Nicely done, Michael Schwartz. The vast majority of toilet flange repair videos here on TH-cam show very substandard, filthy workmanship, a very poor attitude on the plumber´s part and very little skill in photography. Strictly yee-haw cowboy plumbing, which gives the trade a bad name. This video shows a very correct procedure, done with patience, the right material and a certain elegance even. Nicely photographed, simple explanation, no lengthy/irrelevant introduction or wacky music or profanity. No reason to treat toilet repair with less respect or attention to detail than any other plumbing job. This point was obviously not lost on you. Congratulations.
I have this same situation going on with my toilet. I didn't know what to do with the crumbling concrete around the pipe and below the flange. Thanks. Very helpful!
Nice job, and the video is well done. I'd just add a couple of things: You're going to have a cold joint between the first patch you put down and the second patch which brought things up to tile level. Not a huge deal, but the best way to do this would be to add the PVC extension first then make one pour for the patch to bring it up to floor level. Also I'd wet the old slab concrete before the pour to get better adhesion between your patch and the existing concrete slab. The other thing I'd suggest is that you lay down about a half inch of Polyurethane sealant/caulk (it comes in a caulk gun cartridge) before you pour the concrete patch. This will give you a sealed barrier against insects (termites) etc.
My last plumber, pulled the toilet, and didnt' tell me half the flaNge was broken off. Unknown to me because I trust people too much, he literally bolted only one side down to the flange and used wax to hold the fake bolt in place so it looked like he bolted it down. He siliconed all around to hide the mess. I just so happened to have bought a new Toto toilet for my wife, pulled it and found the mess. I'm fixing this myself so it's done right. The concreate needs to be fixed too -GREAT VIDEO!!!
Concrete completed in my replacement---I made the concrete just below height of the tile, so the flange is even with the tile as it was before. was afraid might make the toilet not set even on tile as could be a high point and make toilet tippy requiring shems. Thanks for sharing- good job.
Make sure you install plastic WASHERS and caps under your johnnibolt washers or those metal washers will pull through the porcelain and chip or break the toilet. VERY IMPORTANT
I like your video. I did notice it seamed you didn't use the hammer drill function when you drilled out the whole and you mentioned you did when setting the screws. I believe it is backwards.
i need to do this and very grateful for this video. i am going to almost follow all the same steps using the same materials. may not caulk the base at the end, but we'll see. last guy used mortar....weird. probably when the house was built because everything under the darn thing was rusted to heck and the cement subfloor was a "dirt" consistency and color. fun few days ahead for this guy...
Nice job. I've been putting off taking up one of my toilets because I'm sure that it won't just drop back down in place due to the flange, bolts and concrete being decades old. Maybe I'll try it now.
Magic was at the end... composite shims... that’s where my home builder screwed up. That and having the flange > 1/2” deep below tile. Using extensions but toilet still wobbles due to bad tile job. Will go buy some shims.
Builder filled the space between the pvc drain pipe and concrete hole with soil. Then screwed flange screws in the soil. The screws have nothing to hold on to. I am truly disgusted by the shoddy work many contractors do. It is like a competition of who do the most shoddy work.
Thanks, this is exactly what I'm going to try, except I'm going to use a push to fit, gasket type flange because my pipes are cast iron. I agree with using the construction adhesive in the screw holes because I want it to be...well...as strong as concrete. lol My house is very old, and I don't want to have to go through this again. I want it to stay put for a long time. I like your use of shims as well which I will do if necessary. The info is much appreciated.
Hi Jessica, I had to re-watch that part to remember what I had done with the cardboard, and why. I *think* I had some thought that I should allow for some expansion. But, if you look at the next segment where I glue in the extension pipe, you'll notice 2 things: (a) there is no longer any gap between the concrete and the pipe, so I must have removed the cardboard before completing the concrete "stuffing" phase and (b) the extension pipe is glued to the inside of the existing pipe, rather than the outside. So, in short, I'm not sure why I did that and I don't think it's necessary. So, if I did this again, I'd skip the cardboard. Have a good day.
