# Flooring guys resetting toilets.



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

I had a call Saturday, customer had a toilet leaking at the base, she had a friend come over and pulled the toilet to fix it and found the flange cracked, so she called me.
When I get there I see the cracked flange and that it's lower than the laminate sub floor. Her laminate is cupping in the joints and she has water under her carpeting to her den. I told her to call her insurance company and let's let her adjuster take a look at everything.

Originally she had vinyl and the flooring guy put down the new, much thicker laminate and reset her toilet with no regard to the flange not being on top of the finished floor. I don't know if the crack happened before or after, but her insurance company told her to make a claim on his insurance because he should not have set the toilet and called a plumber to do the work.


----------



## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

this is going, to be a good thead! your opening up the flood gates, so to speak.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

Make sense...how long ago was the toilet set?


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

I am not sure when the floor was installed, but it looks pretty new.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

ChrisConnor said:


> I am not sure when the floor was installed, but it looks pretty new.


He may try to say it is the house settling...and I can imagine how much "settling" took place once the flooring started staying wet...

This will be an expensive flooring job for him....should not have cut that corner.


----------



## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

These days, I'm actually surprised if I take up a toilet, or replace one, that had a new floor put in, & the flange was raised to proper height. In fact, I'm trying to remember, who was president, the last time I seen that.


----------



## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

Don The Plumber said:


> These days, I'm actually surprised if I take up a toilet, or replace one, that had a new floor put in, & the flange was raised to proper height. In fact, I'm trying to remember, who was president, the last time I seen that.


Exactly, it happens all the time.


----------



## PlumberJake (Nov 15, 2010)

I consistently find cracked flanges, wax not compressed, base not caulked (or otherwise sealed). 

I have a Flooring center that calls me out every once in a while to reset toilets for them. They have been burned a few times by having to replace floors because of poor toilet resets. My service call is a small dent in the profits to make sure the toilet gets set correctly.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

PlumberJake said:


> I consistently find cracked flanges, wax not compressed, base not caulked (or otherwise sealed).
> 
> I have a Flooring center that calls me out every once in a while to reset toilets for them. They have been burned a few times by having to replace floors because of poor toilet resets. My service call is a small dent in the profits to make sure the toilet gets set correctly.



You caulk every toilet base?:blink:


----------



## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

PinkPlumber said:


> You caulk every toilet base?:blink:


I do. Most inspectors here want to see it. If you use a good caulk its just one more line of protection.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

RW Plumbing said:


> I do. Most inspectors here want to see it. If you use a good caulk its just one more line of protection.


If it leaks from the seal...it'll present at the base.

Some customers would think it was unattractive.
I deal with it on a case-by-case basis.


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

PinkPlumber said:


> You caulk every toilet base?:blink:


You don't?


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Texas when toilet is set it needs to be sealed to the floor to stop pest from coming through and making a proper seal to the floor that being said every toilet is caulked to the floor


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Texas when toilet is set it needs to be sealed to the floor to stop pest from coming through and making a proper seal to the floor that being said every toilet is caulked to the floor


Every toilet? Maybe 1%


----------



## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Texas when toilet is set it needs to be sealed to the floor to stop pest from coming through and making a proper seal to the floor that being said every toilet is caulked to the floor


I think caulking a toilet looks cheap and says Paco or Nacho has been here.

If you have a nice floor caulking looks like crap to me. I have never caulked a toilet before and never will......


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Not that I would ever want a fellow business owner to suffer, but that is a great one, if it has to happen. 

We don't go in and do their job, so why should they be trying to do ours? 

Of course that is just the way it gets done here, rarely will a flooring contractor hire a plumber, just too much hassled according to them. 

I know of a reputable outfit that will do their own plumbing work in custom tile showers. :blink:

Have yet to see his work, but its safe to assume the plumbing is hacked.


----------



## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

PinkPlumber said:


> If it leaks from the seal...it'll present at the base.
> 
> Some customers would think it was unattractive.
> I deal with it on a case-by-case basis.


I leave the back non visable part not caulked. That way it would still pool up on the floor. That's assuming the collar doesn't have gaps between it and subfloor. Then it's in the floor below no matter what you do


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

I'll have to admit that I used to not to clauk the base and being a real sloppy caulker which made it look bad.. now I learned from a handyman (gasps!) how to proper apply the caulking. Now I caulked 95% of the water closet base.
Got a message from landlord saying the tenant reported me as a perfectiont when comes to recaulking the tub. I cringed as I had more on me than the job itself.


