Correct way to set toilet on uneven tile?

[Mjchevalier]

Hi all, I bought a new Kohler Cimarron comfort height toilet and installed about 18 months ago. I did not level the toilet prior to install. Now I am paying for my mistakes. The toilet is rocking and there is a bad sewer smell in the bathroom. I am a very large guy, about 350lbs. I plan to reset the toilet but want to know the best way to make it stable and level without rocking in the future. I have seen some guys here talk about grouting the toilet and leveling it with plastic shims. Can somebody please tell me exactly how to do this so it is a solid stable install? I have installed several toilets but this is the first time I had a problem. Thanks!

 

[Jadnashua]

There's a sticky at the top of this section that tells you how to do it. Basically, you need to first set the toilet dry without wax, shim it, lift it, then install it with the wax. Any time it can move, the wax will compress, then when it rocks the other way, open up a gap...the wax does not rebound. A waxless seal is resilient, at least some of them, but wax is cheaper, and you really don't want it to rock.

 

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[Mjchevalier]

There's a sticky at the top of this section that tells you how to do it. Basically, you need to first set the toilet dry without wax, shim it, lift it, then install it with the wax. Any time it can move, the wax will compress, then when it rocks the other way, open up a gap...the wax does not rebound. A waxless seal is resilient, at least some of them, but wax is cheaper, and you really don't want it to rock.

Thanks jadnashua for the info. I do have a couple of questions based on your comments. I have seen some items at the big box stores to set a toilet without a wax ring, which I believe you mentioned. Should I be using one of those instead of wax? Please let me know what they are called. Also, where is the ‘stickie’ that lists how to install a toilet? I don’t see anything, I am using a smartphone, maybe that is the issue? Thanks.

 

[Jadnashua]

A 'sticky' is a post that 'sticks'...in this case, at the top of the forum, so it does not move...just scroll to the top of the toilet forum.

Whether you choose a waxless seal or a conventional wax one is up to you. The waxless ones are reusable, but if you only pull the toilet to replace it some years down the road, the wax ring works just fine, and is sometimes 1/10th the cost.

 

[Highlander]

Post is titled
Installing a Toto Drake CST744 or CST454CEFG 2-piece toilet by Jamie Love.

Bears to repeat, do not "grout" a toilet in place unless you want to smash it should you ever get a bad clog or need to remove it for any reason .