All,
I’m a visitor from over in knots. I was planning on ripping up a nice piece of 10/4 cherry today to make some legs for an end table. SWMBO decided the bathroom floor needed to be replaced instead…can’t blame her, the carpeting was just not cutting it. Anyhow, as of midnite the carpet was gone.
My question: there is some blackness around the toilet on the ply and I’m trying to determine what are my options…the oder is my main concern. There does not appear to be structural damage. Do I need to replace the ply or if there is a sealer I can apply. If I throw down some 1/4″ underlayment with or without a sealer on the existing ply would that work?
I don’t want to rip up the old ply…unless I have to….I could patch a piece of ply into the existing…but I don’t want to get anywhere near the floor flange that supports the toilet. Suggestions would be appreciated, thanks
Replies
The wax seal in your toilet is leaking. Pull the toilet, cut the ply flush with the nearest floor joists.
Look for lines of nails or screws attaching the ply to the joists. Set you saw to a fuzz more than the ply thickness (3/4"), and saw out the damaged area at least a foot from the footprint of the toilet. Make it about a 2' square. Screw in some 2X material to the floor joists and across between the joists. Scribe the flange hole on a piece of ply to fit. Replace the ply (screw) on the joists.
There is a good chance that the black you see is a culture growing. Spray the area or wash it down with clorox before you close it back up.
I'm not certain its the wax seal that's leaking, it may just be the condensation on the toilet keeping the carpet (combined with splashed urine) wet and unable to dry. Bleach should kill whatever is growing there. If the plywood is sound, let it dry for a day or so before installing the underlay.
As for the stink, did you stuff something into the pipe to stop the sewer gas?
Turtleneck
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Meant to say close it up. A day or several even with extra heat usally isn't enough. Replace the ply. In the long time scheme of things you'll thank yourself.
Think you'll find that the ply has started to seperate. When it dries out the seperation will become worse.
Using the throne will be like sitting on rocking horse. It can go as far as stress cracking the flange and soil pipe,
Imerc and all,
Its been a long day..but relatively successful. I decided to replace part of the existing ply, wash down the rest with bleach and lay down a new 1/4" underlayment. Fortunately, the existing ply was/is actually two sheets of 1/2"....made it nice and easy to cut a 2'sq. and drop another piece in.
Tomorrow need to put everything back together, wish me luck with the toilet. thanks
get one of those waxless gaskets from fluidmaster. easier and better than a wax ring
WHW
Waxless gaskets? Never heard of that. What if say you'd need a dbl wax ring. Would a waxless gasket still work?
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Yep. Matter of fact that is where they really shine. The kind I am talking about is adjustable for height. Fluidmaster. 5 or 6 bucks at the H place.