You didn’t differentiate between PVC and ABS. I just read Oakley website that I should keep the material consistent so I exchanged the PVC flange for ABS
Ronal Romero. Hey there. That pre-existing black pipe that's sticking up it of the floor is plastic (PVC I assume). No iron pipe at all. IIRC, the cardboard was used merely to provide a slight gap between the quickcrete I added and that existing pipe. I used normal PVC glue to bond the new pipe to the existing pipe. Hope that helps.
what was the function of the bonding adhesive? how did you incorporate that substance? which step? mixed with quickrete before you applied it into the gap?
I facing an issue where a condo I purchased the flange was set in the opposite position for the anchor screws to go in so the sit in the larger part where you are supposed to slide them in first 🤦♂️. The flange doesn’t move either. It’s ABS but seems very old and sort of thin. It’s bent up on both ends. Good thing is when they added new flooring the flange is to low. So I’m going to put an extender on top. So a couple tap cons and all should be well I’m still shocked at how plumbers set the flange the wrong way. No way a regular DIY Joe did this job but who knows
I dont get if you have to replace the flange more then once or twice,won't the holes for the screws that secure it in the cement start to widen are the screws won't grip? What to do?
Wow this the first clean concrete install...but what does the bonding adhesive do?...do you add it with the quikrete mix?...how does it work together exactly...also, what's the purpose of the cardboard ring around the flange pipe, when you filled the quikrete to the top of the pie/tile anyway?...love the final result...clean and very tidy
They sell clear shims.caulking around the bottom of a toilet is a bad idea as soon as it starts leaking you want to know before it rusts anyting. Other than that great job.
If you silicone the bowl to the floor, always leave the back of the bowl OPEN with no silicone. So if the wax seal leaks, you will see water on your floor. Then you can replace the wax gasket and hopefully save your floor/s. Silicone on the bowl to the floor is great for locking the bowl to the floor. I would of used GE 100% clear silicone MOLD RESISTANT instead of that Locktite junk. The Locktite was a construction adhesive. Not good for that purpose at all.
+jim davidson I don't see him using Locktite to "lock the bowl to the floor"? Looks like white silicone to me. The Locktite was used only to glue the screws into the concrete floor, did you actually watch the video? He seems like a pretty knowledgeable guy so I don't think he would be stupid enough to seal the toilet down to the floor with construction adhesive. Also, The purpose of this video was obviously regarding how to change a broken closet flange but that was quite nice of you to throw in your extra two-cents. However, it is clearly a basement installation so leaving a gap in your sealant isn't really necessary since no damage could be caused to a concrete floor/flooring. You would be much better off sealing it up completely and avoid water from leaking out and possibly, over time, eventually damaging your baseboards, drywall, vanity base, or anything else in the vicinity.
@@ronaldromero6772 The problem with that idea is that if water spills on the floor or gets inside the toilet base from floor cleaning, it may not evaporate and can cause its own problems. So I don't think it is a slam dunk that one should leave a weep hole around the toilet base.
Thanks Steven. I have this (maybe wrong) tendency to over build or complicate things. But, in this case I'm happy with the result. This toilet hasn't shifted, moved, leaked or failed in any way since I did that fix. I hope this video has helped a few folks.
If the floor tiles were not level, and the toilet rocks, how do you stop the rocking if you don't want to pull out the offending tiles and redo the floor?
One thing to add, at the end of video it shows toilet bolted down without plastic washers and caps. VERY IMPORTANT, THOSE WASHERS KEEP THE METAL WASHERS FROM PULLING THROUGH THE PORCELAIN AND ALLOWING THE TOILET TO LOOSEN AT FLOOR AND START LEAKING AGAIN. ALSO MEN TEND TO PISS ON THE ENTIRE AREA AND WASHER CAPS ALLOW YOU TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE LATER. WITHOUT THE CAPS THOSE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE CUT OFF AND YOU WILL PROBABLY DAMAGE THE TOILET. 25 YRS. PLUMBING.
