Cracked Toilet Seat? (Here’s What You Can Do to Fix It)
If you went to use the bathroom, sat down, finished your business, and stood up to find out that you have a cracked toilet seat, you’re not alone. It has happened to the best of us, and it shouldn’t be surprising that you’re here trying to figure out what is the correct way to fix it.
To fix a cracked toilet seat, you can use specialized glue or tape designed for the type of material that your toilet seat was made with. However, it’s better to replace your cracked toilet seat to avoid any possible hazards.
We know how uncomfortable it is to use a toilet with a cracked seat. So, in this article, we will disclose how often a toilet seat cracks, what can you do to fix it, and what to do to avoid your toilet seat from cracking again.
Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
There are many reasons why toilet seats crack, and most of them have to do with the materials, the age, and the usage that they’re given.
To fix it, you can use specialized glue or tape designed for the type of material that your toilet seat was made from.
Make sure to have these tools on hand before fixing your cracked toilet seat:
1. Two-Part Epoxy Adhesive –The perfect glue for the toughest cracks.
2. Heavy-Duty Polyethylene Tape – For sensitive environments.
However, it’s better to replace your cracked toilet seat to avoid any possible hazards.
How Often a Toilet Seat Cracks
Before we get to the details of how to fix your toilet seat, you should know how normal it is for a toilet seat to crack.
Is It Normal for a Toilet Seat to Crack?
Depending on the circumstances in which your toilet seat cracked, it could be the product of a normal occurrence or an accident. However, this shouldn’t happen with newly bought toilet seats, as they’re not supposed to be worn out or damaged.
There is a high probability that if your toilet seat has been many years with you, the material that it was made of has worn out, and therefore it cracked.
However, determining the reason why your toilet seat cracked will also depend on the type of material that it’s made out of.
How Long Should a Toilet Seat Last?
On average, and depending on the type of material that it was made from, a toilet seat should last from five to seven years. Yet, many circumstances could lead to it breaking earlier, just like accidents or another type of damage that the toilet seat received.
The durability of a toilet seat will usually depend on three important aspects:
- The material of the toilet seat
- The quality of the hardware (hinges and nuts)
- The usage that a household gives it
Why a Toilet Seat Cracks
Now that you know the average longevity of a toilet seat, you can now proceed to determine what was the reason for its cracking.
Why Did My Toilet Seat Split?
If someone stood on the toilet seat, or if someone allowed something heavy to fall on top of the toilet seat, then there’s a high probability that this strong impact is what caused it to split. To know a concise answer, you should investigate the matter thoroughly.
Of course, the type of material that your toilet seat has is a huge contributing factor.
For example, a wooden toilet seat could break because of pressure, but a porcelain toilet seat could break because of the years that it’s been used.
Whether it was because your wooden toilet seat retained moisture, or because your plastic toilet seat is worn out, it’s still important to investigate each aspect and discard further possibilities.
Why Does My Toilet Seat Keep Cracking?
If you’ve bought many toilet seats and each one of them cracked, you might want to check essential things like manufacturing defects or weight limits. Sometimes our toilet seats come with defects by default, but other times we may be too heavy to use them.
Certain types of materials could be the culprit behind your toilet seat breaking. For example, lightweight plastic or bad-quality wood can easily break.
Yet, we can’t discard the possibility of the toilet seat taking in too much weight, which can result in it breaking.
You might also enjoy our post on How Much it Costs to Replace a Toilet Seat
How Heavy Do You Have to Be to Crack a Toilet Seat?
On average, most toilet seats are designed to be capable to hold up to 300 to 400 pounds. If you have a family member, or if you weigh above this limit, you might be the culprit behind your toilet seat breaking. Yet, there are options for this.
Now, we’re not saying that your weight is the definitive culprit. It’s better to investigate every reason so you can discard other possibilities, and be able to reach the correct answer to the mystery of your broken toilet seat.
Do Toilet Seats Have a Weight Limit?
Most toilet seats can hold up to 300 to 400 pounds. However, there are special toilet seats that are designed to hold more pounds. If your weight is the culprit behind your cracked toilet seat, you should work on finding a toilet capable to hold 1200 pounds.
Surprisingly enough, toilet seats have a weight limit, and this could be something important to keep in mind if you are considering replacing it.
If you feel safe buying a toilet that can hold more pounds than the average, you should go for it.
You can usually find this information in your toilet’s user manual. Of course, this will depend on the brand that you’re using and the type of toilet that you’re using.
How Do You Stop a Toilet Seat From Cracking?
