Toilet Installation in Denton.
A toilet looks like the easiest fixture in the house to replace, and mostly it is. What makes one last is the part nobody sees again once it is set: the measurement to the drain, the flange it sits on, and a seal that holds because the bowl never moves.
The number that decides which toilet fits
Every toilet is made for a set distance between the finished wall behind it and the center of the drain in the floor. That distance is the rough-in. Most houses use twelve inches. Some older ones were plumbed at ten or fourteen, and a toilet built for twelve will not sit right on either. It ends up standing off the wall with a gap, or it will not fit against the wall at all, and neither problem can be fixed once the toilet is bought.
Checking it takes a tape measure. Measure from the wall itself, not the baseboard, to the middle of the bolts that hold the old toilet to the floor. That figure is the one to shop with. Norman is happy to take it over the phone, or to measure when he comes out if you prefer.
Bowl shape and height come next. An elongated bowl suits most adults better but reaches further into the room, which matters in a tight half bath. A comfort height bowl sits nearer to chair height and is easier on knees and hips, though small children and shorter adults sometimes prefer a standard one. Low-flow models are fine as long as the design clears in one flush. A bowl that needs flushing twice has saved no water.
How the new one goes down
Old one out, drain plugged
The old toilet is drained, unbolted and lifted away, and the open drain gets plugged so sewer gas stays out of the house while the floor is looked over.
A look at the flange
On a slab the flange is set into the concrete around the drain. If it is cracked, loose or sitting too low under new tile, it gets repaired or raised before anything else happens.
Fresh bolts and seal
New closet bolts go in with a new wax ring or a wax-free seal. An old ring is never reused, because once it has been squashed flat it will not seal a second time.
Level, tight and still
The bowl is set level and tightened evenly so it cannot rock. One that shifts even slightly breaks its seal, and the water that escapes runs under the flooring instead of across it.
A new stop and line
The old shutoff comes off and a quarter-turn stop goes on with a braided supply line. A valve left untouched for years is the one most likely to fail on the day you finally need it.
Hauled off, tested
The old toilet leaves on the truck, the floor around the new one is wiped clean, and it gets flushed several times while Norman watches the base and the tank for any sign of water.
Doing a half bath all at once
A powder room is small enough that the toilet and the sink tend to be replaced together, and doing both in one job is usually the sensible way to go.
With both fixtures out, the floor can be retiled without cutting around a toilet base, and both shutoffs get changed at the same time. If the new sink hangs on the wall, its drain and supply are set inside the wall first, the toilet goes down once the floor is finished, and the sink is hung last. Planned in that order, the plumbing is one visit on either side of the tile work instead of three separate calls.
A half bath is also where an odd rough-in turns up most often, especially one added to a house after it was first built, so measure before the new toilet is ordered. In older Denton houses the drain under that room is usually the same cast iron as the rest of the house, and a slow drain there is worth mentioning when you call.
Sinks, vanities and moving fixtures are covered on the Denton bathroom plumbing page. Pictures of finished rooms from other jobs are in the gallery.
When the old toilet is trying to tell you something
Plenty of toilets get replaced when they only needed a repair, and a few get repaired over and over when they should have been replaced years ago.
A toilet that keeps running between flushes usually needs a flapper or a fill valve, which is a small job on the toilet repair side. A toilet that rocks is another matter. The movement has probably broken the seal already, and if the floor around the base feels soft or the flooring has stained, water has been getting under it for a while. That calls for the toilet to come up and the floor to be checked, whether the same toilet goes back down or a new one does.
A cracked tank or bowl, a toilet that clogs every week, or one so old that parts are hard to find are all good reasons to replace it outright. Norman will tell you which of those you are looking at, and if a repair will do the job, that is what you will hear.
Call (940) 231-5706 to talk it over, or send the details along with your rough-in measurement. The full service is on the toilet installation page, and the rest of what A+ does in town is on the Denton page.
Other work A+ does in Denton
Water Heater Replacement: worn tanks swapped out.
Sewer Line Replacement: cast iron and clay, replaced.
Pipe Replacement: galvanized and poly, repiped.
Bathroom Plumbing: remodels, vanities, shutoffs.
Everything else in town is on the Denton page, and the toilet installation page has the full write up on this job wherever you are.
Questions about putting in a new toilet
How do I know what rough-in my toilet needs?
Measure from the finished wall behind the toilet, not the baseboard, to the center of the bolts holding it to the floor. Twelve inches is by far the most common. Ten or fourteen shows up in some older houses, and the new toilet has to be bought to match whatever number you get.
Can you reuse my old wax ring or supply line?
No. A wax ring is pressed into shape the first time a toilet is set and will not seal properly again. The supply line and shutoff are small parts next to the damage a failed one can cause, so both are replaced with every new toilet Norman puts in.
Is a comfort height toilet worth it?
For most adults, yes, and especially for anyone with sore knees or hips, because the seat sits closer to the height of a chair. Small children and shorter adults can find a standard height easier. Sit on one in a showroom before you decide, since you will use it every day.
My toilet rocks a little. Is that a problem?
It is worth dealing with soon. A rocking toilet breaks the seal underneath, and a little water from each flush can work its way under the floor and do damage slowly. Sometimes tightening and shimming is enough, but usually the toilet has to come up so the flange can be checked.
Do you take the old toilet away?
Yes. The old toilet goes with Norman when he leaves, along with the packaging from the new one, and the floor around the base gets cleaned up. You are left with a working toilet and nothing to drag out to the curb for trash day.
Can I buy the toilet myself and have you install it?
Yes, as long as it matches your rough-in. Send the model number before you buy if you want it checked first, and Norman can point you toward designs that clear well in one flush. Either way, you get the quote for the installation before he starts.
Recommended for any job
The owner, Norman, is such a great guy and takes care of his customers. I completely recommend A+ for any job, they are very professional and reasonably priced.
Start with a phone call
Measure from the wall to the bolts, give me that number, and I will tell you which toilets will fit before you spend anything.