The part that I really need to know about you didn't cover! How did you measure where the bolts are suppose to go? I had a leak at the bottom of my toilet. & unlike 99,00% of these video's on how to install, replace, or fix a flange. NO ONE tells you how to install a flange on a pipe that didn't have an old one in place!! Or how to measure the distance of the screws! Your video started out great & then the next thing I see is tape & markings & you NEVER said how you reached your markings!!
There are a couple of videos that show how to measure that. Not hard. If I recall, in one you put the toilet in place and mark through the toilet base holes with a thin felt tip marker kind of thing. Then you lift the bowl and you see exactly where the bolts have to be.
The Closet Bolts locations need to be the same distance from the back wall (assuming it is straight and flat) at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Once you determine those positions, adjust the flange position such that the narrowest part of the channel/slot the bolts slide through are centered so the bolt will be in the middle of the narrow portion of the Channel/Slot. This way you can still make minor adjustments of the bolt location forward and back (around the circumference) of that slot and stay in the narrow area. Ideally the elongated heads of those closet bolts should be perpendicular to the narrow channel for the most support. Marking the end of those bolts with a line across the tip in the same direction as the elongation of the head will tell you the bolts orientation when you can no longer see the heads. In practice, I don't think the perpendicular orientation is essential because these bolts are not meant to be tightened down for a lot of clamping pressure, just a little.
Good job you probably saved about 500 bucks doing this yourself. I think if I did this I’d get a flange that doesn’t spin just because, then you wouldn’t have to screw into the concrete.
Nicely done, Michael Schwartz.
The vast majority of toilet flange repair videos here on TH-cam show very substandard, filthy workmanship, a very poor attitude on the plumber´s part and very little skill in photography. Strictly yee-haw cowboy plumbing, which gives the trade a bad name.
This video shows a very correct procedure, done with patience, the right material and a certain elegance even. Nicely photographed, simple explanation, no lengthy/irrelevant introduction or wacky music or profanity.
No reason to treat toilet repair with less respect or attention to detail than any other plumbing job. This point was obviously not lost on you. Congratulations.
I have this same situation going on with my toilet. I didn't know what to do with the crumbling concrete around the pipe and below the flange. Thanks. Very helpful!
Nice job, and the video is well done. I'd just add a couple of things:
You're going to have a cold joint between the first patch you put down and the second patch which brought things up to tile level. Not a huge deal, but the best way to do this would be to add the PVC extension first then make one pour for the patch to bring it up to floor level.
Also I'd wet the old slab concrete before the pour to get better adhesion between your patch and the existing concrete slab.
The other thing I'd suggest is that you lay down about a half inch of Polyurethane sealant/caulk (it comes in a caulk gun cartridge) before you pour the concrete patch. This will give you a sealed barrier against insects (termites) etc.
Well said cold joint just a little water to that dusty joint
Where would the bugs be coming from? Just trying to understand as I have a similar situation in the bathroom, thanks
How long should you wait before drilling into the concrete? Is it necessary to let it cure?
Thanks for a great video. You've given me the confidence to tackle this job myself. Probably save me a couple of hundred dollars on a plumber.
My last plumber, pulled the toilet, and didnt' tell me half the flaNge was broken off. Unknown to me because I trust people too much, he literally bolted only one side down to the flange and used wax to hold the fake bolt in place so it looked like he bolted it down. He siliconed all around to hide the mess. I just so happened to have bought a new Toto toilet for my wife, pulled it and found the mess. I'm fixing this myself so it's done right. The concreate needs to be fixed too -GREAT VIDEO!!!
Man, this guy does proper, proper work!
Well done man
You give 0 margin for error
Excellent video! One of the most articulately explaned videos i've seen!
Concrete completed in my replacement---I made the concrete just below height of the tile, so the flange is even with the tile as it was before. was afraid might make the toilet not set even on tile as could be a high point and make toilet tippy requiring shems. Thanks for sharing- good job.
EXACTLY what I'm facing right now. This was a perfectly clear explanation. Thank you!!
