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I am carpeting a bathroom and would like to determine the finished floor height so I can get the toilet flange raised up as necessary to ensure that the fixture is stable and that it won't leak.

How do I determine what the finished floor height of a carpeted room will be? Do I simply add 1/2" if I'm planning on 1/2" padding beneath the carpet?

How does one accommodate the fact that carpet and pad will compress on installation of the bowl and additionally over time? <-- This was a very silly statement, as has been called out by many people. It wasn't really my intent to put the toilet on the carpet, but to have the carpet installed around the bowl. Despite 3 attempts to proof read prior to posting, I still managed to leave that in there.

PLEASE DO NOT WASTE TIME TELLING ME THAT I SHOULDN'T CARPET A BATHROOM.

This is a battle that has already been lost and it is not one that I'm willing to get divorced over, as that would be the only possible outcome to a non-carpeted bathroom.

FreeMan
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    Do think carpet under a toilet is not a good idea. If you must use(wife says so) carpet, would cut it out to fit the toilet base. Carpet and padding would give too much for a solid fit. Hopefully no one checks if the carpet goes under the toilet. – crip659 Jan 28 '23 at 15:42
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    Yeah, put a solid fill cut to the toilet base shape in a toilet base shaped hole in the carpet and pad. **That** is your floor height for the toilet install, and will avoid the moving toilet breaking the wax seal and leaking into the carpet. Or, put the toilet directly on the floor in a toilet-base-shaped hole in the carpet and pad. Or (major work) change to a wall-hung toilet that flushes out the back and does not touch the floor. – Ecnerwal Jan 28 '23 at 15:49
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    While you *can* carpet a bathroom, toilets don't go on carpet. – Mazura Jan 28 '23 at 16:45
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    Happy wife, happy life. – Aloysius Defenestrate Jan 28 '23 at 20:34
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    FWIW, my parents laid carpet tiles in the bathroom when I was a kid. They survived OK. You just don't want deep-pile carpets (which won't dry quickly and will go mouldy), you can't use underlay (moisture underneath it creates a perfect breeding ground for mould), and it *must* be 100% artificial fibre or it'll rot. Also a mat around the toilet to catch splashes is essential (and needs regular washing). – Graham Jan 29 '23 at 11:09
  • We've had carpet in our existing bathroom for 20+ years. Despite raising 3 kids from birth through HS in this bathroom, there are minimal signs (on the surface, at least) of any significant damage. We'll find out for sure in a couple of years when we remodel this bathroom... – FreeMan Jan 29 '23 at 13:55
  • "what the finished floor height of a carpeted room *will be*" - no. But after it's in, **standing on a piece of plywood to smash the pile down**, then you could make a mark on the wall where the top of a heavy cabinet would be, if that's what you're after and the only reason I can think of to need to know what 'height that floor is'. That's a finish treatment and has nothing to do with the plumber, or any other trade. - Do we have cold feet or are we just tried of breaking glass jars? **One-up them by doing a heated tile floor. Carpet can always come later**. – Mazura Jan 29 '23 at 18:06

2 Answers2

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The finished floor height will be the height of the floor without carpet and pad. The toilet gets installed first. Then carpet and pad trimmed around the base of the toilet. ( Haven't had a carpeted bath here in Fla. but when I was in Ohio it was nice on the feet on cold mornings....no judgement here.)

RMDman
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  • Thank you. This was my assumption and plan, but I'd seen a comment on another question and it got me wondering if I should raise the base of the toilet to accommodate the depth of the carpeting. – FreeMan Jan 28 '23 at 15:58
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Most of the time, bathrooms are carpeted after the fittings, including the toilet, are already in. With a good fitter, you won't see any difference, and when comes the time to change the carpet, which will happen, it's far easier to take up the old, often rotten, or soggy one.

So, mount the pan straight to the floor, and fit the carpet round it. That way, it's onto something more solid, and won't tend to move about as everything settles, too. Even use underlay if you wish, why not?

Tim
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