Toilet Wax Ring

[aspenmathew]

I am trying to swap out an old toilet and I got it off no problem, but now looking down that flange there's a gross wax ring situation and the subfloor around it looks soft.

What am I even looking at here?

[floorman]

Soft subfloor around the flange means water's been getting under that wax ring for a while, probably a long while.

First figure out how far the soft spot goes — press around it, mark the boundary.

Small area, you can dig it out and patch with some exterior-grade plywood cut to fit, screwed down, then a new wax ring (or a wax-free gasket, easier to work with) and reset the flange if it's cracked.

Bigger soft area, you're looking at replacing a section of subfloor, that's a different job than a toilet swap and you should know that before you go further.

Don't just set a new toilet on rotten wood and call it done — it'll be back in your lap in six months. Cardboard shim trick works to build up a slightly low flange while you're at it, snip pieces of a cereal box to the right thickness under the flange ring.