You can do many things to avoid cracking your toilet seat. First and foremost, you should replace it consecutively and always make sure to take care of it meticulously, avoiding heavy objects or pressure to yield on it continually.
Because toilet seats last around five to seven years, it’s best to always check them and replace them when necessary.
Something important to mention is that, often, we seat on top of the toilet seat lid. This should be strictly avoided because it could cause it to break too.
You might also enjoy our post on How to Fix Cloudy Toilet Water Problems
How To Fix A Broken Toilet Seat
Now that you have an idea about what might’ve caused your toilet seat to crack, you can learn about the things that you can use to fix it.
How Do You Fix a Cracked Toilet Seat?
Fixing a cracked toilet seat is not a hard task, and it can relatively last about three to five minutes. To have a clearer idea bout how to do it, it’s important to keep in mind the material that your toilet seat was made from, whether it is wood, plastic, or foam.
Depending on which type of material your toilet seat was made from, you could either use a special tape or a special glue that is designed for your type of toilet seat material.
You should consider replacing your toilet seat, regardless, since this fix won’t last long.
How Do You Fix a Cracked Plastic Toilet Seat?
There are many useful ways to fix a cracked plastic toilet seat. The best way to do it is to use glue or tape, tightening the crack enough so that the fix can last longer. You can buy these tools anywhere online, or at any store of your preference.
Gluing a plastic toilet seat can be convenient, even though it won’t last long. You have to let the glue set overnight so it can dry well, and hopefully, it will work out conveniently.
How Do You Fix a Cracked Wooden Toilet Seat?
When it comes to a wooden toilet seat, fixing a crack can be more complicated. This is because, since it’s made from wood, there is a high chance that someone can suffer harm from it. It’s better to replace it than to attempt to fix it, but it’s still possible.
You can use a type of glue made specifically for wood materials, and if you’re experienced, do it the same way as you would with any type of wood.
You must also make sure that the cracked parts are correctly bound together to avoid aesthetical mistakes.
When Should I Replace or Repair a Cracked Toilet Seat?
There are many instances in which you might need to replace or repair a cracked toilet seat. The obvious one is when you have a cracked toilet seat that can harm any member of your household. Yet, replacing it can depend on more factors.
Depending on the material of your toilet seat, it can wear out rapidly or slowly. If you have a plastic toilet seat that has been so many years with you, it probably has lost its original color.
In that case, you should consider replacing it.
In other instances, if you have a wooden toilet seat, you might want to consider replacing it if it has acquired enough amount of moisture from using the toilet that can provoke it to rot. This can cause it to retain big amounts of bacteria.
And, even though it’s known that you can’t get directly sick from the loo’s bacteria, it’s still essential to proceed safely when dealing with your bathroom.
Another thing to consider is the hardware, which are the hinges and nuts the seat needs to remain attached.
If the hardware has shown to be damaged or worn out, there is a high chance that it may loosen your toilet seat. In any case, you should consider replacing them as well.
Is It Better to Replace My Cracked Toilet Seat or Repair It?
Replacing or fixing a cracked toilet seat will depend on your preference or needs. If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to replace it at the moment, surely you will prefer to fix it. Yet, it is highly recommended to replace the toilet seat.
The toilet seat’s crack can be a very big pathway for bacteria, so it’s better to replace it entirely if you have the means to do so.
Yet, if you’re on a tight budget, you might want to fix it as quickly as possible to avoid any casualties.
What’s the Best Way to Fix a Cracked Toilet Seat?
The best way to fix a cracked toilet seat is by taping it. Of course, this depends on the type of material your toilet seat is made from, the reason why it cracked, and other things that may have come up after you investigated the possible cause.
Especially when your toilet is made from lightweight or hard plastic, you might want to consider fixing your toilet seat by taping it.
Although, people prefer gluing it together using epoxy Araldite since it can last longer and be more efficient.
What Tools Do I Need to Fix a Cracked Toilet Seat?
To fix a cracked toilet seat, you should have on hand appropriate tape and or glue to repair the crack. If you want to replace the toilet seat altogether, you will need a new toilet seat and a screwdriver.
Usually, the tape that you need is supposed to be a special hard-support one. In addition, if you have a wooden toilet seat, you need to buy wood glue.
For ceramic or porcelain toilet seats, it’s best if you replace them entirely.
You might also enjoy our post on What to do If Your Toilet Seat Won’t Stay Up
Can You Super Glue a Broken Toilet Seat?
Whether or not you can use Super Glue on your broken toilet seat will depend on the type of toilet seat that you have and its materials. If you have a plastic toilet seat, which is what is usually found in most homes, then it can be very convenient.
