Marble slab under toilet/raised toilet flange

[Vicki Lee]

Why do some homes have these marble or slate slabs under the toilet? Before I attempt to replace the flange at my son's house, I need to know if this slab must be there. All the homes that I've been in around here have them but no one has them where I live. I will be able to remove the damaged flange without damaging the riser with a dremel attachment and patience. Vicki

[jadnashua]

My sister lives in Rochester, NY. I don't know if it is still code, but it used to be required in that city. You need to check yours. From what I understand, it spreads the weight, and prevents or at least helps, keep the thing from falling through the floor when it leaks and rots the floor out. They didn't trust the connections way back when. Course, Rochester still has a law on the books (at least last time I checked, but not enforced) that says you must preceed your horseless carriage with a guy carrying a lantern to warn of its approach. Certainly would slow the daily commute and increase the marathon runner pool. Government tends to have an awful lot of inertia - things take awhile to get moving, and once going, are hard to stop!

[CWP]

I live in an apartment building in Harlem, built ca. 1917. I'm interested in replacing this marble base because the one I have is quite damaged. I'd like to know if this thing has a name, but more importantly, where can I get a replica/replacement.
Thanks,
CWP

[Gary Swart]

Sometimes these are used to deal with a flange that was improperly installed. A flange should set on top of the finished floor, but if done wrong and it is above the floor, a slab like that raised the toilet and avoids the problem of redoing the flange and probably some of the drain. I would check with Big Box Stores etc., I don't know that they are actually sold by plumbing shops unless they are still required by local code. I would say that if the floor under the toilet has been exposed to water it is probably rotten and in need of replacement, but you'd either have to have access under the floor to see it or pull the toilet up and check it. Modern plumbing materials do not require anything like that for support.

[CWP]

I tried a quick google search and couldn't find what I was looking for, but I'll try again. Thanks for your speedy reply.
Chris

[jadnashua]

THey're still available. SOmeone told me they were originally used to help ensure the toilet didn't fall through the subfloor since it spread the load out more if there was a leak and things got nasty...

[CWP]

Thanks. It's been busted for as long as I lived here, that's nine years. So I'll make sure I find exactly what I need before I proceed.

[hj]

They do not spread the weight any more than the toilet's base will, and if it is going to fall through the floor you have a much bigger problem. They are used to either cover a deteriorated floor area or compensate for a high flange.