Laminate floor and toilet

[Skamper1]

After wrestling with trying to install laminate flooring around toilet, finally researched here and removed toilet. My question is how to install flooring under toilet. Can I install it up to the opening in the floor and then replace toilet on top of new floor? When I was trying to floor around toilet I found I had to leave the area under the pedal to flush clear or pedal would not push down. Now that I have toilet removed am concerned new flooring will not allow the seal to work. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

[Zeppelinium]

First of all, get a new seal. They are cheap and widely available.

I had the same concerns about the thickness of the floor, thought about it a lot, then decided to not put flooring under the toilet. Yes, you do have to have a relief for the foot valve.

After you get everything fit, I think it's a good decision to caulk around the entire perimeter of the flooring cutout, before you put the toilet back in.

Zep

[HowieE]

You can put the flooring under the toilet. If the flooring when finished has a significantly high height with respect to the original sub floor you may have to pad out the seal.

Yes get a new seal. If height is a problem consider putting a standard wax seal on the bottom of the toilet and then the foam seal. This should make up and difference in height and the wax will yield to allow this.

When bolting down the toilet don't over tighten it as this will compress the padding under the flooring to a point that the flooring may be captured tight and not allow any lateral movement of the flooring. Just tighten the toilet until it is stable on the flooring.

If your flooring ends up directly under the toilet bolts drill a 1 in. clearance hole in the flooring and bolt down through that clearance hole. This ensures clearance for any floor movement. I used this when Installing my flooring 3 years ago and have never seen any indication of movement but all manufactures ask for clearance at the edges.

[Skamper1]

Have been thinking about this all day. Felt around under the flange attached to to plywood floor. There appears to be enough room to remove the floor flange, add underlayment and laminate floor and then reattach flange. This would eliminate having to leave a cut-out for the foot valve. Will profess that sometimes my aim ain't always that good. Seems it would be easier to keep things clean. I am a little confused about wax seal. I would have thought to add it to the floor flange and then marry the new foam seal on the bottom of the toilet to it. As always will think some more and of course add pictures. Jack

[Skamper1]

Removed the six screws holding flange to plywood floor. There is more than enough room to slide foam underlayment and laminate floor under flange. Will buy longer screws and lay floor. Also decided to cut flooring at the entrance to bathroom and put in a transition piece. This should make things easier to replace bathroom flooring should there be a water leak. Pictures to follow. Jack

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by Skamper1

Removed the six screws holding flange to plywood floor. There is more than enough room to slide foam underlayment and laminate floor under flange. ...

That flange is screwed into a fitting on the tank. Let us know if you find that there is enough screw length to provide a water tight fit when the flange can't screw down as far.

Zep

[Skamper1]

Zep, I had the screws removed and the flange lifted up from the floor while still attached to the tank. Expected the flange to separate from the tank, but it didn't. When I was lifting the flange I could feel the black tank top move with each lift. There appears to be some flexibility. Wonder if it is attached by glue? The screws were just securing the flange to the plywood floor. I am raising the toilet 3/8 inch. Will chaulk in entire area around toilet area. Thanks. Jack

[ventport]

I just did this on my 64 Avion. I ran the flooring right up to the floor flange, but not under it as I didn't have enough space to get the flooring under the flange. I cut my old foam gasket in half so it was half as thick and used it as a spacer. I put a new foam gasket under it so the new one contacted the flange. Works great, and is leak free.

[Skamper1]

Where did you find a new foam gasket? Just left HD and all they had were wax ones. Thanks. Jack

[ventport]

Originally Posted by Skamper1

Where did you find a new foam gasket? Just left HD and all they had were wax ones. Thanks. Jack

I got mine at Out of Doors Mart Sealand Toilet Floor Flange Seal 600343938 [343938] - $8.95 : ODMRV , Out-of-Doors Mart

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Skamper1

Where did you find a new foam gasket? Just left HD and all they had were wax ones. Thanks. Jack

You should be able to get one at a local RV dealership. You might pay a little more, but there would be now shipping tacked on and you would have it right then.

