I'm wondering if it's possible to overtighten the bolts on a toilet. I've been doing the knee shake test, and while the right side feels solid, the left side still wobbles a bit. I want to tighten it more, but I'm concerned about cracking the porcelain. What should I do?
3 Answers
Yes, you can definitely overtighten toilet bolts, and doing so might crack the porcelain. If the toilet wobbles, it might be better to use shims instead of cranking down on the bolts.
Totally, if your floor isn't level, that's your culprit. The best move is to shim the toilet to get it balanced. Tinkering with the bolts won't fix the wobbly issue if the underlying floor isn't right.
Absolutely, if your toilet's wobbly, shimming is the way to go. Before tightening the bolts again, check to see if your floor is flat. Sometimes, uneven flooring can cause wobbling. Just loosen the bolts, shim under the left side, and then retighten.
Is the flange sitting properly? I've seen cases where it's not screwed to the floor, and that can pull the pipe up when you tighten the bolts.
So would I put the shims in front of the toilet?