# Toilet Flange and Flooring



## Mike Swearingen (Mar 15, 2005)

A toilet flange should be flush on top of the finished floor level and bolted to it with only the 1/4" thickness of the flange above finished floor level. Then the toilet is bolted to the secured flange.
The flooring structure and tile should be up under the flange enough to drill and bolt the flange securely to it, but it doesn't necessarily have to butt up against the "waste line" itself, just close.
Good Luck!
Mike


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## brneilly (Feb 19, 2008)

Thank you Mike for your insight.


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## murray59 (Jul 11, 2007)

Sometimes you can unscrew the flange from the floor and there's enough play in the pipes to lift it up enough. Backer doesn't have to go under but the flange needs to be pretty solid. I've also seen spacer flanges you can buy that set on top of the old flange but I'm not sure who sells them.


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## mdalli (Jun 29, 2006)

The toilet flange does indeed have to be level with the finished floor, but that doesn't mean it has to use the same fragile tile that you walk on and see.

I'm thinking either plywood or hard plastic; you could even get a cheap plastic cutting board of the appropriate thickness, cut it in two with a hole for the flange and put that under the flange.


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