I haven't checked, but be sure that there isn't a difference between SeaLand and Thetford for the seals. If there is, you want to get the same one as your toilet. It's not exactly an o-ring on the space shuttle, though. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

[triplenet]

I paid less than $4 for a Thetford seal from Colaws.

It may be too late for your job, but from my years of experience of property management, I would not install laminate in a wet area. Any moisture will swell up even the good stuff and the cheap particle board stuff will puff up like cereal in milk.

My flooring supplier even recommended staying away from "moisture resistant" cork as they have had many callbacks.

He rec'd vinyl tile. We used Mannington Adura.

[Skamper1]

Here's the story behind the laminate floor. Removed 32yo carpet. Talked with a friend that put in "wood" floor for $900. Decided on carpet again. Went to Habitat Restore and found 200 sq ft of laminate, underlayment and moulding: $50! Floor chose me. Anniversary of my Pop's death...so kind of felt he was with me. It is scary how close the floor color is to the original interior. So far with paint, saw blades and transition piece have less than $100. Put a piece of flooring submerged in a bucket of water. After third day it did swell about a 1/32 of an inch. Hope I never have to that kind of condition in my bath. Moisture is a valid concern and that is why I went ahead and separated the bath from the rest of the AS's flooring. Jack

[fstuneck]

Installing a new Thetford toilet over a new floor and have the same problem with
height; so, here is the solution suggested by a local Fleet Farm knowedgeable person: Use a Fernco Wax Free Toilet Seal for the 3" toilet flange.Comes in several sizes and pretty reasonable (like less than $5) This rubber seal fits down inside the old flange and is plenty high enough to seal. It has a self-stick side which you stick on to the bottom of the toilet.
Seals on wood, tile, linoleum and carpet. No need for flange risers or stacked wax rings. Ideal for in-floor radiant heat installations. Just two simple steps to install. Fernco FTS3 UPC: 018578006072

I believe you're not gonna see a wax-ring on an rv, because once its down it stays where it seals and doesn't flex; like you would expect in an rv. Our new Thetford RV toilet came with a rubber ring.
Fernco FTS-3 Wax-Free Toilet Seal, 3" Wax Free Toilet Seal
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/FRITZS%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.png[/IMG]

[Skamper1]

Completed installing toilet over laminate floor. Attached new underlayment pad, eased flooring under floor flange, sealed all edges with caulking (silicone for once) and added back moulding to prevent water from going out behind toilet. The screws to attach flange to floor were #6 x 3/4" and I used #6 x 1 1/4" stainless. One of the original screws was not even attached to the floor. All six screws went in with little effort once I found the holes with an icepick. Fun part was putting nut on bolt at the back of the toilet. Thank you duct tape inventer. Could not have done it wthout all the help here. I am real happy with the outcome. Time will tell if this works. Thanks. Jack

[Bettye]

Looks great! We still have the carpet and it's gotta go!!

[Zeppelinium]

Jack, I see your photo up in post #15 of the flooring. I'm surprised you didn't need to make a cutout for the toilet valve pedals. My flooring prevented the pedals from moving all the way down.

Zep

[Skamper1]

That was the reason I wanted to place flooring completely under the toilet so I would not have to cut out for flush pedal. It works great! Pedals go all the way down with room to spare from laminate. Previous pics show where I had done a cut-out for the pedal. All I could think was that there would be a place "stuff" would collect I could not clean. Although I have not "used" toilet, trust me it is getting flushed and checked very often. Thanks for all your advice. Jack

[desertair27]

I'm going through the same problem with new cork flooring.Anybody know if this flange will allow me to install the toilet like normal on top of the flooring.The threaded part of mine is about an 1" to 1 1/4" and if this one listed hear measure's the 1 3/4" I'm thinking the description specifies.
LaSalle Bristol Plastic Closet Flange 3" x 1-3/4" MPT - Toilet Accessories - Toilets - Plumbing

[desertair27]

so I figured out that my last post pertaining to the closet flange won't work.Time to figure something else out.
Any other ideas?????