Great info! You're full of all kinds of helpful information! Thanks! It seems I have water damage in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room!!!! Going to be a busy winter! Thanks again for the info.
--- On Wed, 12/12/12, OOWONBS@Netscape.net <OOWONBS@Netscape.net> wrote:
From: OOWONBS@Netscape.net <OOWONBS@Netscape.net>
Subject: Re: [DIY] Spam and my consistently leaking toilet!! help
To: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 9:42 PM
>Thanks...I have put in new and remodel toilets without leaking but this one is cursed I think!! The floor flange is corroded (black iron pipe I think) and the bolts do not hold it down and it rocks.. so I think you hit the nail on the head here...The floor flange is in a concrete slab so there is little chance for replacement unless I get a jackhammer and open the entire floor area up.. ugh and double ugh.. I will try the extra wax ring.. did not think of that..
peace and back to DYI fun and $aving$. ---------------
More to this... The 4" blk cast iron was the defacto standard.
Low flow toilets are pushing us toward 3" for toilets, and
Blk ABS plastic. But that's another story... Back to you...
Sometimes the cement floor itself,
1) was never flat around the cast iron drain,
2) has actually started to bulge from various chemical
actions over the decades.
The extra wax ring may help.
ALSO ask for a wedge made for this.
(Don't make a wooden shim! It will rot in 10-30 yrs.)
These fit under the perimeter of the toilet after you have
it squished down, and for which a newbie and most pros
SOMEtimes ought to use a level across the toilet, where
the seat rests. Cuz you rock this too much while squishing
down and you end up with a wax ring not sealing.
Got it perfectly level now and "seated" to the cement?
NOW shove a wedge shim under the high spots where
the toilet does not yet rest on the cement slab. These
are dirt cheap lil plastic things, and usually 1-2 are all
that's needed. You cud want 3-4. Cut off any extra after
triple checking level and stuff. Now bolt 'er down.
(An alternative is grinding down the cement slab, around
the drain, but there's some technique, etc.)
Oh, yeah... backup... Your flange was crap. It is broken?
Sometimes 1 hole breaks and it's hard to make one
of the toilet bolts stay in place. There's an adaptor
that's almost as thin as sheet metal. Or 3 thicknesses...
Less than 1/8th inch, let's say. It bolts to the existing
flange, which usually has extra holes OR the adaptor
has long curved washers that bridge the broken hole.
This essentially fixes a bad hole in a cast iron flange.
VERY common.
There are also new flange-fittings that sorta self seal
and use an o-ring. Good luick on finding a guy to sell
you the right one. IF YOU TRY, take a GOOD pic
of your flange with you. Descriptions, suck. Pics, help.
Ok. NOW you can silicon the toilet down, after you
"test it" by a cpl days use. It is arduous but I use 2 wk
blue painter's tape. I tape the floor & toilet and when
I apply the caulk, then finger fit it in place, check it all,
THEN remove the tape and do that last spit-smoothed
fit, I get perfect results. Placing the tape well, is a real
PITA.
It's an awkward place to use a caulk gun. I'm
not a pro w caulk and I generally HATE the work a
pro does. I don't have to pay anyone's college tuition.
I want perfect work. It takes me all the time it takes me.
One thing - The caulking can begin to "skim-over" in as
little as 15 minutes, so THAT is your goal once you
start applying the caulk. I use kitchen & bathroom
microbial resistant silicon caulk. Clear, white, or "bisque
/ almond." Lil tube $4-5. Big tube, -or- $7 & a gun $2.
Plug the leftover caulk tube with a BIG nail and tape it
with not duct or masking but plastic tape and you might
get to use the rest within 6 mos-1yr. (I use red 30 day
stucco tape (*w/o fibers.*) Geeze this is great general-use
tape!!! Nasua & 3M if I recall, sell this. $7, big roll!)
Did I miss anything ...?
BillSF9c
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