Hey everyone! My wife and I recently became homeowners, and we're pretty proud of our newly laid marble penny tile floor. However, we ran into an issue: the toilet flange is broken. After taking a closer look, we discovered that the previous owners didn't secure the toilet to any subfloor, which is pretty concerning. The old flange has rusted away and cracked off the toilet piping.
We can't use a typical flange repair kit since they're mostly 6.88 inches wide, and we need at least 9 inches to fasten it securely to a subfloor. We're also trying to avoid damaging our new penny tile. Do you have any suggestions on how we can secure the toilet flange without having to break the penny tile to install a larger subfloor piece? Any advice would be super appreciated!
3 Answers
You might want to consider some products that can reinforce the flange's mounting points. There's this type that can help, but check if it fits your needs. If it’s not the right size, and you've got some tools, you could make your own adapter from stainless steel, which shouldn't cost too much.
That said, the best long-term fix would probably be to repair the flooring. Since you just laid the tile, patching a small area should be straightforward. You’re lucky it’s recent work; older tile might not match as well after repairs.
I think there’s been a mix-up about the subfloor. The subfloor is actually the layer beneath your tile. You shouldn’t have an issue attaching the flange straight onto the tile. Just make sure to use a tile drill bit for your mounting holes. Was there any wax ring or gasket originally, or was the toilet just floating?
If you can access below the floor, consider cutting the cast iron flange down if it’s too high and patching in some plywood to set a new floor level. I had a similar experience, and after I replaced my flange with a new one and secured it tightly to the new subfloor, it held up great without disturbing the tile. It sounds daunting, but it could end up being one of your easier plumbing jobs!
I appreciate the encouragement! I’ll look into accessing below the floor to see if that’s an option.
Yes, it appears the toilet was not properly secured with a wax ring or anything. It’s been quite an eye-opener for us!