----------



## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

By my code all fixtures shall be sealed to wall or floor whereever they make contact this is to prevent build up of mold scum piss ect ect witch will prevent germs and illness. That's all fixtures. Wc lavs sinks urinals ect ect


----------



## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

TallCoolOne said:


> I think caulking a toilet looks cheap and says Paco or Nacho has been here.
> 
> If you have a nice floor caulking looks like crap to me. I have never caulked a toilet before and never will......


Properly caulking a toilet base looks far more professional than not caulking and the customers prefer it. Caulking the base of a toilet does 3 things, it looks good, it acts as a shim for the toilet if the floor is uneven and it prevents all the little boys with bad aim from contaminating the underside of the toilet with urine that can't be cleaned and after awhile it can create a substantial odor and it's unsanitary. I'll stick to caulking the toilets, haven't had a complaint yet.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Titletownplumbr said:


> Properly caulking a toilet base looks far more professional than not caulking and the customers prefer it. Caulking the base of a toilet does 3 things, it looks good, it acts as a shim for the toilet if the floor is uneven and it prevents all the little boys with bad aim from contaminating the underside of the toilet with urine that can't be cleaned and after awhile it can create a substantial odor and it's unsanitary. I'll stick to caulking the toilets, haven't had a complaint yet.


I agree wholeheartly about the pee starting to smells, esp on the radiant floor heat... about those little boys, I tell customer to have a magazine rack and the boys will sit down to 'read'.


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Let me put it this way any toilet that i am installing on wood floors tile linoleum will get caulked in carpet well their is nothing you can do but like I said Texas code says they need to be sealed to the floor


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Titletownplumbr said:


> Properly caulking a toilet base looks far more professional than not caulking and the customers prefer it. Caulking the base of a toilet does 3 things, it looks good, it acts as a shim for the toilet if the floor is uneven and it prevents all the little boys with bad aim from contaminating the underside of the toilet with urine that can't be cleaned and after awhile it can create a substantial odor and it's unsanitary. I'll stick to caulking the toilets, haven't had a complaint yet.


Also helps prevent sewer gases escaping.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

89plumbum said:


> Also helps prevent sewer gases escaping.


Sewer gas escaping???!! If that the case, the closet seal is breached!!


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Tru dat, tru dat!


----------



## agonzales1981 (Mar 30, 2012)

Titletownplumbr said:


> Properly caulking a toilet base looks far more professional than not caulking and the customers prefer it. Caulking the base of a toilet does 3 things, it looks good, it acts as a shim for the toilet if the floor is uneven and it prevents all the little boys with bad aim from contaminating the underside of the toilet with urine that can't be cleaned and after awhile it can create a substantial odor and it's unsanitary. I'll stick to caulking the toilets, haven't had a complaint yet.


X2 always caulk or use the same color grout if it's available.


----------



## huskyevert (Mar 9, 2012)

Our code here in MI is the same, all wall or floor mounted fixtures need to be caulked. Aside from that, the caulk also helps to secure the wc to the floor. What if a large person leans way over to get a new roll of t.p. or something. We all know it doesn't take much to crack a pvc flange.

Back to the o.p. - What I run into a lot is floor guys who just tile around the toilets. It's almost always a disaster to pull those ones later. It also looks crappy when you have to replace the wc and can't get one with the same footprint.


----------



## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

Titletownplumbr said:


> Properly caulking a toilet base looks far more professional than not caulking and the customers prefer it. Caulking the base of a toilet does 3 things, it looks good, it acts as a shim for the toilet if the floor is uneven and it prevents all the little boys with bad aim from contaminating the underside of the toilet with urine that can't be cleaned and after awhile it can create a substantial odor and it's unsanitary. I'll stick to caulking the toilets, haven't had a complaint yet.


I do not caulk WCs to the floor - ever.

1. It looks like crap.
2. It will mask an issue down the road if the seal leaks.
3. It isn't an alternative to properly shimming a bowl.
4. It looks like crap.

Also, I don't understand why it's an issue if the floor flange is NOT above the finished floor. I run into this all the time. A thicker gasket is all that is required - along with longer closet bolts sometimes but that's it. If the toilet is set properly, it doesn't make a bit of difference how thick the gasket is.

