My 90 year old house has only a lead pipe coming about an inch out of the floor where the toilet was sitting, it is 4" diameter and it looks like the wax ring was placed right onto that without a flange. If I find a flange that fits, no luck so far, how do I attach it to the floor? Please explain in 'non-plumbing professional' terms. ;) thanks

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Originally Posted by allison222

My 90 year old house has only a lead pipe coming about an inch out of the floor where the toilet was sitting, it is 4" diameter and it looks like the wax ring was placed right onto that without a flange. if i find a flange that fits, no luck so far, how do i attach it to the floor? please explain in 'non-plumbing professional' terms. ;) thanks

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Hi Allison,
Kind of hard to explain plumbing without using plumbing terms but here goes.
Back in the old days we didn't use toilet flanges. Our closet bends were lead flared over at the top. We didn't have wax seals so we made our own out of plumbers putty. Let me tell you how to set your toilet without a flange. Go to a plumbing store and ask for a set of screw type closet bolts. These are closet bolts with a wood screw base. Depending on the floor, for tile floors use plastic inserts and screw the bolts into those, for wood floors, scew directly into the floor. To figure out where to screw in the closet bolts in the floor, set the bowl down where it should go and make a pencil mark in the center of the slot in the toilet bowl. Now take the bowl back away and screw the closet bolts in the floor. Now place the wax seal on the horn on the bottom of the bowl and place it on the closet bolts. Give the bowl a little twist to seat it and tighten the closet bolts. CAREFUL! DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! The bowl's china and very brittle.
Just take them down so you can't twist or move the bowl. Now connect the water, caulk the base of the bowl with Dap White Tub and Tile Caulk and you're in business. Good luck, Tom