Fixing a toilet to tiled floor

[Millwright]

I've got a toilet to fix into the floor, the thing is instead of the screws fixing into a bracket which would be fixed into the floor, it uses two screws which go into the floor at an angle. I won't be able to get a drill in from one side because the drill would touch the wall before the correct angle is acheived.

I've heard some people seat the toilets down on a bed of sealant instead....any advice? Thanks.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Any reason you can't rough-fit the loo, mark the holes, pull loo out of the way then drill?
Silicon is good but not that good, if you use anything more serious (gripfill etc) you'll be in bother if you ever need to pull the loo out to sort a blockage

 

[Millwright]

I won't be able to get a drill in from one side because the drill would touch the wall before the correct angle is achieved.
So if I did, I'd only be able to get the one screw in......

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I won't be able to get a drill in from one side because the drill would touch the wall before the correct angle is achieved.
So if I did, I'd only be able to get the one screw in......

You not got a 90 degree adaptor for yr drill? Massive faff using it with the loo in situ, easy when it's out of the way .

 

[CBW]

What about an angled drill bit driver?

 

[Millwright]

You not got a 90 degree adaptor for yr drill? Massive faff using it with the loo in situ, easy when it's out of the way .

No, don't have one, not sure how it'd get on with porcelain tiles.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Start the hole in the tile vertically, once you're through the glaze put some angle in. Use a bigger drill than you really need so the screws dot touch the tile. What's under the tiles- wood or concrete?

 

[Millwright]

The difficulty is with a diamond tile drill, they can't be driven in at an angle, you'll not get it to hold its position. I wonder if it's worth me trying to make a bracket up instead.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

The difficulty is with a diamond tile drill, they can't be driven in at an angle, you'll not get it to hold its position. I wonder if it's worth me trying to make a bracket up instead.

So drill the hole in the tile oversize and vertical. Then use a bit suitable for whatever is under the tile.
Or make a guide block for your tile drill

 

[oldbuffer]

1. As oldbutnotdead says, start vertical then put an angle on. Move it over to angle gently and hole will stay where you want it.
2. Its a pretty shallow angle but you will need either a right angle drill or a suitable adaptor.
3. Diamond drill (presumably 6mm) needs a fast speed. Mains drill better than a battery one. In porcelain, bits don't last more than a few holes unless water cooled.
4. Make sure you know there are no pipes / underfloor heating where the holes go .

 

[Madrab]

Silicone is not advised, it's a hit 'n' miss approach where some are fine and others lift over time.

Can you give us a pic of what the challenge is, a diamond tile drill can be started straight then angled to the the correct position and I can't visualise why there would be a wall in the way of the drill given how far a pan would normally need to be away from any wall, to give the correct clearance.

 

[Millwright]

The pan is far enough away from the wall. But when you add the length of the drill at an angle, the back of the drill will touch the wall before you've got the correct angle.

I'll put a photo up later if I get a chance.

 

[Madrab]

How much angle do you think you need? What's below the tile? if it's wooden flooring then all you need to do is drill a large enough hole in the tile to accommodate the screw at whatever angle it needs to be.

If you're into concrete and need to use a plug then don't think about it as getting the screw perfectly square into the hole unless you are using old school large brass screws and no sleeves. If you use a fitting kit then it'll come with sleeves and S/S screws therefore the angle isn't as critical to get the pan secure, that with a little silicone to finish it off and stop any rocking from an uneven pan/floor, then it should be fine.

 

[Millwright]

Sorry chaps for coming back to this later. I managed to do it actually. What I did was by leaving the toilet in place, I wrapped lots of masking tape around the shank of the drill to help act as a guide inside the hole in the base of the pan. I just about managed to have the room on the right hand side, but I did it.