I have a tiled basement bath with the closet flange sitting on top of the tile. When I set the toilet and tighten the toilet bolts part way the seal is OK. If I tighten the bolts and draw the toilet to the floor it leaks. The under side of the toilet only allows about a 1/2" of room for the flange, which is also 1/2". It seems I'm squeezing out all the wax and losing the seal. Do I need to shim the toilet up? Everything I read said mount the flange on top of the tile, but now it seems I should have mounted it below the tile.

Thanks for any help.

A flange can sit with its underside flush with the top surface of the tile, it can also sit with the falnge top surface flush with the tile surface. The wax must be sqeezed a smal amount to create a seal. Can you post a picture, still trying to poicture your issue I my mind.

See Attached

Ball,

You say the wax must be squeezed a small amount to create a seal. I guess what I'm doing is mashing it down in an attempt to get the toilet sitting on the floor.

KCDave...

You have done eveything perfectly! If you are having issues I'm betting that is just a little inexperience setting the bowl... ;)

If you want to do this only one more time, run out to home depot and purchase a new NEOPRENE reinforced wax gasket and then try again. The neoprene reinforced wax gasket will not allow you to squeeze all the wax out, but will allow a nice tight seal to be made!

These wax gaskets last longer than the regular wax gasket, too! Just be careful to tighten the toilet bowl down slowly... don't want to crack that plastic toilet flange!

Good luck!

MARK

Your installion of the tile and the flange are fine, this should seal perfectly. What makes you think you don't have a good seal after tightening you bolts: smell or water on the floor?

Water on the floor, you can watch it run out. I talked to another guy and he said I'm tightening the bolts too tight causing the plastic flange to bow. Sounds like I need to shim the toilet up.

Really shouldn't be any reason to shim the toilet. From your pics, id say that was a picture perfect closet flange install. Follow Marks advice and you should be just fine. I always make sure the wax ring is nice and warm(room temp) then when you set the toilet, use your body weight to slowly push the toilet down. Once the toilet is sitting snugly on the floor all the way aroung the base of the bowl, hand tighten the closet bolt nuts, then use a small wrench and just snug the nuts.. do not overtighten. Hope things work out for you. Please let us know if it works. Lee.

This is a 2 pronged question. First I have a slate floor which is very uneven. Any suggestions as what chaulking is best to put between the toilet and the floor.
Second, the wax ring that came with the toilet is not thick enough, it is 1"". Do I buy a 2nd wax ring or do they make them different thickness's.

2 pronged and in the wrong place. You should be clicking the orange box below and to the left " ASK ABOUT PLUMBING" This will get you your own thread. Greg, they do make different thicknesses of rings but first tell us the difference between your flange surface and the floor surface. Caulk doesn't matter too much since it only fills the void and has nothing to do with holding the toilet stable, that's all in the flange and johnnie bolts. I use Dap Kwik Seal plus DAP Products - Caulks, Sealants, Adhesives, Repair and Floor Covering

I wouldn't use caulk to seal between the floor & toilet for the simple reason you wouldn't know if there was a leak (if it was used) , as posted in this thread. Obviously, not good.
In that regard, I think it does matter whether caulk should be used.