Toilet Slab/Tile leveling project

heidi101af · May 17, 2008

Tomorrow my husband will be starting a project to fix the wobbly toilet in our basement bath. Attached is a picture, and as you can imagine we will be doing a few things. Let me add that according to my husband, the toilet wobbles because the flange screws will not secure into the concrete as it is now, the concrete is too broken up (?) I can not say whether the flange currenlty sits on top of the tile now..

The plan is to:

1. Use Quikrete to rebuild/fill in the space between the concrete and the top of the tile.
2. Set the new flange on the top of the new leveled area, and drill into the new concrete/tile to secure.
3. Install the toilet on a new flat surface.

One questions comes to mind. What is the best way to use the Quikrete so that it does not spill into the drain line? Another questions is are we on the right track at all??

Thank you in advance for any help.

Jimbo · May 18, 2008

The hardware or pluming store should have an expanding plug to put into the hole.

Quickcrete, in a thin layer, is not going to be something you can get a good bite on with an anchor. I would suggest getting either some long lead shields and drilling into the concrete for those, or just using some 2Â½" or 3" long Tapcon screws....you drill a pilot down into the concrete, and the screws right into the concrete.

If you still end up with a loose hole, then fall back on some anchor epoxy from Simpson Strong-Tie

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

heidi101af · May 18, 2008

We did the expanding plug on the first round - about a year later the toilet was wobbling again. The quikrete was going to be the solution to the flange not sitting on the top of the tile - it was sinking in below the tile and resting on the concrete. Now the quickrete is applied and drying - what should we use to screw -(length, type of screw) down the flange once it has completely cured? Is the whole thing just going to fall apart or something? SHoudl we aim to go all the way through to the concrete below?

TIA

Gary Swart · May 18, 2008

My favorite way of anchoring anything into concrete is to use lead sleeves. You do have to drill into the concrete, and I would say into the concrete below in you case, and then use stainless steel screws. Tapcons would be an excellent choice as well. In either case, go clean into the concrete slab. I doubt if the thin layer would provide enough purchase of any kind of anchor. Just figure on that thin layer to be the leveler and support for the flange.

Redwood · May 18, 2008

How far below the surface of the floor is that PVC elbow?
What dia. is it 3" or 4"?

Jadnashua · May 18, 2008

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a toilet flange there at all!?

Gary Swart · May 18, 2008

Wow! Jim, you're eyes are much better than mine. I do believe you're right. As I look again at the photo, I don't see a flange either.

Redwood · May 18, 2008

Damn! Sombody stole the flange out of the picture!

badzy · May 18, 2008

sewer cleaning

having heard of "sewer cleaning?"
Thats absolutely gross!

anyone knows good sewer cleaners?

Jimbo · May 19, 2008

I understood that they will reinstall a flange into that elbow as soon as they fiix the floor and figure out how to bolt it down.

TorontoTim · May 19, 2008

Maybe they make flanges differently elsewhere, but the only flanges I've seen up here in Canada would end up sitting about 2 inches above the floor if inserted into a 90 elbow (which is what I think I'm looking at) that sits almost flush with the finished floor.

And how did they get a cemented flange out of the elbow in the first place?

Redwood · May 19, 2008

There are a few different flanges that may or may not work depending on how far the elbow is from the finished floor level and pipe diameter. They may even need to put a piece of pipe in the elbow. Not getting any answers be ready for the now what do I do that is coming next!

heidi101af · May 19, 2008

Perhaps I'm confused? Sewer Cleaning? Is there more that I should know?

The elbow is fairly deep. The flange sits on the top of the tile surface and the bottom of it is just above that lip in the PVC you see in the picture. WE have been waiting the full 48 hours for the quikrete to cure per the instructions on the container.

Redwood · May 19, 2008

The flange needs a direct connection into the socket of the PVC It sounds like you are not connecting into the pvc but instead have a flange hovering over it. The connection should be primed and cemented into place.

Again... What size is the pipe and how deep is it below the finished floor?

Hang with us here and get it right.

Gary Swart · May 19, 2008

If the elbow is so deep the flange will not fit into it, you will have to use a short piece of pipe and a different flange. This would be one that will fit over the outside of the pipe piece added. The end result is the flange is to set on top of the finished floor and glued into the elbow either with or without that short piece of pipe I mentioned. The flange is then anchored to the old concrete as I mentioned in an earlier reply. Be certain to orient the flange before gluing it so the flange bolts are in the right position or your toilet may set sideways!

Redwood · May 20, 2008

And use a flange with a stainless steel ring!

Toilet Slab/Tile leveling project

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