On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:12:03 -0500, mm
wrote:

On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:05:55 -0800, Oren wrote:

On 28 Dec 2006 12:55:52 -0800, wrote:

A few weeks ago, we used DAP Dynaflex 230 latex sealant while retiling
the bathroom, and used a thick bead of it as caulk between the toilet
and floor to prevent the possibility of leaks. Now we're trying to
pull up the toilet again to replace one of the tiles, but the toilet
won't detach from the floor! We're afraid to pull much harder on the
toilet because we don't want to crack the porcelain.
Help?

I used a razor/utility knife. Penetrate the caulk at some point and
slice around the base. Once the toilet is off you can pull any
remaining caulk by hand.

I always caulk around toilets and always around the entire base. In a
thread awhile back someone mentioned to leave a small space
un-caulked, at the back of the base. It makes sense to me as this
open space could give an early indication of a leak.

And a place for much of the leak to leak out and evaporate. The
uncaulked space needn't be so small.

I would use a knife to cut this caulk, and maybe a box cutter rather
than a "utility knife" like WIZ, because the box cutter is thin and
can get pararallel to the floor and that might enable it to get
further into the crack. But a utility knife might be fine too.

To remove vinyl or latex elastic caulk between my bathtub and the
floor, I used a heat gun. That's a little different, becasue I wasn't
going to separate the bathtub from the floor and the goal was to
remove the caulk for recaulking. The first time I tried it, I got it
so hot it smoked some and set off the smoke alarm.

But the second time I made it just hot and flexible enough to pull out
the caulk in a strip. Well, several short strips, and I needed a
screwdriver to get started each time. Another difference is that my
tub is painted steel, but the toilet is porcelain. So this might help
but I think the knife will go ok.

I've never used a heat gun to remove caulk. I'm certain it can save
some time under the right conditions. The builder grade homes here
often allow the buyer to pick flooring after plumbing fixtures are in
place. Many times vinyl flooring is installed in powder rooms, etc..
Caulk is placed around the toilet base where the vinyl was trimmed.

My guess is it would be easy to damage the flooring with to much heat.

It is also easy to slip with a knife and damage the vinyl....








--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."