Toilet Shim Material?

[molo]

Hello all,

What are the best kind of toilet shims? It seems like wood would :p rot.

ps. how much wood would a woodchuck........ anyway, I;m still excited that I used back to back cognates.

TIA,
Molo

[Cass]

In the lumber section of Low*s they have a plastic composit shim the same size as the wood ones or there are smaller plastic shims made for toilets, they should be in the plumbing section if they carry them.

http://www.terrylove.com/images/shim_it.jpg

[JohnD]

Low*s carries them, they are in the toilet repair section.

I buy the "SHIM it" Engineered Wood Composite Shims sold at Lowes
100% useable, impervious to insects, no rot or waste

Resists Split, Swell, Splinter, Warp, Twist
edited by Terry

[markts30]

Not an option for homeowner's but I use sheet roofing lead...
Cut a peice and fold it to the proper thickness then trim it with a utility knife or snips...
It is solid, soft enough it won't harm the china and inexpensive (leftovers from trimming around our roof drains....)

[Verdeboy]

A wood shim will only rot if it contacts water. It would only contact water if there is a leak, in which case, your wood subfloor would rot as well.

[bbail]

Hmm, & what happens on a day with a high dew point & cold incoming water contacts the tank ? The tank sweats like crazy & drips to the floor unless you have a blending / mixing valve connected to the supply pipe. Depending on how often the toilet is flushed, is the base of the toilet condensating ? A non-wood shim product is the only answer for long term.

[Randyj]

I just swapped out toilets for a lady. The old toilet had two quarters in the back and two dimes and a nickle on the front... I guess they wanted change...:D :D :D :cool:

[Verdeboy]

Hmm, & what happens on a day with a high dew point & cold incoming water contacts the tank ? The tank sweats like crazy & drips to the floor unless you have a blending / mixing valve connected to the supply pipe. Depending on how often the toilet is flushed, is the base of the toilet condensating ? A non-wood shim product is the only answer for long term.

It's a good idea to caulk the base of the toilet, to keep any tank condensation, toilet overflows, etc. from getting under there and doing damage.

[Verdeboy]

I just swapped out toilets for a lady. The old toilet had two quarters in the back and two dimes and a nickle on the front... I guess they wanted change.

I was changing out a bifold track once and a whole bunch of coins fell on my head that someone had used to shim the track with.

Even better: I had to do a c-tile job in a shower recently where someone had used old newspaper as a backerboard.:eek:
As you might expect, it was extremely moldy, smelly and mostly composted by the time the tiles started popping loose.

[Mike B]

If you shim under the toilet to level it doesn't that cause the toilet to sit up off of the floor? Is that an ok setup?

[Verdeboy]

The goal of shimming is to keep the toilet from rocking, which could break the seal, causing it to leak.

[xnaron]

Hmm, & what happens on a day with a high dew point & cold incoming water contacts the tank ? The tank sweats like crazy & drips to the floor unless you have a blending / mixing valve connected to the supply pipe. Depending on how often the toilet is flushed, is the base of the toilet condensating ? A non-wood shim product is the only answer for long term.

The plastic door shims recommended by Terry will not rot.

http://www.terrylove.com/images/shim_it.jpg

[Terry]

Cedar rots?
How much water is expected to be on the floor?
I've heard of "Wet Rooms" before, but your're talking sauna there.

We use a lot of clear PolySeamSeal.
If it gets wet, it turns back to white.
The only time that happens, there is a steady leak.
And if you have a steady leak, you are replacing floors.
The toilets we install are setting on dry floors.

http://www.terrylove.com/images/shim_it.jpg
Plastic shims. These are the best by far.

http://www.terrylove.com/images/shimming.jpg

[frenchie]

Old-growth cedar, clear heart, barely rots. Try finding it these days. 2nd & 3rd growth cedar, outer layer scraps like they use for shims... rots almost as easily as doug fir.

Just sayin'.

[Redwood]

I often use pennies... Cheaper than shims!

[Raucina]

Old growth heart doug fir will outlast second-third growth redwood and cedar anyday.

Most cedar on the market is junk wood.

Note that west coast surveyors insist on SUGAR PINE stakes, and I have some standing for 15 years now - 1/2" x 1-1/2" lath - amazing.

I agree that pennies are the best however, and incredibly they cost LESS than any of the wood or plastic shims mentioned. A gift from our government.

[frenchie]

So maybe doug fir wasn't the best choice of examples... I meant regular framing lumber, the average 2x4.

I've never seen clear-heart spruce, although now that you mention it I have heard of people using it on decks. Guess I should have said spruce?

[Herk]

Sioux Chief makes both plastic and rubber shims. I've often used the rubber ones because they're easy to cut flush with the china with a utility knife.