I just had this lovely experience. Unfortunately it was at dad's
house so I don't know if the leak wasn't noticed because it's dark and
dreary under the bathroom or because he's older, or ???

But, the underlayment (particle board! who the heck would use particle
board in a bath?!?!) was soaked for a good 5' beyond the toilet. The
toilet had sunk down into the disintegrating particle board under the
toilet. There was a small lake in the basement under this bath (when
it was finally noticed). Had to rip out all the underlayment and
about 5' of subfloor (where it had gotten soft from the soaked
underlayment).
No tools since I was just planning on changing out the wax ring. Had
to acquire some tools and make do as best I could with "bone knives
and stone axes"; got it workable; came back in two weeks to finish the
job (needed a week off to destress).

Catch the leak as soon as you can unless you're prepared for a bath
remodel.

Renata



On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 20:54:02 -0500, Robert Allison
wrote:

Yes, I did. I do a lot of insurance related work, from water
damage, hail, fires, etc. One of the most common is damage from
caulked toilets that have been leaking for long periods of time.
Most of these had cracks, holes, seams, etc. that water could leak
through and down into areas below. It would seem that liquids would
have dripped down and alerted the homeowners to the problem.
However, many times the leak is small and soaks the subfloor and
surrounding wood, keeping it wet where it can rot away, undetected.

If you wish to try this, go ahead. If you really want to be sure,
then install a moisture alarm under the toilet.

As to how to keep it clean, do it the way that millions of people
througout the US have done for years, use a brush around the base
and some ammonia.

Good luck,
--
Robert Allison
Georgetown, TX