Toilet location has become a bit of a problem

BOUTYM

After repairing a water damaged floor I decided to do a remodel on the master bath. As is always the case this opened a huge can of worms and at every turn there's another dilemma brought on by either laziness or idiocy of the previous owner. Here's the latest situation...

At some point it appears as though the main drain was relocated and little thought was given as to the location. Consequently this lack of planning has been a thorn in my side since starting this project as it now playing a part in my problem. You see, when they ran the pipe for the vent to the roof they weren't careful about keeping it tucked far enough in between the studs so I had to shim the wall 3/4" to get clearance for the new drywall. This was working well until I discovered that when they installed the toilet flange they did a 12" rough-in, BUT they measured from the stud instead of the finished wall and even then didn't do a full 12" (the original toilet was a 12" rough and didn't fit well). My wife went out and bought all the fixtures for this project about a year ago and now I'm sitting here with a boat load of fixtures that are a matched set with a 12" rough-in toilet.

I'm using 1/2 drywall and then single bead Wainscot over that on the lower part of the wall. This obviously will interfere with the toilet tank. I temp installed the toilet to measure and there just isn't enough room for a 12" rough toilet to make it look right no matter how I do it. Moving the drain is an absolute last resort.

Of course the simple solution is to get a 10" rough toilet, but since I can't find one to match everything else the wife is in no fashion interested in going with a 10" rough toilet and thus I sit here with the wife 'inspired' task of coming up with a solution that will allow her to either keep her prize toilet or find a 10" that matches (which doesn't look like a possibility unless I cast it myself).

I considered looking for a different 10" bowl that the tank would work with since it's really the tank design that is important to keep, but I don't know how successful I will be in that quest unless there's some chance of standardization with the same manufacturer and their 10" toilets.

So, here I sit all broken hearted... you know the rest.

AlbacoreShuffle

Use an offset flang.

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hammerlane

Would an offset closet flange get you enough space for the 12" toilet?

hammerlane

looks like Albacore beat me to the suggestion by 2 minutes

BOUTYM

Offset flange won't work without dealing with a joist, something I'm not inclined to do. I already had a boat load of issues with joists before doing the floor, so to to mess with them again is going to delay everything by at least a few weeks since I don't have a great deal of time to work on this. Besides, an offset would be on the ragged edge of what I need. If I don't use a 10" rough bowl I'd have to have an offset of at least 2 inches since the original drain wasn't properly located. I don't know if I can even get a 2" offset and if I did I'd be worried about it draining properly. The joist would certainly create an issue either way though.

Mark Potter

Is the floor open still? Or is it closed in already? smaller toilet might be only way unless you still have access to the flange off set will work with a sister then plywood.

H|P Capital

BOUTYM

Floor is closed. I got looking at it again and I might be able to do something where I splice the joist from about half-span over and then cross brace it to prevent twist. Then cut out the section that would interfere with putting in the offset.

I should have enough distance to cut off the old pipe and flange above the T fitting it's soldered into and then meet up with it using PVC and a Fernco coupling.

No matter how you slice it a real PITA, but about the only way I can figure to do it without doing a complete reinstall of the drain since it's shared with another bathroom.

The offset would be temporary anyway because the other bathroom is getting reworked in about a year and that one will require relocating its drain anyway. So when that happens I can rework the whole mess without using offsets.

oh'mike

Toilets are made with 10" centers,too. Common but a special order-----

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BOUTYM

Yea, we went out yesterday to some real plumbing supply places and there was only one that was a possibility for a 10", but the color is off shade compared to the one I have and a few other things that gives me pause. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and move the drain as long as I can find someone around here that can get me the right Fernco. Around here they are so entrenched in PVC and ABS you get the deer in the headlights if you don't find the right guy to talk to at the supply houses.

oh'mike

You are on the right course----moving that should not be to much of a nightmare---Mike---

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BOUTYM

Any suggestions on the what works well to cut 3" copper besides a chain cutter. Kinda close quarters. Checked around and didn't find anyone that rents them, unless they didn't know what I was talking about.

TheEplumber

A sawzall with a fine tooth blade or a large tubing cutter equipped with a copper cutting wheel. Chain cutters are for cast iron only.

Mark Potter

Sawzall would work best since the flange is going over what ur cutting.

H|P Capital

BOUTYM

Sawzall it is. That I have in my arsenal.