Toilet flange extender question

[Louis Brandt]

Hello,

I've just finished laying 1/4 thick ceramic tile in my bathroom. This is on a concrete slab. I've removed the old linoleum and replaced it with the tile. The tile now sits just about 1/16 inch higher than the toilet flange. It's almost level, but there may be about a 1/16 difference.

I have not installed the new toilet that I bought yet, because I need to know whether I should use a flange extender.

I bought a flange extender, but I haven't used it yet. It's about 1/2 inch tall. I've seen flange extenders that are only about 1/4 inch tall.

My question is, should I use a flange extender, and if so, should I use a 1/2 inch one or a 1/4 inch one? If I use the 1/2 inch one, the extender will sit about 7/16 above the tile. If I use the 1/4 inch one, the extender will sit about 3/16 above the tile.

And should I use a regular size or extended size wax ring?

Thanks,
Louis

[Jim Myers]

When I had that issue I picked up just a mounting ring extender to bring the ring up and not the flange. I got it at Lowes.

The wax ring was long enough to go through to the existing flange.

Don't knwo the exact product name for the ring but it was in the plumbing section.

No leaks and toilet sits solid on the tile.

[Zach England]

I had that problem and even the biggest ring still left a gap. It took me weeks to figure out where that sewer gas smell was coming from. There was no water on the floor and the gas smell would go away for a few hours after the toilet was flushed (presumably because the water forced it out of the pipe). It was kind of a half-assed workaround, but I ended up taking two small wax rings and smashing them together. One year on, no problem.

[Jason Roehl]

First off, figure out what you need. Lay a straight edge across the bottom of the toilet and measure how far the rim of the discharge opening is recessed. Add that to the 1/16" the flange is recessed into the floor. You need a wax ring that is just a little thicker than the sum of those two measurements. As the previous poster said, 2 wax rings stacked is one solution, the other is that there are wax rings available with an additional rubber collar on them. I wouldn't mess with a flange extender.

[John Pratt]

+1 what Jason said.

I just finished doing the exact same project 2 days ago (replaced sticky tile with 1/4" tile in a bathroom). The wax ring with the rubber extender worked like a charm.

[Scott Shepherd]

You don't need 2 wax rings, as alluded to, they make a thicker wax ring. Just look for it when you pick up the new wax ring. It's a fair amount thicker than the normal one and it'll do you just fine.

[Dave Wagner]

"Extra thick" wax ring works great. they make them just for that reason.

[Peter Stahl]

I used a extender once and caulked in between it and the flange. I would go with the thicker wax ring for that small amount of difference.

[Mike Cutler]

One more solution is a Fernco waxless toilet seal.