There is no right or wrong way to sit on the toilet; however the following pointers may help make emptying your bowels easier. It happens when they get up from the toilet and see changes in color on the seat. 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