Toilets should be caulked to the floor to prevent side to side movement that can break the wax seal and to prevent splashes or overflows from puddling under the toilet and rotting the floor.
Should you caulk a toilet to the floor.
On some floors this may result in damage if removed improperly.
Doing this would cause more harm than good.
Yes the bathroom is a place to get clean but it can easily be a place to trap some pretty foul smells.
You may not agree but trust us you re going to want to.
In any regard caulking gives an extra sense of security.
It s not done to prevent water from leaking around the base.
It may also stain or leave smear marks if applied improperly which can be difficult to remove without damaging the floor s surface.
There are two key reasons for caulking the toilet to the floor.
If you have a toilet that is leaking around the base see the article fixing a toilet leaking at the base.
Caulking around the base can help secure your toilet to the floor.
You want to fix the leak as soon as possible to avoid further damage.
After caulking the bathroom wet your finger and run it along the bead of caulking to remove any extra caulk.
First you want your toilet to look like it belongs there.
Reasons for caulking the toilet base.
Caulking around a toilet is usually done to hide the gap between the toilet s base and the floor for cosmetic reasons or to prevent odor leakage.
While you should have bolts to do this sometimes they can become loose overtime.
Cut the caulk tube tip square and drag the caulk gun toward you as you lay in a thick bead of caulk along the inside edge of the tape.
If you don t caulk a toilet to the floor you could find yourself smelling leftover residue from smelly mop water tub water.