Does A Toilet Need To Be Level? : Here’s Our Thought

When you remodel or install a new toilet in your washroom, you need to consider a few things. One of the most important considerations is the leveling of the toilet. In fact, many people ask us, “Does a toilet need to be level?”

People ask it since they often find uneven toilet surfaces or unlevelled toilet surfaces. Also, a wobbling seat can be uncomfortable.

Ideally, a toilet must be level to ensure better stability and prevent wobbliness. Although an unleveled toilet can still perform properly with little wobbling, it is not recommended. The constant wobbling due to uneven installation will rock back and forth or sideways. It will affect the toilet flange and wax seal, and their lifespan will reduce severely.

Does a Toilet Need To Be Level

When you install a toilet, your key concern is to ensure maximum comfort and long-lasting service from the toilet.

Therefore, you ensure that the toilet is level and doesn’t rock sideways or back and forth. When an installed toilet is unleveled, the following things can happen-

1. When you sit on the toilet, the seat will wobble. So, your time for natural calls will be uncomfortable, and this is the last thing you would want, am I right?
2. When the toilet isn’t level, its flange and wax seal will not find the required steadiness. So, it will rock viciously, which promotes leaks around the seal and toilet flange area.

It would help if you remembered that a leaky toilet is highly unhygienic. When the wax seal or the toilet base leaks, waste might go through it, which is disastrous. Some major problems of a leaky and uneven toilet include:

1. A leaky toilet will leak water through its base or wax seals. But the water will contain waste and filth. At times, you will be overwhelmed with the bad odor too. Thus, it is unhygienic.
2. When the toilet is uneven, it will wobble continuously. Since a toilet is a heavyweight item, its continuous wobbling will damage the floor around it. It will further damage the surrounding floor joist as well. If you don’t treat the damaged floor joist around the toilet, it might eventually damage the entire floor of your toilet. And it is a costly repair job.
3. Unless your toilet is in the basement, the leaks on the toilet due to unlevelled installation will damage the ceilings underneath it. For instance, if the uneven toilet is on the fourth floor, it might damage the ceilings of the third floor due to wobbling and waste leakage.

That’s why for maintaining hygiene and ensuring the safety of your home, you must install the toilet on a level surface.

https://youtu.be/6TDP7ia29nU

Does a toilet need to be level side to side?

Yes, it would be best to level the toilet side by side. If any part of the toilet is uneven, it will wobble. Thus, you will face the same consequences described in the previous section. Therefore, you must ensure that the toilet is leveled sideways to ensure safety and hygiene.

Why A Toilet Is Uneven?

When you install a toilet, it should be level. But due to the carelessness of the plumber, it could be installed unleveled. Also, due to years of use, the toilet base may suddenly become unleveled. Whatever may be the reason, a few factors control these causes. These are:

• An uneven floor is the main reason for an unleveled toilet. In older homes, it was a common incident in the old days; there was no proper leveling equipment for homes.
• Due to years of use and lack of proper maintenance, the bolts of the toilet may get loose. It also makes the toilet unlevelled.
• The toilet flange installation can sometimes be uneven, resulting in an uneven toilet. The flange must be installed on top of the toilet floor, not underneath it. Also, ensure that the toilet flange is in good condition and that the bolts have securely held the flange.

What to Do With an Unleveled Toilet?

When you find that the toilet isn’t level, you need to find the exact reason for it. Sadly, it isn’t as easy as you might think. Firstly, you have to remove the toilet safely from the floor. You must ensure that you don’t damage the floor during the process.

Once you have removed the toilet, you need to inspect it for leakage. Ideally, you should check the wax sealing closely. Then, check the toilet flange also. If you find any problem, you need to fix it before reinstalling the toilet safely.

You must understand that a toilet is both e heavyweight and a hefty investment. Thus, you need to complete the process pretty carefully. That’s why we recommend you to call a reputed plumber and ask him to level the toilet safely.

A professional plumber will cost around $60 to $250, depending on the damages of the toilet floor, fixing requirements, and the time he needs to solve the problem to level the toilet adequately. Although it is a high cost, it is worth the investment. It will save you from future repair and replacement of the entire toilet floor, which can easily go beyond $1000.

Final Words

A wobbling and uneven toilet may quickly lead to costly repairing and even make the surrounding unhygienic. Therefore, an unlevelled toilet is truly unacceptable. If you find any wobbling or unevenness, you must fix the problem ASAP. It will save you from costly repair later. You may call a professional plumber and ask him to do the job accurately.