Reinstalling a Toilet After Bluestone Tile in Bath

Blue stone tile, which adds a bright, cheery color to a bathroom, is easy to match to other accents in the room. After you've finished laying the tile, you can reinstall the toilet once the tile grout has dried. Because you should have tiled right up to the flange around the hole on which the toilet sits, you can carefully reinstall your existing toilet so that it sits on your new tile. The process is not difficult, but it's ideal to have a helper as the toilet is heavy to lift. 

Instructions

1.Scrape off any residue from the old wax ring with a putty knife. Because the new wax ring will sit directly on to the flange, the flange must be void of old wax that could cause the toilet to sit unevenly. 

2.Turn the toilet upside down and set the new wax ring around the hole of the toilet as indicated in the toilet's installation manual. Press the ring firmly into position. 

3.Have a helper hold one side of the toilet with you and slowly lower it into position. The wax ring should sit directly around the flange in the floor and the flange's mounting bolts should extend through the mounting holes on the base of the toilet. When you have the toilet aligned correctly, push it downward and back and forth firmly to create a seal with the wax ring. 

4.Tighten the mounting nuts on to the mounting bolts with a wrench, and then screw the plastic caps over the bolts to cover them. 

5.Lower the tank onto the mounting bolts on the rear of the toilet. In some toilets, you'll have to screw the mounting bolts into position before mounting the tank. In others, the bolts will already be installed. Tighten the nuts on the mounting bolts with a wrench or screwdriver. 

6.Connect the water supply line that runs between the shutoff valve located in the bathroom wall or floor and the tank of the toilet. Water supply lines can be rigid or flexible. The flexible variety, which is made of braided metal, is easy to install because you can position it as needed. Tighten each end of the supply line with a wrench. 

7.Turn the water on by turning the handle of the shutoff valve and check to ensure the toilet is not leaking in any way. Flush the toilet a few times to ensure it drains and fills correctly. Read more: Reinstalling a Toilet After Bluestone Tile