What do you know about the wax rings on toilets? It’s a very sexy topic, I know.
I recently had two different clients whose inspectors found leaking toilets. In fact, one of the leaks had spread underneath both the bathtub and the surrounding ceramic tile floor. And the seller refused to handle that repair, so my buyer inherited this problem.
This turned out to be a $10,000 repair job!
Do you know how much a new wax ring around that toilet would have cost? About $8. If that seller had replaced the wax ring when needed, the entire $10,000 repair job could have disappeared. Good thing my buyer is planning to do some remodeling in the future, but he still had to spend $2,500 to repair just the minimum damage. “Wouldn’t you spend $8 to save $10,000?” So this led me to do some research on toilet maintenance (yeah, it’s a glamorous job being your Realtor resource!). After all, it’s hard to notice a leak when it’s under ceramic tile. What I found is that a properly installed wax ring should protect for 10 to 20 years. So even if all seems well but it has been 10 or 12 years, pick a day. Drain the toilet and replace the wax ring, because it doesn’t cost much at all.
And do it right! Failing to install a wax ring properly can be just as expensive as having it fail on its own. Further, it can also cause dangerous sewer gas to enter your home.That ring connects the toilet to the floor, acting like a caulking that keeps water and sewer gas from leaking out. But even if you want to hire a professional to ensure it’s done completely correctly, it will only cost you a couple hundred bucks, instead of $10,000! It’s not worth the risk!
If you notice any issue with your floor, take care of it quickly. $8? or $10,000? I know which one I’d rather leave in my pocket.
If you have more questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