I have had problems however when a floor flange is too high (concrete floor or the like). But, never with a flange that's "Too low".

Having said all that, I use neoprene seals exclusively. Wax used to be a code violation here but it would seem the most recent code revision no longer prohibits wax seals...


----------



## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

How to caulk a toilet base so it doesn't look like crap:

Apply bead of caulk to toilet base.

Wipe excess away with gloved finger

Smooth out bead with dampened sponge

Rinse and repeat until it looks like you gave a damn


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

agonzales1981 said:


> X2 always caulk or use the same color grout if it's available.



Grout?....yeah that's what the previous owner of my house did to the one in the downstairs bathroom....I ended up having to bust it apart to get to the bad seal when it leaked....new toilet time.:blink:


----------



## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

MarkToo said:


> Also, I don't understand why it's an issue if the floor flange is NOT above the finished floor. I run into this all the time. A thicker gasket is all that is required - along with longer closet bolts sometimes but that's it. If the toilet is set properly, it doesn't make a bit of difference how thick the gasket is.
> 
> 
> Having said all that, I use neoprene seals exclusively. Wax used to be a code violation here but it would seem the most recent code revision no longer prohibits wax seals...


Maybe the difference is the neoprene, I've never used it. If the flange is more than 1/2" below the floor, you are taking a risk with wax.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

89plumbum said:


> You don't?



No....most customer's don't want it done.....but now that I think about it...it would help stop the pee from stinking...


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

JK949 said:


> How to caulk a toilet base so it doesn't look like crap:
> 
> Apply bead of caulk to toilet base.
> 
> ...


Amen


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

JK949 said:


> How to caulk a toilet base so it doesn't look like crap:
> 
> Apply bead of caulk to toilet base.
> 
> ...


Try this on your next caulking job;
Apply a bead of caulk,

Srpray over the whole area with soap and water in a spray bottle,

using a finger pull off excess sealant/caulk 

job done, looks perfect.

The silcone sticks to the dry surface you first applied it to, but will not stick to the soap solution.

Taught to me by a shower screen installer old guy.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Adamche said:


> Try this on your next caulking job;
> Apply a bead of caulk,
> 
> Srpray over the whole area with soap and water in a spray bottle,
> ...


CW or CCW???


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> CW or CCW???


straight down... no vortices!


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Adamche said:


> straight down... no vortices!


Laughing.... you guy down there call it shower screen, to keep the bugs out and be able to look into or??


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

:laughing: yeah i dunno, if it is not a shower screen it is a shower curtain (I effin hate shower curtains). What do you guys call them?
I have some others too!
Basin = lav sink
Laundry Trough = ?
Bath = Tub


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Adamche said:


> :laughing: yeah i dunno, if it is not a shower screen it is a shower curtain (I effin hate shower curtains). What do you guys call them?
> I have some others too!
> Basin = lav sink
> Laundry Trough = ?
> Bath = Tub


If it a shower curtain, why would you need to caulk it??? Lol
Up here we call it shower glass, which I'll take the curtain over the glass any day.


----------



## agonzales1981 (Mar 30, 2012)

Adamche said:


> Try this on your next caulking job;
> Apply a bead of caulk,
> 
> Srpray over the whole area with soap and water in a spray bottle,
> ...


Seems like a lot of mess to me. Guy above nailed it, dap around toilet wipe off excess w finger and go over with damp sponge. Looks far better than a toilet that isn't caulked.


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

agonzales1981 said:


> Seems like a lot of mess to me. Guy above nailed it, dap around toilet wipe off excess w finger and go over with damp sponge. Looks far better than a toilet that isn't caulked.


 I too was sceptical...before I tried it, just try it.


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

MarkToo said:


> I do not caulk WCs to the floor - ever.
> 
> 1. It looks like crap.
> 2. It will mask an issue down the road if the seal leaks.
> ...


Here our code says we are to caulk toilets for sanitary reasons, just as with urinals. If you shim a toilet and do not caulk it, then you're making more of a gap for "stuff" to get under the toilet and the caulk keeps the toilet from pivoting or squeezing certain shims out.

Also our code says the flange is to be on top of the finished floor, not the subfloor.

