should you, or should you not..caulk around toilet?
 

i been told both. sadly, i've already done it. and i did a great tidy job. around the sink base, not so tidy.

should i leave it exposed to illuminate a potential toilet seal leak?

Actually, on a tile floor I prefer to level it & grout it.

On other flooring we caulk them in.

Heard both ways. Caulked mine ......One was leaked around the wax ring and i didn't know it till I had a home "energy audit" and the guy noticed if from the crawl space....

maybe make some small holes in the caulk so a leak would be more evident from inside the house

Always caulk around toilets and sinks. This is to prevent water from getting under the toilet or should I say if you ever miss, pee will not get under there. You can't clean it. Use Polyseamseal. Have a wet sponge and wipe off excess before it drys. they make them in various colors to match. I use white because it matches the toilet unless yours is a different color.

IMO no, you really want to know if there are any leaks from the wax ring

This is the way to go and it is code in Florida.

+1, no caulk. If you do insist on caulking, let it get a fat a$$ first.

On a slab foundation it's OK. On a wood floor it's asking for more trouble than you can imagine. Dry rot is a misnomer. Wood has to get wet to dry rot. The longer it goes undetected the worse it gets.

Caulk or grout is for support. Toilets will move about on the floor and weaken the wax seal if not supported properly. I use wedges first (after the fat a$$ ;)).

Did you know that you can buy a specific torque wrench for closet bolts? You will when you break a toilet base!

You should.

I say no caulk. When the wax seal starts to leak you want to know it before the floor under the toilet rots.

I caulked the front and sides and left the back open so water could leak there and not get trapped behind the caulk...

I'm firmly in the "No" camp.

Sometimes inspectors want to see them caulked. If so, just the front where they can see, NEVER all the way around.

This is the correct answer.


KT

I've always caulked mine in rhe front and sides, but nit in hardwoods. It just doesn't look right.

So there's your answer. Take your pick.

hahhaha.,

i opened up the area in back..

I have a concrete slab floor with Porcelain tile on top. I have the toilets caulked. The original toilets from the builder were caulked.

On a wood floor, only caulk the front part if you like the look of it.

Always... I mean never...

I caulk around mine... but just because I love saying caulk.... caulk, caulk, caulk...