" wrote in news:d955edb5-840a-407a-
:

Our toilet seal started to leak recently and while removing the nuts
that hold down the toilet, one of the rusted bolts became loose in the
flooring. Had to use WD-40 and a hacksaw to create a slot in the top
and use a flat head screw driver to hold the bolt while turning the
nut. Going to replace both bolts and nuts but am wondering what is the
best way to anchor the bolt heads in the flooring. I see bolt kits
being sold along with wax rings but am yet to come across advice
regarding the anchoring of the bolts. Beginning to believe my
installation was somewhat unconventional based on what I see.

Read the other replies and here's a few hints:

Right now, go put a big sign on the toilet that says "Remove Rag from
Floor Hole". Do not remove the sign until you are ready to put the toilet
back on.

Yes the plastic washers aid it holding the bolt while you drop the toilet
back on. Another aid I've used it to take some of the old wax (without
the **** on it) and pack the slot full after you put the bolt in the
flange.

This one saves my ass only because my ass has been burned in the past.
After putting the toilet back on and you are tightening the bolt, you
have no idea if the bolt is turning while you are tightening the nut. The
head of the bolt is oblong like the flange channel. While tightening, the
bolt head and channel can line up and you can't see it. The bolt head can
actually pull through some flanges. The result is that the bolt appears
to tighten and it does...to the toilet bottom...but it's not pulling the
toilet down on the flange.

Before putting the bolts in the flange I take a permanent marker and draw
a line on the bolt end where the nut will go on marking the direction of
oblong. Once you get the toilet on make sure that all the time you are
tightening the nut that the line is perpendicular to the flange slot
direction which is usually vertical since the flange slots are on the
left and right. The flange slots are like "|" and the bolt head should be
like "-". Put the nut on and spin it down. Hold the end of the bolt with
a pair of pliers. Don't worry about the thread. It's gonna get whacked
off anyway. Keep the marking on the bolt end like "-" at all times.