Fast Setting Thinset

Q: Probably the only "critical" part of our bath remodel is the tile around the toilet. How long will thin set take to set up enough to add grout, and then the grout to set up for the toilet? We only "need speed" for the toilet area. We do have access to another toilet, but it isn't convenient. The rest of the bathroom could be done at a bit more leisurely pace.

A: They make a fast setting mortar for this type of thing. You might be able to grout it in a couple of hours, and I don't see any reason that you couldn't set the bowl within an hour or two of grouting, if you really, really want to push it.

Standard mortar should set up overnight before grouting.

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Toilet Drain Flange Extender

Q. I know I need to redo the whole floor but don't have the means to do so right now. But the floor around the toilet is getting soft and I was wondering if they might make some kind of extender that would work for a short while. What I was thinking is there a way to put another board over the soft board just until I can get time and money to redo the whole floor. Of course that would raise the toilet about an inch higher then it is now making the contact with the sewer line too far away. So do they make some kind of extender that would make the toilet reach the sewer?

A. They do make an extender that attaches to the toilet drainpipe. If you follow the link you will see a picture of it towards the bottom of the page. It should be available at any of the big box home improvement retailers or a plumbing wholesale.

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Bouncy Floor Near Toilet‏

Q. As a Christmas present I plan on tiling my girlfriends' parents bathroom. While the job itself shouldn't be a problem, I've noticed the floor near the toilet is bouncy. I don't want to put 12x12 or 18x18 tile down, but I really do not want to rip everything apart.

Any suggestions?

A. As with most projects, it is the foundation that makes a bad job into a good job. It is not uncommon in older homes to have rotten floorboards and joists around the toilet. I suggest you take a look at the problem and then determine if the floorboards and or joists need repair or replacement.

There is little sense in putting good money over a bad sub-floor. A 1/4" of underlay may be all that is necessary to correct the problem

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When Installing A New Bathroom Floor - Consider The Toilet

One of the most common mistakes made when installing a new bathroom floor is not to raise the toilet bowl connection flange so that it is level with the surface of the new floor.

If you are installing ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles on a bathroom floor that had sheet vinyl on it, you are most likely raising the floor a minimum of ½” and possibly as much as ¾”.

In order for a proper seal to take place between the bottom of the toilet bowl and the drainpipe, the flange on the drainpipe must sit flush with the top of the new floor. There are products that you can purchase at your local hardware or big box diy retailer that will raise the height of the flange by increasing its thickness.

Toilet drainpipes do not have a trap installed within them, the trap resides in the toilet bowl. Hence, any sewer gases that may come back up the drainpipe will leak into the bathroom if the seal between the drainpipe flange and the toilet bowl is not tight. These gases, besides smelling very bad are toxic!

Bowl gaskets that have extended plastic are not sufficient to provide a seal.

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Toilet Repair

With a few simple tools, anyone can repair a broken toilet!

Basic Toilet Construction

Toilets are simple devices and they are all work in a very similar manner. They are based on two items, a bowl and a tank although some manufacturers have models where they have molded these two items as one piece.

The bowl sits on the floor and has a rubber or wax gasket sealing the drainpipe to the base of the toilet. These gaskets should not be reused. They are very inexpensive and anytime the bowl is lifted from the floor, the gasket should be replaced. I prefer the wax gasket as I feel it molds better to any imperfections in the porcelain material on the base of the bowl and the drainpipe flange. The bowl is held down tight to the drainpipe with two bolts. The bolts, which should be brass, are designed with heads that fit through slots in the toilet drainpipe flange. These bolts stand straight up and fit into the holes in the base of the toilet. When tightened they compress the gasket between the base of the bowl and the flange and subsequently hold the toilet tight to the floor. In a few instances, there may be an additional two holes in the toilet bowl base. These holes allow for the placement of two additional fasteners through the base of toilet and into the floor.

For the balance of this article, follow the Link!

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