The $3 Shim That Stops a Rocking Toilet - Before It Rots the Floor

In March of 2016, a widow from Danville came to the counter holding a wax ring. Her toilet had rocked a little for a year. It never leaked a drop she could see - and the floor under it rotted anyway. The fix that would have saved her floor costs about four dollars. That's exactly why nobody tells you about it. I'm Walt Brennock. I ran my father's hardware store in Knox County, Ohio, for forty-one years. A toilet that moves is a toilet that leaks. What you'll learn: The seven checks for a rocking toilet, counted down, with real prices When a wobble means a soft floor - and when to stop and call a licensed plumber Why shims level a toilet and bolts only hold it down The free fix to try tonight (number one) The steps: #7 Find out which way it rocks: Sit and shift, push the bowl, flashlight along the base, level across the bowl; side-to-side = uneven floor, sliding = loose bolts #6 Check the floor first: Stains, curling vinyl, thumb and screwdriver test, ceiling below, sewer smell; soft floor = stop and call a licensed plumber #5 Take the caps off and check the bolts: Pry caps off; rusted, bent or spinning closet bolts get replaced; cracked flange = repair ring or plumber (about $4) #4 A plastic shim: Plastic not wood; slide under the low side till snug; trim flush; shims level it, bolts only hold it down (about $3) #3 Caulk the base, leave the back open: Cut out old caulk; thin bead front and sides; leave about an inch open at the back; cure a day (about $6) #2 A new wax ring: Water off, empty, disconnect, lift with a helper, scrape, rag in the drain, new ring, straight down, check for leaks; unsure = plumber (about $5) #1 A quarter turn, tonight: Quarter turn each side, back and forth, stop when it sits still; snug not tight; recheck in a month Chapters: 0:00 No puddle - and a rotten floor anyway 0:32 Why nobody tells you about a $4 fix 0:53 What's coming - and the free one 1:24 A toilet that moves is a toilet that leaks. 1:38 #7 Find out which way it rocks 4:19 #6 Check the floor first 6:42 #5 Take the caps off and check the bolts 8:53 #4 A plastic shim 10:58 #3 Caulk the base, leave the back open 13:01 #2 A new wax ring 16:15 #1 A quarter turn, tonight 18:23 Plain safety 19:57 Why nobody advertises a shim 20:14 Your job this week Plain safety. Never lift a toilet alone. It weighs sixty to a hundred pounds, and porcelain breaks. Don't crank the bolts. Snug is enough. Tight cracks the bowl. Turn the water off at the little valve before you loosen anything. Wear rubber gloves. What's under a toilet isn't clean. A soft floor, a broken flange, or water in the ceiling below: call a licensed plumber. Nobody is hiding anything here. Small parts don't sell themselves, and there's no commercial for a plastic wedge. Your job this week: give your toilet a push tonight, both ways. Which way did yours move? If this helped, subscribe - there's another story from the counter on the way. Next time: the tools every 1960s dad kept in his garage. Buy it once. Fix it right. Hand it down. Sources: Inspect & Test toilet shim guide; HomeTips loose toilet repair; This Old House wobbly toilet; This Old House; HomeTips; The Money Pit; Terry Love plumbing forum; Home Depot listings: DANCO 88523 6-pack, Everbilt 4-pack; Walmart listings: Oatey wax ring with sleeve and bolts; Oatey, How to Replace, Repair & Re-attach Your Toilet; Oatey blog, How to Replace a Toilet Wax Ring; IRC P2705.1. Walt Brennock is a storytelling character. His picture and voice are made with AI; the advice was researched and checked by our editors. Sources are listed above. #ToiletRepair #HomeMaintenance #WaxRing #SeniorTips #HardwareStore #BuyItOnce #WaltBrennock