If a flange is below the floor and the seal is breached,(wax is the most common seal here) the trickle of water will penetrated between the floor and subfloor for a greater distance, possibly causing more property damage and an unsanitary condition.

Like many plumbers, I will often leave a small "gap" in the caulking on the back side of the toilet to let any seal leakage escape.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

Adamche said:


> :laughing: yeah i dunno, if it is not a shower screen it is a shower curtain (I effin hate shower curtains). What do you guys call them?
> I have some others too!
> Basin = lav sink
> Laundry Trough = ?
> Bath = Tub



Don't forget "vessel" :yes:


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

ChrisConnor said:


> I had a call Saturday, customer had a toilet leaking at the base, she had a friend come over and pulled the toilet to fix it and found the flange cracked, so she called me.
> When I get there I see the cracked flange and that it's lower than the laminate sub floor. Her laminate is cupping in the joints and she has water under her carpeting to her den. I told her to call her insurance company and let's let her adjuster take a look at everything.
> 
> Originally she had vinyl and the flooring guy put down the new, much thicker laminate and reset her toilet with no regard to the flange not being on top of the finished floor. I don't know if the crack happened before or after, but her insurance company told her to make a claim on his insurance because he should not have set the toilet and called a plumber to do the work.


 





Wow, did this thread veer off course! So, Chris, how did this turn out? 

The insurance company is telling homeowner that the floor man should never have set that toilet. They'll deny the claim over that. I posted in another thread recently about contractors working outside the scope of their license. Insurance companies will hang a hapless home-owner out to dry over stuff like that.


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> Wow, did this thread veer off course! So, Chris, how did this turn out?
> 
> The insurance company is telling homeowner that the floor man should never have set that toilet. They'll deny the claim over that. I posted in another thread recently about contractors working outside the scope of their license. Insurance companies will hang a hapless home-owner out to dry over stuff like that.


It's not over yet, the insurance companies are taking statements right now.


----------



## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

You would be fired round these parts if you handyman it (no grout/caulk per code) I use the tube grout every time. You will get red tagged as well if you don't....the ones who don't I sure would llike to know where you worked. I bet per code you should be doing it. Pink where ya working, what state?


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

An AC buddy of mine did a swap out as a side job. He's not licensed. 

Did not install a float switch which is code here. Did minor damage to wood floors.

Insurance came after him for 5000.00. He told them all I got is 1000.00. 

They accepted it and he was never turned in to the state. He said the HO got there money.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

RealCraftsMan said:


> You would be fired round these parts if you handyman it (no grout/caulk per code) I use the tube grout every time. You will get red tagged as well if you don't....the ones who don't I sure would llike to know where you worked. I bet per code you should be doing it. Pink where ya working, what state?


no toilet caulking laws that I know of....


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> Don't forget "vessel" :yes:


Nah He was a cricket player in the 80s!:thumbsup:


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

RealCraftsMan said:


> You would be fired round these parts if you handyman it (no grout/caulk per code) I use the tube grout every time. You will get red tagged as well if you don't....the ones who don't I sure would llike to know where you worked. I bet per code you should be doing it. Pink where ya working, what state?


OMG I found it!..you're right!!..I have been breaking the law all this time!!....I am a commode criminal!!
I must turn myself in immediately!!

You guys better start taking up a fund for bail....:ninja:


----------



## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

PinkPlumber said:


> OMG I found it!..you're right!!..I have been breaking the law all this time!!....I am a commode criminal!!
> I must turn myself in immediately!!
> 
> You guys better start taking up a fund for bail....:ninja:


Whats a commode..lol

And thank goodness code is not in fact law, we would all be locked up. 

Btw, what state are you in?


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

RealCraftsMan said:


> Whats a commode..lol
> 
> And thank goodness code is not in fact law, we would all be locked up.
> 
> Btw, what state are you in?



Va....land of churches.:yes:


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

RealCraftsMan said:


> Whats a commode..lol
> 
> *And thank goodness code is not in fact law,* we would all be locked up.
> 
> Btw, what state are you in?


 






Au contraire mon ami, vous avez tort.

Code is in fact law. When someting is codified, it's made law.


http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

Tommy plumber said:


> Au contraire mon ami, vous avez tort.
> 
> Code is in fact law. When someting is codified, it's made law.
> 
> ...



OMG!!!...I don't wanna go to the pokey!....they will all call me Bertha and make me eat the cucumbers!!


