Tiling around the toilet flange

[shinufar]

Hello again,
Thanks to all the info I received from this site, I finished tiling the main room and hallway using a combination of 16x16 slate tiles and 12x12 slate tiles for the border.

Now, I have done searches regarding the toilet flange and I keep getting conflicting info. I know that if it’s too low, I can double up the wax-ring and so on, but since I am doing this from scratch, I’d rather do it properly.

So, should the toilet flange be installed above the concrete basement floor and then tiled around it or should it, or should it be installed above the tiles. Keeping in mind that the slate and thinset are at least 1/2-inch thick.


Thank you in advance,
Paul

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[muskymike]

Hi Paul, if the closet flange isn't in yet you can tile around the pipe then put the flange on top of the tile.

[Shinufar]

Great, That's what I had in mind when I put in the drainage system for the bathroom, but then this morning I did some searches *just to make double sure* and I got a lot of conflicting info.

[russj]

Mike, was it wrong for me to install the toilet flange on top of the backerboard and tile around? Seemed like there was still lip on the flange so wouldn't be a problem. By the way, although I am in kansas now, i am from Hayward and miss the musky fishing greatly.
Russ

[Daveffd]

I recently added a toilet to a tiled wash room and set the flange on top of the tile. I had nothing but problems trying to get the toilet to sit flush with the tile. Flange to thick(high)? I wound up using some spacers but I know it is not right. I tried both wax rings and rubber seals to get it flush to no avail. I am tempted to cut the flange out(I have access under the floor) and lay it flush with the tile. Someday when I finish the second floor bath project.

Dave

[jadnashua]

Toilet flanges are SUPPOSED to sit on top of the finished flooring. And, if they sit flat AND the floor is flat, pratically any toilet will sit on the floor without problems. But, it seems to be acceptable, but not desirable, to leave the flange where it is, as long as it is not too far below the top floor level. By not putting it on top of the floor as designed, if there were a leak, it could leak between the floor layers and create numerous problems before it was discovered. My unprofessional observations...

[Gary K]

I've never put the toilet flange on top of the tile, I always tile up to the flange. Rarely have a problem doing it this way maybe 1 in twenty five will give me problem.

[shinufar]

*hee* *hee* *hee*

I see the conflicting info is following me around. I asked this question because I could see a benefit to either installation.

If it sits on top of the tiles, then I will have to drill though the tile to bolt down the flange to the concrete floor (the one I have has a rotating ring that needs to be bolted down). This may cause the tile to crack if there is any stress put on the bolts.

If I install the flange on the concrete and then tile around it, it could be too low and I would have to double up the wax-ring.

So I think I will flip the toilet upside down and make sure that there is enough space under it for the flange to fit above the tiles. If there is, I will probably put it above the tiles.

[jdm]

Lonny the Legal Plumber only smiles if the flange is sitting on top of the finished floor. As Jim said, if the floor is flat, everything will fit.

But either way, regardless of the type of flange, the flange must be screwed to the floor. Otherwise, the toilet is only attached to the waste pipe. Not the floor. Not good.

[Westie]

And here is yet another method. I cut a piece of pressure treated 3/4" plywood to fit around the pipe. I warp it in plastic and screw it to the floor. Once I have finished tiling and grouting I remove it and sand it down so that it is the same height as the tile. I have a drum sander so it makes this step easy. I then replace it on the floor and screw it down tight. The flange is then mounted to this and there is no issues with cracking the tile when the flange is tightened down.

[mpg]

Hi,

Is the toilet flange the metal part (~ 5" diameter) that sits on the concrete floor and has holes that the toilet gets bolted to? I ask because that's what our plumber has installed over the toilet rough-in. He told us to tile right up to the edge of this piece. We're planning to install the tile tomorrow night, and this thread has made me wonder if tiling right up to this is the right way to do things.

Thanks!
Michelle

[jdm]

That's the flange. If you have plastic pipe, part of the flange is probably plastic, too.

Ideally, the flange should rest on top of the finished floor. But iit can work out OK if the top of the flange winds up about level with the finished floor.

Either way, the flange should be screwed to the floor.

[LonnythePlumber]

The flange should sit on top of the finished floor to get the longest life from your floor. Yes tilers will but them up to the flange because they don't often deal the plumbing problem on the seal. Yes plumbers will set the flange low because they don't deal with the floor going bad.
When you butt the flooring up to the flange moisture can infiltrate under the tile and flooring. Tile going bad under the toilet is one of the first places a floor fails.
There are some solid plastic flanges that will not accept the horn outlet on some toilets. In this case i take a sawsall and cut the restricting ridge down.

[jdm]

Toilet flanges that don't fit toilets. Is nothing standard?