# At the risk of getting my *ss handed to me...



## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

Just finishing up a remodel for a client and went to install the toilet last night. It's a standard 12" rough-in Kohler Memoirs. Problem is, the flange is 14-1/2" from the back wall, house built in the 40's. I set the toilet over the flange and then balanced the tank on it just to check and was looking at about a 6-8" gap between the back of the tank and the wall. Obviously, I didn't install it. Customer is very pissed off, mainly at herself, she selected and bought the toilet at HD. The kitchen/bath guy told her that all the toilets were the same RI. 

My question is this. Even if I get her a 14" RI toilet, isn't that only going to get me 2" closer to the wall? I told her that I thought the only option was to get a pro plumber in there and relocate the flange. She won't hear of it. Doesn't want to tear up the new marble I just finished setting.

Are there other options or is moving the hole the only one?


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## JonM (Nov 1, 2007)

Pics would help...can you build out the wall behind the toilet?


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## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

Theoretically, yes. But I also tiled the walls with the same marble. If she won't accept breaking a couple of tiles to move the hole, I'm sure she'd nix the wall build-out.


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## naptown CR (Feb 20, 2009)

with a 14.5" rough in you should be about 2.5 inches or so from the wall.
I bilieve you can get a 14" rough toilet Kohler has it in Wellworth only from what I can see( Not at Homies though) you could also put in an offset flange which would move the toilet back about 2 inches and not disturb the visible part of the marble.


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## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

I appreciate the suggestions. Thank you! If the specs are to be believed, a 14" should work fine, with or without the offset flange.

After having just spent some time on the Kohler site and pulling up their various .pdf schematics, I'm wondering if the one she bought isn't a 10" RI. As I said, the gap is better than 6". According to the specs, a 12" RI should only leave an inch. That would make my gap 3.5", not what I have now.


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

naptown CR said:


> you could also put in an offset flange which would move the toilet back about 2 inches and not disturb the visible part of the marble.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Just tell her that she aint going to see the Broken up tile under the toilet anyway. The set back flange is your best bet and prob the cheapest.


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## JonM (Nov 1, 2007)

Give her one of these....:clap:








​


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

JonM said:


> Give her one of these....:clap:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ahhh ole reliable, the green lid construction toilet, placed inside the lush confines of your trailer doors. If that doesnt suit your fancy its mobile. Works well behind any open truck door or behind any lumber pile.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

JonM said:


> Give her one of these....:clap:


 
I second that. 

She got what she paid for.


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## Plumber_Bill (Jul 23, 2009)

I would assume that the age makes it cast iron pipe.
Have fun cutting off the cast iron and the just look at the pipe in the middle of the flush path. Block, Block and Block some more.
Gerber -- the bowls 10,12,14 are all the same 10" tank is the thinest
12" regular 14"tank is the thickest.


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Dan V. said:


> ... It's a standard 12" rough-in Kohler Memoirs. Problem is, the flange is 14-1/2" from the back wall, house built in the 40's. I set the toilet over the flange and then balanced the tank on it just to check and was looking at about a 6-8" gap between the back of the tank and the wall...


Ya, something's wrong here.

A 12" rough-in toilet on a 12" roughed-in flange sits just 1/4" to 1/2" off the wall. Move that flange out 2 1/2" to 14 1/2" and the tank should be 2 1/2" from the wall, not 6" to 8". Even a 10" rough-in toilet on a 14 1/2" roughed-in flange would only be 4 1/2 " off the wall.

Something's not right.


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## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

> A 12" rough-in toilet on a 12" roughed-in flange sits just 1/4" to 1/2" off the wall. Move that flange out 2 1/2" to 14 1/2" and the tank should be 2 1/2" from the wall, not 6" to 8". Even a 10" rough-in toilet on a 14 1/2" roughed-in flange would only be 4 1/2 " off the wall.
> 
> Something's not right.


My thought exactly! Unfortunately, I'm not back there til Thurs. to investigate this a bit more. It just doesn't make sense. 

In checking further, the Memoirs line doesn't have a 10" rough-in anyway, so that can't be the issue. Also, in case anyone's wondering whether I'm a bigger dumbass than I appear to be, I did check to make sure I correctly placed the base over the flange when dry-fitting. :laughing:

I love the bucket idea. Before I realized how pissed she was, I suggested (since she's a European) that I install a couple of ropes above the flange and she could just pull a hanging aerial like in the old country. That went over like a turd in a punchbowl, no pun intended. :laughing:

Sometimes I need to learn when to STFU.


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## Plumber_Bill (Jul 23, 2009)

Dan V. said:


> My thought exactly! Unfortunately, I'm not back there til Thurs. to investigate this a bit more. It just doesn't make sense.
> 
> In checking further, the Memoirs line doesn't have a 10" rough-in anyway, so that can't be the issue. Also, in case anyone's wondering whether I'm a bigger dumbass than I appear to be, I did check to make sure I correctly placed the base over the flange when dry-fitting. :laughing:
> 
> When you dry fitted this are you sure the tank bolt holes were not over the seat bolt holes. That would allow for the big dimension you are showing ??? ROTFLMAO


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## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

Yeah, very funny, Bill. :laughing:

Gosh, that WOULD 'splain it.


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## Block Plumbing (Jul 24, 2009)

If the toilet flange is 14 1/2 " from the back wall, and you put marbleon the wall as well as I supposed durock, that would give you a rough dimension of 16" from the studs? If thats the case, even a 14" rough toilet would not get you close enough. I usually do 12 1/2" from stud to center for a std toilet. With drywall on it, it leaves about 1/2". Most all Kohler toilets are 1" less from your rough dimension. So the back length of a 12" emoris is 11". Same goes for a 14". So if you are going to use a 14" rough bowl, it will be 13" from the center of the flange. I hope this helps.


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## monkey (Jan 25, 2009)

JonM said:


> Give her one of these....:clap:


She will need more than 1 for the "french flush"


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## ct plumber (Jan 9, 2009)

*why*



Celtic said:


>


Why tear up the flange when you can just buy a 14'' rough toilet to fix the problem?When you rough for a 14" toilet you add an extra 1/2 for sheet rock so you end up with about an inch behind the tank.In order to install that flange you would have to tear up a few tile and depending on the piping you may not have enough room.Cheaper to buy the toilet.:w00t:


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

Ya gotta admit...that is a dam fine shot of an offset flange.


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

Celtic said:


> Ya gotta admit...that is a *damn fine shot *of an offset flange.



It is Soooooooooo Sexy!


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