----------



## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Au contraire mon ami, vous avez tort.
> 
> Code is in fact law. When someting is codified, it's made law.
> 
> ...


So the UPC is law? lol J/k


I'll make sure I get a lawyer next time I forget to grout at wc.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

we use IPC here...


----------



## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> OMG!!!...I don't wanna go to the pokey!....they will all call me Bertha and make me eat the cucumbers!!


I told my kids when I get too old & senile, to roll my wheelchair into the bank...making sure I have a gun on me! and i will get sent to prison, cheaper than aged care, 3 meals a day free healthcare... awesome!:thumbup:


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

The way I understand it, the adopted plumbing code is state law. That's what makes operating without professional licensing a prosecutable offense.


----------



## Dog (Jan 11, 2012)

Silicone does it all , why use toilet bolts ? Just silicone it .


----------



## Dog (Jan 11, 2012)

Don't forget to tell the client to wait 24 hours before using the toilet !


----------



## Plumbbum0203 (Dec 14, 2011)

Code says caulking it in stl. Most bad caulked fixtures I've seen are in public restrooms where they gave the caulking to a rookie and let him loose. Caulking is a skill and can finish a fixture very nice.


----------



## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Dog said:


> Don't forget to tell the client to wait 24 hours before using the toilet !


Am I mistaken, or have you blatantly ignored several requests for the common courtesy of an introduction?


----------



## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

It really code for you guys on WCs?

Well, to fuel the fire, I also do not caulk around drop-in china basins either. I think that also looks like crap. I do completely seal around the rim to counter surface but only underneath with no sealant showing top side.

As with WCs they make the effort to fire a nice smooth finish around and under the bullnose of the fixture for a reason. When I walk into a big dollar powder and see a Town Square basin with freaking DAP all around it I want to puke. Nothing looks nicer than a clean install with the fixture "floating" on the counter surface with nothing extra to draw the eye away from the focal point.

Plus caulk looks like dog crap after a while, even if it was the best bead job in the world at install. It actually takes me longer to set a basin this way than it does to DAP around the perimeter but it's the only way I can live with my installs when given the choice.

Having said all that, the builder or owner gets final say but I've talked many out of the caulk and never had one complaint but LOTS of thank you's after the fact over the past 11 years.


----------



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

I do not caulk toilets! Caulk looks like shiot very quickly. To me walking in and seeing the plumbers caulk all nasty and rolling away from the toilet after a few years is a sign of being unproffesional! I want my work to look good for years. I will use silicone but only if I alcohol both surfaces and clean them very well but it too doesn't last that long but it is better than caulk!
I prefer grout! I buy the 25# bags of bright white grout and keep a grout sponge in the truck. When I set a toilet it doesn't even wiggle later and I put very little pressure on the flange because the grout is supporting the toilet
YMMV


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> I do not caulk toilets! Caulk looks like shiot very quickly. To me walking in and seeing the plumbers caulk all nasty and rolling away from the toilet after a few years is a sign of being unproffesional! I want my work to look good for years. I will use silicone but only if I alcohol both surfaces and clean them very well but it too doesn't last that long but it is better than caulk!
> I prefer grout! I buy the 25# bags of bright white grout and keep a grout sponge in the truck. When I set a toilet it doesn't even wiggle later and I put very little pressure on the flange because the grout is supporting the toilet
> YMMV



How do you release the toilet after grouting?....like in a few years when the seal leaks?....I did mine with a ball pein hammer.


----------



## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

To answer your question pink...We just go around the edge of the wc. Once the bolts are off a firm shake and it's free. Gotta put the guns on it. If you're setting the wc in grout you're doing it wrong.


----------



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Grout will not bond as well as you might think if you use it a little dry! If you wet the china and floor first then removing it will be difficult. For a bad on I sit on my but and kick up on the front of the bowl with both feet! I have broke one doing this and I pulled 15 that day and they were all set with really wet hydraulic cement that was a motha.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

RealCraftsMan said:


> To answer your question pink...We just go around the edge of the wc. Once the bolts are off a firm shake and it's free. Gotta put the guns on it. If you're setting the wc in grout you're doing it wrong.



I guess whoever did mine slopped it down and set the base into it....cuz after I broke it out, I had to pull the tile out and replace it all....it was covered...may not have been grout....looked like it though.


