ᐅ Toilet height too high – should it be lowered or left as is?

Good morning,

I was convinced by my plumber and builder to have the toilets installed higher than the “standard” height. However, it seemed like this higher installation is now actually quite common.

Now, the screed layer in the upstairs bathroom was done incorrectly. Somehow, it ended up lower than planned. This only became apparent relatively late. We are already living in the house and quickly noticed that the toilet on the ground floor is fine (although it still feels odd since we’re not used to the height from our old rental apartment). But upstairs, the toilet is definitely too high. My wife can barely place her feet on the floor.

My builder mentioned there is a so-called “patch set” that can be used to raise the toilet even higher. He immediately called his regular plumber, who confirmed this and even said it’s better this way because it’s less prone to clogging. I didn’t quite understand this, but okay.

I then called the plumber I hired specifically for heating and sanitary work and explained the situation. At first, he acted like I was talking nonsense but said he would look into it. He contacted two manufacturers (Grohe and another one), but they said it wasn’t possible. He still wanted to check with Villeroy & Boch since my toilet and wall-hung frame are from that brand.

That was a week ago. Unfortunately, he’s somewhat unreliable.

Is there anyone here familiar with this or who has experienced a similar problem? Is this “patch set” actually a thing? Or are there other, possibly better solutions?

Let it settle down

There are these patch kits that are used to compensate for differences in height. I believe they can handle up to 25mm (1 inch). Whether they are suitable for your specific situation can only be determined on site, but basically, they should be appropriate for this purpose. I think they are mostly used to raise something, but they should also work the other way around. The only potential issue might be with the holes for the threaded rods, depending on where the toilet is mounted and how much space is available there.

The problem could be that the holes might be visible afterward. The mounting points are not always far from the top edge, but that’s something you need to check. Otherwise, the patch kit should be just right.

If your toilet is installed too high, lowering it is not possible without significant effort. The only solution would be to build a platform. Alternatively, you would need to remove everything (tiles, etc.) and install the wall-hung frame unit lower.

@KlausiMausi Yes, that is the plan. The question is just how to do it.

@Mycraft Why do you think it won’t work the way @cschiko described?

I would like to slightly revise my response. First, there is the already mentioned issue that the threaded rods might not fit properly and could be visible. Secondly, take a look at the adapter piece for the drain; it shifts upwards, which would create an edge inside the drain.

That might work, but it would definitely be a makeshift solution! So, I think the kit for raising the height is fairly acceptable, but using it to lower the height is really a makeshift solution with several drawbacks.