Bottom line, less mess is always better at 2am... but I’m not tossing my old-school tricks just yet.
Can’t blame you for keeping the wax rings handy. I’ve seen those rubber gaskets fail if the flange isn’t perfectly clean or level—sometimes it’s just safer to stick with what’s tried and true. Double-checking the seal before bolting down is key, like you said. Nothing worse than thinking you’re done, then spotting a slow leak hours later. Always worth taking that extra minute, even when you’re half-asleep.
Funny you mention the rubber gaskets—I tried one last year in a unit with a slightly uneven floor, and it just didn’t cut it. Ended up with a slow leak that took me way too long to track down. Ever since, I’ve stuck with wax, even though it’s messier. Do you ever worry about the wax shifting if the toilet rocks a bit? I’ve had that happen, too, especially in older places where nothing’s quite level. Sometimes feels like there’s no perfect solution, just “least bad” options at 2am...
Yeah, I hear you on the “least bad” options at weird hours. Wax rings have saved me more times than I can count, but they’re definitely not foolproof if the floor’s off. I’ve wedged shims under a few wobbly toilets just to keep things sealed—never feels like a permanent fix, but sometimes it’s all you can do. At least you caught the leak before it got worse...
Yeah, shims are kind of the unsung heroes in these situations. I’ve had to use a stack of them once when the subfloor was so uneven, I swear the toilet was trying to moonwalk across the bathroom. Wax rings are great until they’re not—especially if things aren’t level. Honestly, I keep meaning to try one of those wax-free seals, but old habits die hard. At least you didn’t end up with water coming through the ceiling... been there, wouldn’t recommend.
At least you didn’t end up with water coming through the ceiling... been there, wouldn’t recommend.
Man, that’s the nightmare scenario right there. I had a wax ring fail on me once and it was like a slow-motion horror movie—just waiting for the drip to show up downstairs. I’ve tried those wax-free seals a couple times, and honestly, they’re not bad, especially if you’re dealing with uneven floors. Still, I get sticking with what you know. Shims are clutch, but sometimes I wonder if I’m building a toilet Jenga tower under there.