I have a problem where shower water leaks under the shower curtain onto the floor (for example, when the kids or visitors take a shower) then works its way through the ceiling below. As far as I can tell, the water goes under the toilet base and finds its way through the floor by way of the hole for the toilet flange. I tried sealing around the toilet base to stop this but it still finds its way under the toilet base and then through the floor to the ceiling below. What should I use to properly seal the outside of the toilet flange (between the toilet flange and the tile floor?). I want it to be 100% leakproof. Thanks

Hey Rick,You're going at this the wrong way. You don't contain a leak. You stop it at its source. Longer shower curtain? Tuck it inside the shower threshold? Shower doors? You're going to have a problem as long as you allow water to escape from the shower. To answer your question we use white Dap Tub and Tile Caulk to caulk the base of the bowl. Good luck, Tom

Thanks. I my case, I REALLY need to contain the leak. If the toilet overflows (happens every few years) or if somebody spills or drips water on the floor accidentally it just all goes down the outside of the toilet flange onto the ceiling below. I've had to repair this ceiling two times which has been terrible. I will follow your advice to use caulk but around the base of the bowl? Why not the toilet flange where it goes through the floor? Also, I've heard that if you caulk completely around the base of the toilet and water for some reason seeps OUt through the flange, then rotting will occur. For that reason, there should be some openings around the toilt base. Thanks!

"I've heard that if you caulk completely around the base of the toilet and water for some reason seeps OUt through the flange, then rotting will occur. For that reason, there should be some openings around the toilt base."

There should be no water under the bowl. We caulk all the toilets we install to hide the crack and give our work a professional finish not to prevent water from running down the closet stubup.

"Why not the toilet flange where it goes through the floor?"
Because there's not supposed to be any water around the closet flange in the first place.

" I my case, I REALLY need to contain the leak. If the toilet overflows (happens every few years) or if somebody spills or drips water on the floor accidentally it just all goes down the outside of the toilet flange onto the ceiling below. I've had to repair this ceiling two times which has been terrible"

The best advice I can give if you wish to water proof your floor is to polyurethane the entire floor. Good luck, Tom

I agree with Tom. Stopping the leak in the shower is going to be your best bet since that is where the majority of the water is coming from. Not sure what you could do about the toilet overflowing (perhaps the pipes need to be cleaned?) but the occasional spill on the floor should be easily contained with some bath mats.

For sealing up your shower try a shower curtain sealer or a full shower curtain sealer kit. I've got the deluxe kit and it works great for keeping water in my shower. I've never got a wet floor when I get out.

Well, here it is five years later and we now have more leaking despite redoing our bathroom. I like the bath mat idea and the better shower curtain idea. I still haven't fixed the ceiling below (in our den) and hesitate to do so unless I know for sure the leaks won't reoccur. I even am thinking of hanging some sort of pan below the toilet just in case.. .

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I even am thinking of hanging some sort of pan below the toilet just in case. .

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So what happens when the pan overflows? Welcome back! But after 5 years you still talk of containing the leak instead of locating the source and fixing it.
What's leaking now? The toilet or the shower? Let's see if we can nail down the source. Back to you, Tom

The leak source is definitely spillover from the shower. Our kids shower and aren't perfect with the shower curtain. It leaks over onto the floor and gets through to the ceiling below through either the base of the toilet or the hole for the cold water piping. Both of which have been sealed by a professional plumber. Again, this hasn't happened for several years now but I hate to think of having to deal with this every few years, especially since I don't want to have to repair the ceiling below too often. We are now thinking of adding shower doors which should prevent the spillover issue and maybe that will be all we need. Thanks for your help!

I was thinking of adding a shower door when I go to your last sentence, Short of making the kids shower outside under the hose that's your best option. Good luck, Tom