Blitz Week: Toilet Trouble

I took the entire week off work, and we spent 6 straight days at KnArrow Haus attempting to get things far enough along to have a clear view to the finish line -- the final electrical and occupancy inspections.

Everything takes longer than planned, attributable to various combinations of naiveté, cockeyed optimism. inexperience, and stupidity.

DAY 1

We opened the first of four identical toilet boxes only to find a black, 2-piece toilet -- not the white one-piece toilets we had ordered. Returned all 4. Grumbled. 

Left: What we ordered. Middle: What we received. Right: What we ended up with.

DAY 2

Picked up 3 in-stock toilets at Big Box store and hauled them back up to the cabin. Due to some irregularities in my plumbing roughin last year, poor selection of toilet rough-ins, and inexperience, the flanges were set too high and the bolts slots were out of place. I bought several different solutions intended to fix the out of place bolts slots, but any solution would add too much height to the flange. Head scratching. Returns at the Big Box store. 

DAY 3

Overnight inspiration on how to deal with the rough-in flanges that are a little too high: Cut notches with my oscillating multitool in to the sides of the toilet flange rings to receive the toilet bolts. I used the new waxless toilet rings that allow you to reset the toilet as many times as needed. Nice. Placed the toilet in the main floor water closet. Hooked up the supply hose. Turned on the water. Squirted in the face by a faulty supply hose. Mop-up. Luckily, I bought an extra hose. Second supply hose worked fine. Caulked the bottom of the toilet with silicone. Same process with the master bedroom toilet. But it rocked after setting it, so it had to wait another day for some plastic shims and caulk to cover them.

DAY 4

Shimmed and caulked the master toilet. Rock solid. Works great.

Prolog

I'm waiting to set the toilet in the upper floor toilet room because I need to get a ladder in that small toilet room to run the sprial pipe for the ventilation connecting the shower room, master bath, and toilet room; and to hookup the relay switch for the upper floor heating. 

I'm waiting on the bottom floor toilet until the tile guy is done grouting. And, we realized early in the week that we had some space issues in the downstairs bathroom, so we needed to refigure sizes before purchasing the toilet.

Now, I just need to remember that I don't have to pee in the bushes anymore. Old habits die hard.