New Toilet install- movement

[DIY_Noob]

Hi all,

Wrapping up a complete bathroom remodel and am now putting in a toilet. I have never replaced a toilet so that my background on the matter. At any rate, I used a regular old wax ring after a misadventure with a ‘perfect’ seal and have the toilet set, I think. There was a little wobble and so I did some lite shimming and now we’re good. No rocking when sitting and shifting. There is however some rotation/twist with the toilet.

I installed it two nights ago but I have not had a chance to caulk it yet and wanted to explore this further before I did. So question for you pros- is this normal for the toilet to be able to rotate? What sort of adhesive properties does Caulking have and will it solve the twist?

Thanks a ton!

 

[Reach4]

I am not a pro. Conventional toilet on slick ceramic or porcelain? The closet bolts normally hold it in place, unlike the Unifit toilets. You should reset the wax having twisted and rocked it.


The caulk is indeed structural with some toilet installs. Search for Polyseamseal in the search box above. Do not use silicone. Plaster of Paris is used in a few places, and works well. I expect that takes some extra skill and practice.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

I use clear caulking most of the way around the bowl. I leave it open at the back so that if the seal is bad we know quickly.
I place the bowl down without wax first to see if it needs shimming and where. If needed, I place the shims, then pull the bowl drop the wax(s) and then the bowl back down again.
Finally I run some clear caulking around the bowl, leaving it open at the back.

Toilets I've had to remove that were grouted in were pretty much broken up to remove them.
Toilets that were installed with Silicone had to be cut from the flooring, sometimes pulling up floor tiles in the process.
I use the caulking below in a clear format.

Goes on white, dries clear. Water cleanup with a sponge.

 

[Jadnashua]

In those I've installed over tile, after getting the bolts as tight as I dared, you could move the toilet on the porcelain. It would take a fair push, but if you were somewhat offset, or fell against it, it was obvious that it moved. As result, any movement is likely to mess with the wax seal, so the caulking is both a safety issue and a sanitary one. If you ever mop the floor, or a guy is standing an misses in the middle of the night, or a younger one has poor aim, it will run down the outside and underneath and be nearly impossible to clean well...the caulk thus serves two purposes...keeps it in place, and prevents crud accumulating underneath.

 

[RustyKnuckles]

Terry, what do you shim toilets with?

 

[Terry]

I shim the back of the bowl.

These rubber shims are easy to trim off with a box knife.

 

[RustyKnuckles]

Wow. Great!