----------



## PlumberJake (Nov 15, 2010)

piper1 said:


> this is going, to be a good thead! your opening up the flood gates, so to speak.



You sir are a prophet.




PinkPlumber said:


> You caulk every toilet base?:blink:


Yes Pink, I do. Unless it is on carpet. Code requires it, as has already been mentioned several times. 

After reading the thread I believe I am going to try the grout technique and maybe silicone a few as well. I understand that both would last longer than acrylic caulk.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

PinkPlumber said:


> How do you release the toilet after grouting?....like in a few years when the seal leaks?....I did mine with a ball pein hammer.


 






I grout the base of the W/C AFTER I set it. I've seen NY plumbers lather up alot of plaster of paris, and THEN set the bowl in that..! The W/C that is set in a bed of mortar is one son of a b!tch to get up off the floor. I mean these guys will use 20 lbs. of mortar to set a bowl in! They lather it all around the flange, and the closet bolts. Then they set the W/C. Whereas by contrast, the W/C that has a bead of grout around the base is very easy to pull up off of the floor. 

I've pulled up toilets that were caulked to the floor, and sometimes half the tiles came up with the toilet that was caulked down. Polyseam seal is some difficult stuff to pull up, more difficult than grout.


----------



## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

deerslayer said:


> I do not caulk toilets!Caulk looks like shiot very quickly.To me walking in and seeing the plumbers caulk all nasty and rolling away from the toilet after a few years is a sign of being unproffesional! I want my work to look good for years. I will use silicone but only if I alcohol both surfaces and clean them very well but it too doesn't last that long but it is better than caulk!
> I prefer grout! I buy the 25# bags of bright white grout and keep a grout sponge in the truck. When I set a toilet it doesn't even wiggle later and I put very little pressure on the flange because the grout is supporting the toilet
> YMMV


The nice part about latex caulk is even after a few yrs. when it does go bad, it takes 5 minutes to re-do it and it looks like new again, no big deal. I despise guys who use silicone, it's a ***** to remove, especially from vinyl flooring.


----------



## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

PlumberJake said:


> You sir are a prophet.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 If there is carpet around the toilet, then that itself is a building code violation. Building code here says floors in bathrooms & around toilets, must be a washable surface.:yes:


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

Now you all know the REAL reason for those ugly/stupid little rugs that fit around the front base of the toilet.....pee catchers.:thumbup:

I can't imagine living with carpet in a bathroom for obvious reasons.


----------



## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

Another one is when someone tiles up to the toilet and doesn't tile the flooring under the toilet area.

Looks real good..........


----------



## Narin (May 2, 2012)

Multi-purpose cleaner spray is the way to go. Give silicone a quick spray and it comes off a hell of a lot easier.


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Ahh,heck, just shim it with some mighty putty, heck use it instead of a seal, too.


----------



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

When installing a garbage disposal and an electric water heater today I realized that we rarely call an electrician when the trade lines cross? Not saying right or wrong just saying!


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> When installing a garbage disposal and an electric water heater today I realized that we rarely call an electrician when the trade lines cross? Not saying right or wrong just saying!



We are allowed to do that type of electrical in the line of the job.


----------



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

according to who?


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> according to who?



Well, I talked to a licensing official from my state, who told me that.


----------



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> Well, I talked to a licensing official from my state, who told me that.


I talked to one from your state that said different!:laughing:


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> I talked to one from your state that said different!:laughing:



Well, knock yourself out....I know what I was told.


----------



## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> You caulk every toilet base?:blink:





PinkPlumber said:


> If it leaks from the seal...it'll present at the base.
> 
> Some customers would think it was unattractive.
> I deal with it on a case-by-case basis.


Enough inspectors in the DFW area require caulked china that I have long been in the habit of caulking ALL water closets.

It's easy to do_ and_ makes for a better install: If shims were needed it locks them in place and helps distribute the weight of the china more equally around the entire surface of closet base. A closet caulked well will never rock unless the flooring gives way beneath it.

To address aesthetic concerns I use clear caulk when the china isn't white.


