Pro Handyman Blog

If you have never replaced a toilet before, it can make you a little apprehensive. After all, these are bulky, heavy items, and if you install it incorrectly you may end up with a mess on your hands. So it makes sense to be as prepared as possible.

The moment of truth comes when you are straddling the toilet trying to place the holes in the base over the bolts sticking up from the floor. Once the toilet is resting on the floor and the wax ring has been compressed, many installers will apply a bead of caulking in between the floor and the base of the toilet. Instead of caulking, I like using plaster-of-paris.

I generally mix up a batch of plaster-of-paris and lay it around the footprint of the toilet before the toilet is set on the floor. There is some guesswork if you cant see the footprint from the old location, but you can get a general idea of the location and then slop some around the area. When you set the toilet into the plaster-of-paris, tighten the toilet bolts and use a damp sponge to wipe away the excess. Plaster-of-paris dries white, and so if your toilet is white, the finish will be seamless. It will fill in any voids or gaps in between the floor and the base for a flawless finish.