Shimming and steps to install new toilet

[Jechow]

I've been watching videos on how to install toilets including the video by Jamie Love. I've noticed that he assembles the 2-piece toilet before placing down on the flange. Is there a potential issue if install the bowl first and then the tank?

When do you shim the toilet? I've seen videos in which the installer puts in shims after putting the toilet down on the wax ring. I'm thinking that there would be a small gap (equal to the height of the shim) between the bottom of the toilet and the wax ring if you shim it in this manner. Is this going to cause problems down the road if I adopt this approach?

Thanks

 

[Reach4]

Shims are usually tapered. The toilet is placed with at least one point touching the floor, even after shimming.

If you use wax, you should not de-compress an area once the wax is compressed. Adjust your technique to that, or use a waxless seal.

 

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[Gary Swart]

Point one. I think pros like Jamie will attach the tank to the bowl prior to setting because it's easier to tighten the bolts. Non pro me, I set my tanks on after setting the bowl because while yes, you do have to work on a tighter space, it's easier for weakling like me to handle one piece at a time. Point two. Shimming is not needed if the floor is level. Set the bowl over the flange without a wax ring. Look for gaps where a shim would needed and check for level front and back as well as side to side. The plastic wedge shaped door shims are ideal.

 

[Jechow]

For dyi'er, would you suggest that we figure out the size of the shim needed, cut to size, remove the toilet, and then tape the shim into place so that they don't move when the toilet is installed?

 

[Reach4]

I am not a pro. I would expect that you would set the toilet down with no wax and no shims. Can you rock it? If not, maybe no shims. I would get composite door and window shims. Those are maybe 7 inches long, and each shim will normally need two cuts. If you are to use shims with wax, I would place the shims in place, cutting the skinny ends if they are in danger of pressing against the flange. I would mark the shims where the outside edge of the toilet sits. I would lift the toilet. I would mark where each shim will go in a way that will be concealed. I would cut on my marks, and put the shims back. I would put the wax in place, using enough wax.

I would set the toilet down, and apply weight. The shims are already in place.

This is not a practiced procedure, and you should modify it to your thoughts.

One advantage of a Unifit toilet, you don't have the problem. When you drop or lift the toilet, the wax is not affected.

Or consider one of the waxless choices. No problem lifting the toilet up as you play with the shims.

 

[Cjccmc]

I did something very close to what Reach suggested above using a wax ring. I taped the shims in place but when I went to put the toilet on for real with the wax the position at the front of the bowl where the shims needed to be shifted a little so the shims were sticking out a tad. I had brown shims that closely matched my wood floor color so no big deal. But if the floor were a light colored tile that would not have looked good using a clear caulk. Another option might be to tape the shims to the underside of the bowl so a slight shift in final position does not leave shims showing.