----------



## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

so i went to a call, customers saids, my ice line is leaking, so after looking at the frig. i see the water hes talking about, but there is no high water at frig. or frig line. it;s all low. so i cut the wall open and i find water in the wall. still really low slab level. check the bathroom, behind kitchen. i ask about the new tile floor. and who reset the toilet. the tile guys pulled the toilet, and put it back. ho saids can't be the toilet the tile guys did a great job, on the floor! so i pull the toilet and find the wax seal in the front part of the toilet. (not even close to the flange) best guess is they flipped the the toilet put the seal on, then flipped it again to put on the flange! asked the ho if i can have there number cause i need electrical work done.lol


----------



## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> You caulk every toilet base?:blink:


 Never !


----------



## 6th Density (Nov 29, 2010)

This is awesome!
We are having a debate about what again??


----------



## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

i thought it was about out of scope work.. not, to caulk or not to caulk..lol


----------



## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

I also never caulk a toilet base


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Imagine that, PinkPlumber is caulk free.


----------



## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

affordabledrain said:


> I also never caulk a toilet base


 I never do either, if the toilet starts to leak I want the homeowner to know before the homeowner below him knows.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Killertoiletspider said:


> I never do either, if the toilet starts to leak I want the homeowner to know before the homeowner below him knows.


 Which is why you leave the space at the back of the closet un clauked for that purpose.


----------



## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

rjbphd said:


> Which is why you leave the space at the back of the closet un clauked for that purpose.


Why so it can run the plumbing wall unnoticed under the tank and still ruin the mural painted on the dining room ceiling below?


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Why so it can run the plumbing wall unnoticed under the tank and still ruin the mural painted on the dining room ceiling below?


 Which is another reason why I use the rubber gasket over those cheap crap hackery wax one.


----------



## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

I have yet to have Black Swan putty fail me.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Killertoiletspider said:


> I have yet to have Black Swan putty fail me.


 Never have used that, but have replaced the putty "gasket" many times.


----------



## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

6th Density said:


> This is awesome!
> We are having a debate about what again??


Whether or not tile guys are competent electricians...we've pretty much established they are piss-poor plumbers at this point, I think :yes:


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Why so it can run the plumbing wall unnoticed under the tank and still ruin the mural painted on the dining room ceiling below?



If it's gonna leak down, it's gonna leak down, at least with a gap in the back there's at least a chance for it to be noticed before it annoys the neighbor below. Nothing and nobody is perfect, why not just crap in a bucket and eliminate all this talk of flange seals.


----------



## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

so I am thinking again, which is usually dangerous for those around me.....but I had this thought...

Why aren't toilets just designed with a nipple that would slip down a couple inches below the floor?...it would slightly restrict flow I know.....still require a seal, but much better design I would think.
Has this been tried?


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Which is why you leave the space at the back of the closet un clauked for that purpose.


I'm caulking the whole thing per code. I see the advantage but don't need some insurance agent/ attorney tryin to pin damage on me.


----------



## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

Don't caulk the toilet, cuz it may leak? Then don't put up the drywall, or pour the floor, cuz that plumbing underneath, may leak.

All the non- caulkers, must have never taken up a toilet that had male children, or elderly males, in the house, and dried up piss built up underneath, that had actually turned to powder. Or turns to jelly under there, when the toilet leaks, sweats, or overflows. It's a catch all too, for all the dust, fuzz, hair, &/or excess dirty mop water, to build up, or work its way underneath the toilet, & create smell or mold issue. I've never had anyone ever say, I wish you would not of caulked that toilet base. :no:I think it gives it a finished off look.

But caulking fixtures is code here anyway, as it should be.:yes: And I can't even fathom how that looks, without caulking, on uneven tile floors, or where you gotta use a shim.


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> so I am thinking again, which is usually dangerous for those around me.....but I had this thought...
> 
> Why aren't toilets just designed with a nipple that would slip down a couple inches below the floor?...it would slightly restrict flow I know.....still require a seal, but much better design I would think.
> Has this been tried?


Like this I used maybe two in the whole time I been plumbing the one I used just stuck the bottom of the bowl and it had a rubber seal to seal it to the pipe


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Like this


----------



## love2surf927 (Dec 22, 2011)

piper1 said:


> best guess is they flipped the the toilet put the seal on, then flipped it again to put on the flange! asked the ho if i can have there number cause i need electrical work done.lol


hahaha, that's funny because if you look at the instructions that's what it tells you to do, of course any plumber knows better!!


----------



## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

chrisconnor said:


> imagine that, pinkplumber is caulk free.


bazinga!


----------

