Expert: Dana Bostick - 10/31/2009

Question
Hi Dana,
We have a very small bathroom which we redid when we bought the house 20 years ago.  Shortly after we were done I noticed that the new toilet seemed to be a few inches farther from the wall than it was before.  Being a very narrow bathroom we can use all the space we can get.  Someone suggested that maybe we bought the wrong size toilet which caused it to be farther from the wall than it should be.  I thought that they were all the same and maybe the flange was put too far from the wall when the house was built.  What do you think?  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Jeff,
There actually is a size for toilets.  It's called the "rough in" size.  They come in 10", 12" and 14" rough. Most common these days is the 12". The 14" is used as a replacement for an old school remote tank toilet which was bigger/deeper front to back. The physical size of toilets vary as well.  Some are round front and some are elongated.

The rough in I'm referring to is the distance from the rear stud wall face (not the finish face) to the center of the closet ring.  If you install a 12" rough on a ring that is roughed in at 14" you will have a 1-1/2" to 2" gap behind the toilet tank. I think that's what has happened here.  The only correction in your case is to move the closet ring back.  Not an easy job usually. It will leave a gap in the flooring at the front of the ring and the cast iron closet arm is NOT easy to cut.  This is something best left to a pro with the proper tools and knowhow.
Good Luck,
Dana