I have a typical toilet in a bathroom with a ceramic mosaic tile floor
(mud job, tile embedded in concrete thing). The toilet rocks. I don't
mean its wonderful, I mean it rocks side to side.

What I don't get is that the toilet is intact and has a flat surface.
The floor sure looks flat. But the sucker rocks side to side. There's
no plumber's putty under the toilet, it just rests on the floor
directly.

Is there something (perhaps a big rubber gasket) I could get that would
fit between the toilet and the ceramic floor that would even this out ?
I've tried shimming it, seems like it's got a quarter inch of play.

Thank you !

On 4 Feb 2006 21:31:34 -0800, wrote:

I have a typical toilet in a bathroom with a ceramic mosaic tile floor
(mud job, tile embedded in concrete thing). The toilet rocks. I don't
mean its wonderful, I mean it rocks side to side.

What I don't get is that the toilet is intact and has a flat surface.
The floor sure looks flat. But the sucker rocks side to side. There's
no plumber's putty under the toilet, it just rests on the floor
directly.

Is there something (perhaps a big rubber gasket) I could get that would
fit between the toilet and the ceramic floor that would even this out ?
I've tried shimming it, seems like it's got a quarter inch of play.

Thank you !

Your flange is probably too high on the pipe. If you got a wax ring
with the plastic insert, you might try a plain wax ring without that
insert. There could be something stuck inder the toilet too. I'd pull
it and do come checking. If its rocking you probably dont have a good
seal anymore, so replace the wax ring. If it still rocks, they sell
plastic shims for that purpose, but I always prefer to get the toilet
flush if at all possible. Toilets crack far too easily, and having
them rest on a few shims strains the bowl. Sometimes the bolts to hold
the flange to the floor were not installed too.

If you must shime it, use white silicone around the bowl, not putty.

wrote:
I have a typical toilet in a bathroom with a ceramic mosaic tile floor
(mud job, tile embedded in concrete thing). The toilet rocks. I don't
mean its wonderful, I mean it rocks side to side.

What I don't get is that the toilet is intact and has a flat surface.
The floor sure looks flat. But the sucker rocks side to side. There's
no plumber's putty under the toilet, it just rests on the floor
directly.

Is there something (perhaps a big rubber gasket) I could get that would
fit between the toilet and the ceramic floor that would even this out ?
I've tried shimming it, seems like it's got a quarter inch of play.

Thank you !

Had same problem a month ago. There was a plastic flange (embedded in
concrete) to which the toilet was secured by the studs and the plastic
retaining the studs had broken causing the toilet to be able to move.
Had to cut out the top part of the flange with a dremel tool, purchase
(any large home repair chain or plumbing store) a flange that could be
inserted and glued (probably did not need to glue it)in the waste pipe,
install a new gasket and reattach the bowl. It was suggested to me to
use the round holes in the flange for the studs rather than the slotted
ones for the round holes apparently do not crack and break as easily as
the slotted ones. As a last point do not have your hand under the toilet
to move studs while your son is holding the bowl over the studs.

Did you check the bolts on either side that hold the bowl down? If
they are loose, the toilet will rock. If they are, I'd remove the
toilet, inspect everything, install a new seal, and reseat it.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a typical toilet in a bathroom with a ceramic mosaic tile floor
(mud job, tile embedded in concrete thing). The toilet rocks. I don't
mean its wonderful, I mean it rocks side to side.

What I don't get is that the toilet is intact and has a flat surface.
The floor sure looks flat. But the sucker rocks side to side. There's
no plumber's putty under the toilet, it just rests on the floor
directly.

Is there something (perhaps a big rubber gasket) I could get that would
fit between the toilet and the ceramic floor that would even this out ?
I've tried shimming it, seems like it's got a quarter inch of play.

Thank you !

There is no such thing as a perfectly flat surface. Ask any plumber or
quantum physicist.
My plumbing contractor carries a box of vinyl shims to shim the toilets from
rocking. In over 100 toilet installations on tile floors that I can
remember, I'd guess only a third of them were solid w/o any shims,
*especially* with natural stone floors.
Now if you are an obsessive compulsive, anal, DIY superstar you could spend
hours working on the toilet area to get it as close to perfect as can be
accomplished by mere mortals. (I just love the advice here telling you to
pull everything apart and do it again.) But if you've got other things to do
with your life I'd just shim it and forget it. Make sure the bolts are
tightened sufficiently.
One caveat: I'm assuming that the rocking is fairly slight. If the gap is so
large that after shimming it would be loudly noticeable then the flange is
indeed too high.
One warning: tightening the bolts on the toilet too much could crack the
unit.

Thank you all !

I usually pour plaster of paris where the bowl sits. It forms nicely
and fills any gaps and imperfections.

"nospamplse"
wrote in message

As a last point do not have your hand under the
toilet
to move studs while your son is holding the bowl
over the studs.

LOL

if its a new problem the flange might be cracked or the bolts rusted
thru....

get that fixed ASAP or your floor and even joints will rot. and you
will need a new floor

It's on a slab...

Never would have thought of plaster of paris.

NickySantoro wrote:
On 6 Feb 2006 06:26:01 -0800, wrote:


It's on a slab...

Never would have thought of plaster of paris.


P of P works well. I actually prefer grout as it sets up slower and
allows a bit more working time, but either will work fine. I set the
bowl in place, making sure everything is lined up, then trace a pencil
outline around the base. Then I lift the bowl back up, set the wax
ring, then make a bead of grout about 1" wide and 1/4" deep around the
inside perimeter of the outline. Set the bowl, bolt it down, wipe up
excess grout or plaster then finish the rest of the assembly.
So far so good.
FWIW
YMMV


Interesting idea. What happens when you need to pull up the toilet?

Best regards,
Bob

Go to your local plumbing store. They should have plastic wedges to stop
the rock. Cut the wedge flush. I was having my plumber install a new
toilet over Satillo tile which isn't perfectly level. He had never heard of
the wedges, He tried them and said this is a great idea.


"NickySantoro" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:32:20 -0500, NickySantoro
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:51:21 -0600, zxcvbob
wrote:

NickySantoro wrote:
On 6 Feb 2006 06:26:01 -0800, wrote:


It's on a slab...

Never would have thought of plaster of paris.


P of P works well. I actually prefer grout as it sets up slower and
allows a bit more working time, but either will work fine. I set the
bowl in place, making sure everything is lined up, then trace a pencil
outline around the base. Then I lift the bowl back up, set the wax
ring, then make a bead of grout about 1" wide and 1/4" deep around the
inside perimeter of the outline. Set the bowl, bolt it down, wipe up
excess grout or plaster then finish the rest of the assembly.
So far so good.
FWIW
YMMV


Interesting idea. What happens when you need to pull up the toilet?

Best regards,
Bob


Comes right up with a little encouragement. I've only had to take up
one, the Eljer that was in our house when we bought it and had been
rocking. I had reset that one with grout because I didn't have any P
of P handy and took it up a few years later when I redid the bath.
IIRC, I just gave it a jolt sideways with the flat of my hand after
removing the nuts holding it down and it popped loose.
FWIW
YMMV


Actually, I also did another one in my mother's house. This was one my
father had set with P of P. Also came loose easily enough.
FWIW
YMMV