Leveling A Toilet On An Uneven Floor

If you notice shaking your toilet may need minor or serious leveling.

Leveling a toilet on an uneven floor. Replacing a toilet requires no plumbing skills or special tools and can be done in under two hours. Leveling a toilet takes just minutes with some plastic shims from your local hardware store. Insert the hard rubber shims beneath the toilet on the side or sides that are uneven working your way around the bowl according to the reading on the level until the toilet is level.

I ve chiseled away as much as i can but there s a little bit of a rock when i put the new one in place. If your toilet seems to move when you sit on it and there s no apparent damage to the floor or if it just feels crooked chances are it s out of level. Even a small space can be the source of the problem.

When you are replacing a toilet or resetting an existing toilet after a repair there are a few key things to check to ensure a good seal and prevent leaks. You could repair the floor but it s often easier faster and less expensive to level the toilet on the uneven floor. Self leveling underlayment products can be used on concrete floors wood subfloors that are uneven but still in decent shape and even over ceramic tile floors eliminating the task of tearing.

If you are trying to make the toilet completely level use a carpenter s level to measure how close the floor is to even. The shims should be inset 1 4 inch from the outside edge of the toilet. Examine the base of the toilet and identify any gaps between the toilet and the floor.

Toilets are sealed to the floor flange with a wax ring but the height of the flange and the tightness of the flange bolts. You also want to make sure the toilet sits level and does not rock on the floor as this can compromise the seal. The rocking motion can break the seal created by the wax ring so you must buy.

This is not only annoying but it can make the flushing action of the toilet less efficient. However even a small tilt of the toilet on an uneven floor can cause problems. If the gaps are too small to see try sliding a shim under the base to see how far it goes in.