[cody21]

We ripped up the floor down to the joists for our remodel. Install the 1st sheet of plywood. The toilet flange is a bit off-level now and we're looking for some advice. The very Front (top of the flange) is 1" off the floor. The back side (top of flange) is 3/4" - so there is a 1/4" difference in "level" between front to rear. We'll be installing the 1/4" cement (hardi) board over the plywood along with a very small layer of thin-set. So the rear of the flang will now be flush with the cement board while the front edge will be 1/4" off the floor. We also plan to TILE the area 1st before install the toilet - which will likely be the "standard" size of ceramic/porcelain tiles (1/8-1/4"??)

Is this an issue??? Should the to the entire flange be higher than the final floor/tile? If so, sounds like we might need to get an extender? Do we need to LEVEL the flange somehow or will the wax ring accomodate this 1/4" difference when we install the (TOTO) toilet?

Thanks so much - love this forum.

 

[adpanko]

Presumably it isn't possible or feasible to replace the closet flange, but if you could, that would obviously be the best thing to do. Otherwise, with only a quarter inch of difference between the two ends of the flange, you could probably get away with just using the larger/thicker type of wax ring, and make sure it is the kind that has the plastic horn/funnel on it, and not just merely a wing of wax. The large wax rings have enough thickness of wax that you can shim the toilet level, even with the flange being unlevel, and there is still enough wax to make up for the uneveness as you push and shimmy the toilet down to depress and smush the wax.

One final comment, I recently installed two different Toto toilets in my house over the last year. One is a Drake and the other is a Clayton (or maybe Carrolton or something). Both are absolutely fantastic. They both have a real weak sounding flush, sort of like it is only a partial flush and the flapper closed before it was supposed to. But neither of them has ever needed more than one flush. My family works in plumbing supply, and from what I hear, Toto has really masted the low water consumption flush. American Standard used to have some real problems with their low volume flushes not finishing the job all the time.

Good luck.

 

[cody21]

Presumably it isn't possible or feasible to replace the closet flange, but if you could, that would obviously be the best thing to do. Otherwise, with only a quarter inch of difference between the two ends of the flange, you could probably get away with just using the larger/thicker type of wax ring, and make sure it is the kind that has the plastic horn/funnel on it, and not just merely a wing of wax. The large wax rings have enough thickness of wax that you can shim the toilet level, even with the flange being unlevel, and there is still enough wax to make up for the uneveness as you push and shimmy the toilet down to depress and smush the wax.

One final comment, I recently installed two different Toto toilets in my house over the last year. One is a Drake and the other is a Clayton (or maybe Carrolton or something). Both are absolutely fantastic. They both have a real weak sounding flush, sort of like it is only a partial flush and the flapper closed before it was supposed to. But neither of them has ever needed more than one flush. My family works in plumbing supply, and from what I hear, Toto has really masted the low water consumption flush. American Standard used to have some real problems with their low volume flushes not finishing the job all the time.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for your opinion and advice.

PS - we got the TOTO DUAL FLUSH ... everyone has raved about it and we wanted something that gave us a choice of water flow.

 

[mikey48]

The flange should be secured to the floor with screws and best to be on the top of the finished floor. Depending on the piping below the flange may pull down with the screws.

 

[cody21]

The flange should be secured to the floor with screws and best to be on the top of the finished floor. Depending on the piping below the flange may pull down with the screws.

Thanks for piping in here Mike. But I'm not sure what you mean; I'm an amateur on this topic.

So let me see if I get this right:

(1) - after we install the cement board & tile, the TOP of the cast-iron flange needs to be at least higher than the finished tile? If it is NOT, we need to install a FLANGE EXTENDER?

(2) There are 2 slots for bolts/screws in the current flange. I'm not sure what you mean by "Depending on the piping below the flange may pull down with the screws." The piping is all old cast iron stuff. There is no PVC in this set up. So I don't think anything will "pull down" when we crank down the screws at install time.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[mikey48]

Cody, sounds like something is missing, if you can provide us some pictures and maybe we can figure it out.

 

[cody21]

Cody, sounds like something is missing, if you can provide us some pictures and maybe we can figure it out.

OK .. but not much to see here. This is the Flange still sitting overall higher/above the the current plywood. We have yet to install the Cement board and the Tile. The FRONT is about 1/4" higher than the rear side.
Thanks

 

[mikey48]

Usually there are 4 flathead screws besides the slots which are for the toilet bolts. Can't tell by the picture if they are there. I hope one of the pros will chime in and help us out. Most flanges are screwed to the floor.

 

[cody21]

Usually there are 4 flathead screws besides the slots which are for the toilet bolts. Can't tell by the picture if they are there. I hope one of the pros will chime in and help us out. Most flanges are screwed to the floor.

OK, maybe I'm using the wrong term??? I thought the FLANGE was the actual cast iron pipe (as shown) that IS the sewer drain???? We have the other "part" (came with the toilet - has 4 screws) that will screw down OVER this thing/image along with the wax ring.

 

[adpanko]

Are there only those two holes on the surface of the flange? Or are there other holes in the flange that are just gunked up and covered with the old wax ring residue?

From the looks of that picture, there aren't any holes on that flange that would allow you to screw the flange down to the floor; only the two holes that received the bolts that hold the toilet down onto the flange.

The weight of the toilet will be resting on the finished floor (which will be higher than the flange), and the excess wax in a large wax ring will should be more than enough to make a good solid seal around the bottom drain hole of the toilet and the drain hole in the flange. When you do put the bowl on and tighten the bolts to pull the toilet tight to the floor, don't over tighten because the bolts will be pulling upward on the flange, and since the flange won't be mechanically fastened to the floor, it may have a tendency to pull up some (but it looks like that is cast iron, so that isn't much of a concern.

But like I said in my earlier post, make sure you get one of the wax rings that has the plastic horn/funnel on it for extra insurance that what comes out of the toilet makes it down into the drain hole in the flange.

 

[eyeglass]

installing tile /toilet flange help

Cody21, i'm about ready to install ceramic tile in y bathroom, I have the same cast iron looking Flange over my subfloor as in your photo. my flange look exactly like your photo. No screws of any I could see. I have two nichs I assume where the flange bolts must have been attached to.
Can anyone tell me how do you attach a extention to this cast iron closet ring(flange) to raise it so I could istall tile? 1/4"Hardieboard/thin set motar(both side of board)= 3/4")

View attachment 11379

OK .. but not much to see here. This is the Flange still sitting overall higher/above the the current plywood. We have yet to install the Cement board and the Tile. The FRONT is about 1/4" higher than the rear side.
Thanks