Closet flange install on floating floor

[Az!]

Hi all,

I've searched high and low here and the interwebs, and can't find any specific instructions for installing a closet flange on an LVT floating floor. I know the flange needs to be installed "on top" of the finished floor, but I can't screw the flange down through the LVT into the sub-floor as it will immobilize the LVT. It seems the only correct option for flange install with LVT is to use some kind of spacer under the flange to bring it to the same height as the finished floor and install LVT around the flange. I can make a spacer with some 1/4" ply, which is the same thickness as my LVT, but was hoping for something pre-made, but I can't find anything. Surely, pros here have installed closet flanges in new installs on new LVT flooring. What are you using to raise the flange to the correct level?

**To clarify my situation, I've cut the waste pipe off under the sub-floor and, I'm installing an extension and new flange so I want this to be done right.

Thanks!

 

[Stuff]

There was some discussion before about this and no solid answer. The installation instructions on many of them assume you don't pull the toilet so don't help. Putting under the toilet makes conflicts with the idea that the floor floats. That said there are many plastic flange spacers available.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/floating-lvt-flooring-in-a-bath.81179/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

What you could do is punch some oversized holes in the flooring, then use some SS washers underneath the flange to provide a stable anchor to the subflooring while not clamping it to the flooring.

 

[wwhitney]

What you could do is punch some oversized holes in the flooring, then use some SS washers underneath the flange to provide a stable anchor to the subflooring while not clamping it to the flooring.

But what about the weight of the toilet itself?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I know the flange needs to be installed "on top" of the finished floor

Why does the flange Have to be installed On Top of the floating floor?

 

[Az!]

What you could do is punch some oversized holes in the flooring, then use some SS washers underneath the flange to provide a stable anchor to the subflooring while not clamping it to the flooring.

I have considered that actually. I had to do this for some bi-fold doors in other rooms. Was kind of hoping for something pre-manufactured specifically for this.

 

[Terry]

Why does the flange Have to be installed On Top of the floating floor?

Exactly, the flooring can go around the flange, that's how it's done most of the time here.
They make spacers that go under the flange if you want it higher or you can use a thick wax, or stack two wax rings.

 

[Az!]

But what about the weight of the toilet itself?

Cheers, Wayne

The weight of the toilet is borne by the flooring around the flange, so this could work, but it's kind of a jury-rigged solution.

 

[Az!]

Exactly, the flooring can go around the flange, that's how it's done most of the time here.
They make spacers that go under the flange if you want it higher or you can use a thick wax, or stack two wax rings.

Aha, that's what I'm looking for! Do you have a link to these flange spacers?

 

[Az!]

I think I found some. Looks like these should work. Thanks everyone

 

[Reach4]

Why does the flange Have to be installed On Top of the floating floor?

It might look strange to have a gap, especially if the cutout in the flooring wasn't precise. Or are you thinking of elastic caulking covering the gap?

 

[Terry]

It might look strange to have a gap, especially if the cutout in the flooring wasn't precise. Or are you thinking of elastic caulking covering the gap?

The toilet bowl covers all of that.

 

[wwhitney]

The weight of the toilet is borne by the flooring around the flange, so this could work, but it's kind of a jury-rigged solution.

I don't see much difference between the flange clamping the floating floor to the subfloor, and the weight of the toilet doing the same thing. It's OK to have a floating floor fixed in one place, as long as the whole perimeter has space for the floor to expand and contract with respect to that fixed point. Obviously it would work best for the fixed point to be in the middle of the floor, which is not likely with a toilet.

Ideally the flooring specifies something like "provide 1/16" expansion gap at both ends per 10' of flooring width," which would be 1/8" total over 10'. So with a fixed point, you'd provide 1/8" gap per 10' from the fixed point. [The particular numbers I just made up.]

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Reach4]

The toilet bowl covers all of that.

I think they were talking about making a big precisely-shaped hole to cause a gap between the flooring and the base. The purpose of leaving gaps is to let the flooring expand or contract with temperature/humidity without buckling or otherwise distorting the floor.

My thinking is that for a bathroom, let the toilet pin the floating floor in place, but allow for expansion everywhere else. The gap elsewhere is covered by molding. I guess there could be a flexible molding to be put around toilet bases, but I don't know if they do that.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

cutting flooring around a toilet is as bad an idea as carpeting around a toilet.. from someone who has seen both.

 

[Jadnashua]

LVL probably isn't thick enough to be a problem with height, but toilet flanges and toilets are designed for a standard wax ring to seal when the flange is on top of the finished floor. Yes, many of them aren't installed that way, and they do make 'jumbo' (thicker) wax rings to compensate, and on a worst case, you can stack wax rings, but ideally, the flange is installed on top of the finished flooring.

When installing the flange, you want it to be rigid. The bolts holding the toilet don't need to be especially tight, and if they are, you risk cracking the toilet. Caulking the toilet around the front would provide a slightly flexible joint rather than a solid, rigid one, and will hold the toilet in place while allowing the flooring to move slightly. Especially on tile, where the porcelain from the toilet and the surface of the tile can be quite slippery, you may not be able to tighten the bolts enough anyway, so the caulk is almost required to stabilize things. On a typical vinyl floor, the weight will cause the toilet to almost 'stick', but not over tile and some other smooth surfaces.

FWIW, I have some engineered wood, floating flooring in a half-bath, but I opted to tile around the toilet with the same stone as I used for my vanity countertop to help tie things together, and easier to clean.