Make sure you install plastic WASHERS and caps under your johnnibolt washers or those metal washers will pull through the porcelain and chip or break the toilet. VERY IMPORTANT
Yes - great job showing us the concrete fix. Thanks, I needed that.
thanks for the tips. its going to help out a crap load now. i appreciate your time spent making this video for us
I see what you did there
I like your video. I did notice it seamed you didn't use the hammer drill function when you drilled out the whole and you mentioned you did when setting the screws. I believe it is backwards.
Thank you. Similar situation in bathroom. Your video is really helpful .
Thank you for this video! Trying to do the same thing in the bathroom of my mom’s 1940s house. How has it held up?
Great video, nice editing, to-the-point information. Thanks for sharing. Way to DIY!
Thank you!
How long did the concrete take to dry before you drilled and screwed?
i need to do this and very grateful for this video. i am going to almost follow all the same steps using the same materials. may not caulk the base at the end, but we'll see. last guy used mortar....weird. probably when the house was built because everything under the darn thing was rusted to heck and the cement subfloor was a "dirt" consistency and color. fun few days ahead for this guy...
Nice job. I've been putting off taking up one of my toilets because I'm sure that it won't just drop back down in place due to the flange, bolts and concrete being decades old. Maybe I'll try it now.
Is that existing flange pipe cast iron? Looks like it. And if it is how were you able to glue the PVC extension into it
Can you still unscrew if you have that glue in??
Is it important to cover around the pipe with a cardboard collar? I'm guessing because the Quikrete is going to expand correct?
Magic was at the end... composite shims... that’s where my home builder screwed up. That and having the flange > 1/2” deep below tile. Using extensions but toilet still wobbles due to bad tile job. Will go buy some shims.
Builder filled the space between the pvc drain pipe and concrete hole with soil. Then screwed flange screws in the soil. The screws have nothing to hold on to. I am truly disgusted by the shoddy work many contractors do. It is like a competition of who do the most shoddy work.
Did you install the anchors while concrete mix was wet or wait till it dries to drill & install?
Takes awhile but pro repair.....nice job
Great vid. Very helpful to see things actually happen. I appreciated the video.
Thanks, this is exactly what I'm going to try, except I'm going to use a push to fit, gasket type flange because my pipes are cast iron. I agree with using the construction adhesive in the screw holes because I want it to be...well...as strong as concrete. lol My house is very old, and I don't want to have to go through this again. I want it to stay put for a long time. I like your use of shims as well which I will do if necessary. The info is much appreciated.
next time use a little water on the dry concrete it will help the bonding of the new concrete so the water doesn't get sucked out
+bobmilton928 YES or use a primer on it to wet it.
Bondcreet
How long did you wait before drilling into the concrete? Is it necessary to let it cure?
It was awhile ago, but I think I waited overnight. It's all still working fine.
Thank you for the response @@BionicBuilds !
The pipe and flange are ABS.
Yes. I was going to make that comment.
Hi there! Why did you tape cardboard to the drain pipe when you were laying the concrete? Is this necessary? Thanks so much for the video!!
Hi Jessica, I had to re-watch that part to remember what I had done with the cardboard, and why. I *think* I had some thought that I should allow for some expansion. But, if you look at the next segment where I glue in the extension pipe, you'll notice 2 things: (a) there is no longer any gap between the concrete and the pipe, so I must have removed the cardboard before completing the concrete "stuffing" phase and (b) the extension pipe is glued to the inside of the existing pipe, rather than the outside.
So, in short, I'm not sure why I did that and I don't think it's necessary. So, if I did this again, I'd skip the cardboard. Have a good day.
You didn’t differentiate between PVC and ABS. I just read Oakley website that I should keep the material consistent so I exchanged the PVC flange for ABS
And thank you for taking your time to make and post this video.
Thank you this is the video i am looking for.
What kind of glue did you use for gluing plastic to cast?
Da kine Elmer’s blue ah?
Thank you for this. I need this exact same repair.
