Now that you’ve got the toilet base installed, you’re in the home stretch.  You’ll find this part to be a real breeze, even for the most novice handiperson.

Your base should look something like this:

You see those holes?  Well, now all you’ve got to do is lift the tank and fit it into the holes.  All toilets are different, so make sure to read your instructions on fitting any necessary padding (provided in your kit, of course), et cetera., before you start bolting things down.  Also, make sure you have a bubble level handy - it’s VERY important to keep your tank as close to level as possible!

With the toilet tank seated on top of the bowl, you can now attach the supply line and turn on the water:

Great Caesar’s ghost - you’re about 90% finished!

If you’re anything like me, you want to see your tank fill up - I even snapped a picture:

So obviously, you’ll need to put the tank cover on, but go ahead and give it a test flush — it’s always nice to see your hard work in action! With everything installed properly, it’s now time to bolt the seat to the tank.  Again, this is *very* straightforward, but reference your toilet seat instructions, just in case there are any pitfalls or odd directions.

Your mileage may vary, but the toilet will look a little something like this:

So now that you’ve removed the old toilet, you’re ready to prep the area for the new commode.  The biggest potential problem you’re faced with is the mess the old wax ring left behind when you lifted up the old toilet.  This isn’t a problem — just grab a putty knife or five-in-one tool and get to work!  Make sure to scrape the area clean so the new wax ring seats properly on the new toilet.

Yes, that’s our waste stack. And yes, it’s very old. And rusty. But it’s clean!

I know I’ve been saying this the whole time, but you’re really close to wrapping this procedure up - you’ll just have to trust me!

With your toilet’s waste stack clean as a whistle, it’s time to turn the new toilet bowl upside-down on a towel or bathmat (so you don’t scrape/scratch/ding the porcelain) and seat the new wax ring.  Push firmly - but not too firmly - and you’re set.  Now head back over to the waste stack and make sure your bolts are still standing tall.  If not, your toilet kit should have come with new bolts, so install ‘em.

Fitting the wax ring

You’re now ready to lift the bowl back to an upright position (but careful not to get the wax seal all over the floor!) and set it down gently over the bolts and waste stack.  Since you’re now positioned over the waste stack, you can start tightening the nuts and bolt the toilet to the floor.

So you’ve made the decision to install a new toilet. Great!  But there’s one problem - you need to remove your existing toilet first.  Don’t fret - it’s actually very easy and should only take you about 15 - 20 minutes, tops.

The first step in removing your old toilet is to shut off the water supply to the tank, then flush to empty the tank.  There are some tricks to help you get the remaining water out of the tank, and odds are you have one in your kitchen - a sponge suddenly becomes a multi-purupose utility!

After you’ve sponged out the remaining water, you’re almost there.

The next step is to remove the wing nuts that attach the toilet tank to the bowl.  That was easy, right?  Now remove the supply line from the wall to the toilet tank and you’re ready to remove the bowl from the tank.

Again, congratulations - you’re oh-so-close to having your old toilet removed.

Finally, pop the caps at the base of the toilet to expose the nuts and unscrew ‘em.  If your toilet is caulked to the floor, use a utility knife to cut the caulk for some super-easy removal.  You can now safely remove the toilet from the floor and either repurpose it, or make life hell for your garbage collector.

First, a little housekeeping - I apologize for not being very active on the blog this month. There are some really cool things happening with my family (that I’m not really at liberty to divulge at the moment for fear of spousal backlash) that’s kept me away from the computer and not very active in things that I enjoy doing on a semi-regular basis.  I’m also wrapping up a second degree program and have been bogged down writing papers and doing a massive research project.

Excuses are a-plenty, but I do apologize.

One project that my wife and I recently embarked on that had “oh, yeah - this is totally blogable” written all over it was our upstairs bathroom toilet replacement.  The previous owners of the house had installed a somewhat horrible, small, round bowl-shaped toilet that used an awful lot of water per flush and just wasn’t very good looking.  We got the gumption when walking through our local hardware store to check out toilets and made an impulse buy.  Like it or not, we were installing a new toilet.

This series will walk you through how to remove your old toilet and install a new one.  Believe it or not, it’s not that difficult.  In fact, the hardest part is lugging the stupidly-heavy toilet from the store to your house.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

Our elderly neighbor feeds the birds.  And while I do not like them dive bombing our patio and dirtying up (read: pooping on) our furniture, I do like to see some prettier birds from time to time.

I had seen a couple hummingbird feeders during walks around the neighborhood, so I decided to try to attract some to my kitchen window.  I did not want a plastic, fruit shaped feeder, so I decided to get the BirdBrained Snow Cone feeders.

They are made from recycled glass, which is much more attractive than the typical clear plastic cylinder.  The feeders are made from recycled glass, so there is some variation in coloration, but the swirls add nice dimension to the feeder.  The suction cups are big enough to be sturdy but small enough to not interfere with the feeder or view out the window.

The feeding flowers come out easily to clean (and sugar water does attract some creatures less desirable than hummingbirds) and refill the reservoir.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

I will admit it, I am a giant weather nerd.  I have to watch the weather reports every newscast, even if I just saw it an hour before.  And since spring weather is so volatile, I need something to let me know what the temperature is without being glued to the TV.  Basically, I need to know if I should blow dry my hair in the morning.

We set up the LaCrosse Wireless Temperature Station in our office.  The outdoor sensor is on our covered (away from rain and sun) patio, about 10 feet from the base.  As long as the instructions are followed carefully, there should not be a problem setting the device up.  I can pop in to check the outdoor temperature before I get in the shower.  It is also great for deciding if I need to rush my morning routine because I will need to scrape the frost off my car.  It may not be bang-on accurate, but as long as you are not operating an official weather station, you can get a good idea of outdoor temperature.  If you plan on using the outdoor sensor year round and live in a cold climate, try using lithium ion batteries – they work better in the cold.

Occasionally my wife enjoys to write reviews of products she uses - this is one of those posts. Enjoy!

No matter how much mulch and how many yards of garden fabric, we still get weeds in our planting beds.  And, as everyone knows, weeding is not fun.  I have been pretty laisser faire about it in the past (sometimes weeds have nice flowers!) but not this year.  So far this spring I have spent more time pulling up than planting.

I do not have to tell anyone that it can be murder on your back and knees to spend that much time hunched over a planting bed.  After one weekend, I bought the Folding Garden Kneeler to save my joints.  It can be used as either a kneeler or as a seat.  I use the kneeler when I need to get more towards the back of the area I’m working on.  I also use it in the kneeler position when I want to stay dry and clean but still sit close to the ground.  The handles really do make it easier to get up – no matter how young you are, sitting in one spot for too long makes standing an adventure.  The seat height is great for lighter work and planting.  Even a foot difference makes it easier to see how plants will lay out and look together.  When I am done for the day, I just fold it up and stash it in the garage.