My toilet bolts are too long!

August 10, 2005 4:29 PM

Where can I get taller than normal toilet bolt caps?

I replaced a toilet today, and when I was done I realized the bolts I used are too long, and the bolt caps won't fit over them. I've tried adding spacers and checked various stores, but have so far I've come up empty. I really don't want to pull the toilet back out and start over with shorter bolts. Does anybody know where I can get taller bolt caps? Or have some other suggestion for how to cover them?

posted by spilon to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

If you are using brass bolts (a good idea as then they won't rust) they are easy to trim to length with a hacksaw.
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 4:43 PM on August 10, 2005

Even steel bolts are relatively easy to trim with a cut-off wheel on a Dremel (or similar) rotary tool.
posted by spacewrench at 4:53 PM on August 10, 2005

I second the hacksaw idea. I've done this myself and it works great. It doesn't really matter what kind of material the bolt is, a good hacksaw with the right blade will cut right through it. The hardest part is maneuvering down there to get the right angle. You might try a smaller hacksaw, which is what I used. The dremel idea is good too, if you have that at your disposal.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:51 PM on August 10, 2005

I say screw the hacksaw idea...chances are space is limited and the sweat and aggravation just isn't worth it. I would rig some kind of shim to fill the space to where the cap misses the toilet. I have used "plumber's putty" inside the caps so they grab onto the bolt and provide a waterproof seal. Heck, I would probably trim some styrofoam to fill the gap...it's white, after all...then "bond" it to the bolth with the putty and slap that cap on there. That'd give me enough time to actually try pissing in the thing instead of worshipping it any further.
posted by SparkyPine at 6:07 PM on August 10, 2005

Some toilet bolts are actually pre-scored at various locations to solve this exact problem. Any chance you have those? Or if not, you don't have to go all the way through with the hacksaw/dremel/whatever -- just score (1/3 of the way?) and snap.
posted by misterbrandt at 6:10 PM on August 10, 2005

You are supposed to hacksaw them off to length after tightening down. Even with steel bolts, it is a quick and easy job. If space is tight, a mini-hacksaw or just a hacksaw blade works well.
posted by LarryC at 7:29 PM on August 10, 2005

Response by poster: Cool -- thanks for the tips, everyone. Space is tight, especially on one side, but I'll go ahead and give the hacksaw a try. And if that doesn't work, well, I have always wanted a Dremel, but never had a reason to buy one. So maybe this is just the ticket!
posted by spilon at 8:32 PM on August 10, 2005