What did you use to glue pvc new pvc pipe to existing metal pipe, what’s purpose of cardboard around pipe?. Thanks for the video👍
Ronal Romero. Hey there. That pre-existing black pipe that's sticking up it of the floor is plastic (PVC I assume). No iron pipe at all.
IIRC, the cardboard was used merely to provide a slight gap between the quickcrete I added and that existing pipe.
I used normal PVC glue to bond the new pipe to the existing pipe.
Hope that helps.
Michael Schwartz Thanks.
@@BionicBuilds Black pipe is usually ABS, which requires a different kind of glue than PVC glue. PVC pipe is white.
That's cardboard taped around the pipe, right?
what was the function of the bonding adhesive? how did you incorporate that substance? which step? mixed with quickrete before you applied it into the gap?
Nate Harris
If you can't read and understand the instructions on the label then call a plumber.
@@dontblameme6328 Dick
I facing an issue where a condo I purchased the flange was set in the opposite position for the anchor screws to go in so the sit in the larger part where you are supposed to slide them in first 🤦♂️. The flange doesn’t move either. It’s ABS but seems very old and sort of thin. It’s bent up on both ends. Good thing is when they added new flooring the flange is to low. So I’m going to put an extender on top. So a couple tap cons and all should be well
I’m still shocked at how plumbers set the flange the wrong way. No way a regular DIY Joe did this job but who knows
Thanks for posting this. Helps 👍
I dont get if you have to replace the flange more then once or twice,won't the holes for the screws that secure it in the cement start to widen are the screws won't grip? What to do?
Next guy's problem?
Pack match sticks, toothpicks, or wood scraps into the screw holes before putting the screws in and they will be good and tight.
@@bnhamilton😂
Wow this the first clean concrete install...but what does the bonding adhesive do?...do you add it with the quikrete mix?...how does it work together exactly...also, what's the purpose of the cardboard ring around the flange pipe, when you filled the quikrete to the top of the pie/tile anyway?...love the final result...clean and very tidy
NZ BUDZ
Read the instructions.
@@dontblameme6328 Very helpful answer. You're the toast of youtube. Everyone likes you. ...dick
You actually called it concrete not cement. Bravo
I may be going out on a limb here, but are you an engineer sir?
Just about what I'm facing. Thanks for a great video. It helped a lot.
Best job ever concrete the key
They sell clear shims.caulking around the bottom of a toilet is a bad idea as soon as it starts leaking you want to know before it rusts anyting. Other than that great job.
Some will caulk everything except the back side. No one will see it, but any leaks will show up soon enough.
Exactly the help I was looking for. Thank you.
Ditto.TYVM as well. Very well done.
I believe that's ABS pipe, not PVC.
If you silicone the bowl to the floor, always leave the back of the bowl OPEN with no silicone. So if the wax seal leaks, you will see water on your floor. Then you can replace the wax gasket and hopefully save your floor/s. Silicone on the bowl to the floor is great for locking the bowl to the floor. I would of used GE 100% clear silicone MOLD RESISTANT instead of that Locktite junk. The Locktite was a construction adhesive. Not good for that purpose at all.
+jim davidson I don't see him using Locktite to "lock the bowl to the floor"? Looks like white silicone to me. The Locktite was used only to glue the screws into the concrete floor, did you actually watch the video? He seems like a pretty knowledgeable guy so I don't think he would be stupid enough to seal the toilet down to the floor with construction adhesive. Also, The purpose of this video was obviously regarding how to change a broken closet flange but that was quite nice of you to throw in your extra two-cents. However, it is clearly a basement installation so leaving a gap in your sealant isn't really necessary since no damage could be caused to a concrete floor/flooring. You would be much better off sealing it up completely and avoid water from leaking out and possibly, over time, eventually damaging your baseboards, drywall, vanity base, or anything else in the vicinity.
I forgot to leave back open but will open one running a blade between floor and toilet base, thanks for the tip.
