Toilet rough in is 11 1/4"

[bpharry]

Hi, I am a new member and have been very excited to find this forum. I have read and learned a lot.
I am in the process of remodeling my master bathroom, and am concerned about the new toilet fitting the existing rough-in. The rough-in measures at 11 1/4" to the drywall. The old toilet sat with the tank flush against the wall which always bothered me as the lid scuffed the paint and it just looked wrong.
I would like some advice as to whether I should install an offset closet flange, or adjust some of the plumbing under the floor to fix the rough-in to a proper 12".

I have been under the house and I should have easy access to under floor plumbing. There are no joists in the way. The toilet drain and vent are teed off of a long run of abs.

Is it possible to just deflect the long run of abs to make up the 3/4" or will moving that pipe put too much stress on the joints? Or should I add an extension to the pipe between the tee and the toilet elbow?

BTW the subfloor is tongue and groove planking, and I have removed the 1/2" plywood that was on top in order to install hardi-backer and tile. Thanks!

 

[TedL]

I expect Terry to stop by and tell you that some Totos will install in a rough in space under 11 inches. Or, do a quick search. He last gave that answer about a week ago.

If you haven't already installed that tile, you may want to reconsider. I would recommend you post your specifics at johnbridge.com, a tile forum that gives wonderful support to DIY'rs. Removing the ply may have left you with too weak a subfloor.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Peanut9199]

Yes most toilets have a 3/4" gap between the tank and the wall but you will still have the same problem of the

The old toilet sat with the tank flush against the wall which always bothered me as the lid scuffed the paint and it just looked wrong.

What you should do is install a 10" rough-in toilet and then you will have a 1" gap between the tank and the wall.

Most skirted Toto toilets are available with an optional 10" Unifit rough in except the Nexus and the Aquia (right now).

 

[Jadnashua]

A Toto Drake will fit and still have room behind. If you are going to move things, the proper place for the new toilet flange is on TOP of the FINISHED floor, and anchored through the floor into the subflooring. If you notch the tile before laying them, then you don't need to drill through them later, but it is possible with the right bit.

But, WRT your flooring and tiling. If you are planning to install the Hardibacker directly on the planks, you are setting yourself up for failure. The manufacturer requires it be set on top of plywood, and over planks, you need at least 1/2" of ply. If height is a big issue, use of a membrane would cut that down. My favorite is Ditra from www.schluter.com which works out to about 1/8" thick and actually works much better than cbu. There is no need to use 1/2" cbu on the floor unless you want it for matching height elsewhere...1/4" is the norm. Thicker does NOT make your floor stiffer.

Also, if you haven't determined the deflection statistics of your floor, you might have problems in that area too. Deflection is important along two axis - both along the joists, and in between the joists. Your dimensional planks are probably okay across the joists, except for the fact that they move too much between seasons, but the strength of the subfloor has little to do with how much the joists deflect. The plywood is necessary to isolate the dimensional wood from the tile and cbu.

 

[bpharry]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. I'll check out the other tiling forum to make sure I'm doing it right. I don't really have a problem with putting 1/2" down first, mostly I removed it because the vinyl that was there before left a good deal of adhesive and backing on it.
I know the TOTOs are held in high regard here, but they are a bit out of my reach price-wise. I guess it just drives me nuts that my house was build at the height of the housing boom and there are a lot of things that were not done right... including the rough-in on this toilet. I might have to consider the 10" toilet option, but if I were to fix the problem what would be the best way to do it? Thanks again!

 

[Gary Swart]

Yes, the Toto is a bit more expensive than some of the other brands, but in my opinion, going to a cheap brand that has poor performance is false economy. A toilet should be considered a lifetime investment. It is used several times every day by everyone in the family and is expected to last for many years. I can't think of anything in the home that is expected to work flawlessly so often for so long as toilet. It just doesn't make sense to go with less than a top performer just to save a few dollars. An extensive bathroom remodel like you are doing is an expensive undertaking, so it really needs to be done right.

 

[Terry]

It's easier to shift the bowl, then it is to change the drain.

The Drake at 11-1/4" will have a 1/4" behind the tank,
The Ultramax will be tight.

Something like the Soiree and Guinevere will be tight,
unless you install with a 10" kit, which will put 2" behind the bowl at 11-1/4"

 

[Jadnashua]

If you have full access from below, cut out the existing elbow and flange (and maybe riser), adjust position, and put in new. Parts are cheap. Get a flange with stainless steel ring and use SS screws to anchor it. Make sure to maintain the proper slope.

 

[Peanut9199]

A Toto Drake will fit and still have room behind.

Not if it's a round front Drake which only has a 3/4" gap.