What would you do?

[bside]

So of course I did not discover this board until I had already made a rookie mistake. I just finished retiling my bathroom before I realized that I should have removed the closet flange first. I tiled up to the existing flange and am not willing to pull up the brand new floor to do it right. So after searching the forum and seeing a few different options I figured I would get some more experienced opinions. Here is what I have: 3" ABS closet flange and riser pipe, 3/4" OSB sub-floor, 1/4" Hardi-backer thinset to sub, 3/8" tile, no access from below. The finished floor leaves the top of the closet flange 1/4" below top of tile.

My options as I see them (please include any I didn't think of):

1. Use a thicker wax ring with neoprene insert
2. Use one of the waxless rings
3. Use 1/4" spacers sealed together with silicone (not sure how many would be appropriate)
4. Use an inside pipe cutoff saw and remove closet flange and place plywood donut shim of equal height to finished floor and replace with new closet flange

What would you do? Thanks for any input.

Brent

 

[Norcal1]

I see this set up far too often...Use the extra thick wax ring.

Like this one: http://plumbing.hardwarestore.com/51-291-wax-rings/extra-thick-toilet-bowl-gasket-604517.aspx

Good luck.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bside]

Thanks for the input. That method seems to be the easiest. Of course assuming I get a good seal.

 

[bside]

Should I use silicone caulk to fill the gap between flooring and flange. Their is approximately a 1/4" between closet flange and finished flooring.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[Racer814]

silicone the gap between the tile and the flange but not around the toilet base...if you do, leave a gap so water can escape if you have a leak...I've seen sub floors rotted because the water from a leaking seal went undetected....personally I would build up the flange but the thicker wax will work...

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

2 wax rings

If it were me I would just use two wax rings and
forget about it....

I do it all the time with no complaints

Just warm them up in hot water and place them on top of each other...press down on them to shape them
properly with your finger..... works great for decades.

perhaps use some dap around the edje of the toilet
instead of silicone,

 

[bside]

silicone the gap between the tile and the flange but not around the toilet base...if you do, leave a gap so water can escape if you have a leak...I've seen sub floors rotted because the water from a leaking seal went undetected....personally I would build up the flange but the thicker wax will work...

By building up the flange, you mean with spacers. Those spacers are only like two bucks each. So that is no big deal I just wasn't sure how many to use or what the pros and cons of them were. The con I have heard most often with the two wax rings is that you could possibly blow out the extra wax with excessive plunging.

Thanks for the input everybody. This is the first of three bathroom remodels so hopefully by the third one I'll get it right

 

[Racer814]

the two wax method has been around forever and works

I just prefer to use the extensions

if you use two seals just be sure to take your fingers and slightly form the top seal down and outwards so that it will not tend to squeeze inward and constrict the opening...I have pulled many a toilet and seen the hole consrtcted from the extra wax.....