@@ronaldromero6772 The problem with that idea is that if water spills on the floor or gets inside the toilet base from floor cleaning, it may not evaporate and can cause its own problems. So I don't think it is a slam dunk that one should leave a weep hole around the toilet base.
Nice job brother
Your Quikrete could have been wetter for ease of application.
Did you use sand concrete?
At 33 seconds in (th-cam.com/video/Szlhjn1Hfe0/w-d-xo.html), I show the premix I used. It's QUIKRETE Quick-Setting Cement. No sand added. Just water.
Very informative. Thank you for your help!
Nice video bro. Thanks
Thanks. Very helpful
You're welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful.
Amazing thank u!
Terrific ~ Thanks!
great video
Good job
that toilet is going to be secured like fort knox lol good job though
Thanks Steven. I have this (maybe wrong) tendency to over build or complicate things. But, in this case I'm happy with the result. This toilet hasn't shifted, moved, leaked or failed in any way since I did that fix. I hope this video has helped a few folks.
good job, good video!
thank you. helps alot
Hmmm. I’m of the learned opinion that shims shouldn’t be used. Ever, But confess I have
If the floor tiles were not level, and the toilet rocks, how do you stop the rocking if you don't want to pull out the offending tiles and redo the floor?
One thing to add, at the end of video it shows toilet bolted down without plastic washers and caps. VERY IMPORTANT, THOSE WASHERS KEEP THE METAL WASHERS FROM PULLING THROUGH THE PORCELAIN AND ALLOWING THE TOILET TO LOOSEN AT FLOOR AND START LEAKING AGAIN. ALSO MEN TEND TO PISS ON THE ENTIRE AREA AND WASHER CAPS ALLOW YOU TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE LATER. WITHOUT THE CAPS THOSE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE CUT OFF AND YOU WILL PROBABLY DAMAGE THE TOILET. 25 YRS. PLUMBING.
Awesome. Thanks for the guidance. Much appreciated.
A+!!!!
The part that I really need to know about you didn't cover! How did you measure where the bolts are suppose to go? I had a leak at the bottom of my toilet. & unlike 99,00% of these video's on how to install, replace, or fix a flange. NO ONE tells you how to install a flange on a pipe that didn't have an old one in place!! Or how to measure the distance of the screws! Your video started out great & then the next thing I see is tape & markings & you NEVER said how you reached your markings!!
Call a licensed plumber ya cheap JACKASS
@@slimpickens9135 Dick.
There are a couple of videos that show how to measure that. Not hard. If I recall, in one you put the toilet in place and mark through the toilet base holes with a thin felt tip marker kind of thing. Then you lift the bowl and you see exactly where the bolts have to be.
The Closet Bolts locations need to be the same distance from the back wall (assuming it is straight and flat) at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Once you determine those positions, adjust the flange position such that the narrowest part of the channel/slot the bolts slide through are centered so the bolt will be in the middle of the narrow portion of the Channel/Slot. This way you can still make minor adjustments of the bolt location forward and back (around the circumference) of that slot and stay in the narrow area. Ideally the elongated heads of those closet bolts should be perpendicular to the narrow channel for the most support. Marking the end of those bolts with a line across the tip in the same direction as the elongation of the head will tell you the bolts orientation when you can no longer see the heads. In practice, I don't think the perpendicular orientation is essential because these bolts are not meant to be tightened down for a lot of clamping pressure, just a little.
wish you didnt skip step at start :l
Good job you probably saved about 500 bucks doing this yourself. I think if I did this I’d get a flange that doesn’t spin just because, then you wouldn’t have to screw into the concrete.
Ummmm, yes no matter what.
Im sad at u for using liquid nails. Not good for future reno needs
Eww! Where's your gloves?
Erma Abrazado
Don't be a drama queen. It's just doo doo. It washes off.
@@dontblameme6328 Helpful as always. Well, at least you're consistent. lol
If you’re going to do a proper video you need to show all steps
Abs abs abs
There is a much easier and professional way to do this job.
Make a video
Not really helpful.
Thanks, very helpful.