Yet, even though Super Glue has shown to be effective for these cases, you still have to make sure that the glue you buy is designed specifically for this.
Surprisingly enough, you can even use Krazy Glue for a plastic toilet seat, and it will surely work!
Does Gorilla Glue Work on a Toilet Seat?
Gorilla Super Glue is not recommended for fixing a toilet seat because it’s not waterproof and this will wear out quickly. Instead, you should find a specific tape or waterproof glue that will hold your toilet seat together.
Whenever you buy glue to fix your toilet seat, you have to make sure it’s waterproof because it can get to last longer. At least, until you have enough amount of money to replace your toilet seat.
Can I Glue a Toilet Seat?
There are some toilet seats that you can get to glue, but there are others that might need complete replacement. The reason for this depends on the material of the toilet seat that you have in your home.
For example, if you have a porcelain or ceramic toilet seat, it’s better to replace it rather than fixing it.
Usually, the best types of toilet seats to glue are either made from plastic or wood. Even then, you should consider replacing it to avoid causing harm to someone.
What’s the Best Glue for Fixing a Cracked Toilet Seat?
There are multiple options for the best glues that can fix your cracked toilet seat. You must keep in mind that this glue has to be made specifically for the material of your toilet seat, lest it won’t work the way it’s intended to.
Some of the best glues for fixing a cracked toilet seat are:
Also, if you have a toilet seat made from ceramic or porcelain, you can use a two-part epoxy that can work to fix the cracks.
Two-part epoxy is a mix between resin and a hardener that when mixed, produces a durable bond. This is why it’s best for these types of toilet seats.
Can You Tape a Cracked Toilet Seat?
Surprisingly enough, it is possible to tape a cracked toilet seat. The tape that you must use for this purpose should offer more support than a simple regular tape. If you use duck tape, even though it could work, it might not last long or look nice.
The best tape that you can use to fix a cracked toilet seat is polyurethane tape. This type of tape is clear, offers extra support and it doesn’t look funny on the toilet seat.
Moreover, it can be more effective than any duck tape because it can last longer.
How Do You Replace a Toilet Seat?
It doesn’t take too much time or effort to replace a toilet seat, but one should proceed to do it carefully. Depending on the type of material your toilet seat is made from, and the material of its hinges or nuts, it can be a three-minute task or a longer task.
Loosen the nuts and hinges with a flat screwdriver to manage to remove the toilet seat carefully. In many instances, you might need to replace them as well, as they could be the culprit behind your toilet seat’s crack.
After removing the old toilet seat, you can proceed to replace it with the new one. You may install it the same way it got out, and with the same precaution. Keep in mind that each toilet seat is different, so the order of steps can vary for each.
Can You Replace Toilet Seat Hinges?
There are some instances in which your toilet seat might be broken due to loose or worn-out hinges. Luckily, there is a possibility to replace them and get new ones. But, sometimes, you might need to buy another toilet seat to be able to replace the hinges.
To replace your toilet seat’s hinges, you need a screwdriver. Oftentimes, if the hinges are made of steel or metal, you might be able to replace them swiftly and without any problems. However, many toilet types may require you to replace your seat entirely.
Related Questions
What’s the Best Type of Toilet Seat?
There are many factors to consider when choosing a toilet seat. They’re related to your environment, your household necessities, your budget, and the durability that you would want it to have. All of these should be considered before purchasing a toilet seat.
Before buying your toilet seat, you should ask yourself what is the type of environment that surrounds your home. Is it a cold environment; is it a hot environment?
What type of material is your current toilet made of? And of course, based on that, you can make a decision.
For example, people who live in cold areas prefer wooden toilet seats because they tend to be more comfortable to use in these environments.
However, plastic toilet seats wouldn’t provide the same comfort because they adapt to whatever temperature is present around them.
Of course, you would want to consider your budget, and how durable would you want your toilet seat to be. Most people enjoy buying a resin toilet seat, since they’re a form of high-quality plastic and therefore have a more durable material.
However, if you have a special situation in your home, i.e., you have an elderly person or a person with mobility issues living with you, then you might want to try using a cushioned toilet seat.
They are more comfortable for sitting, lessening the discomfort of the average toilet seat.
In short, choosing the best toilet seat for you will depend on your needs, your wants, and your wallet.
Although many brands can offer the best of the best when it comes to toilet seats, you should look for what’s right for you, according to your home’s needs.
What’s the Most Durable Type of Toilet Seat?
There are many materials used to manufacture durable toilet seats, all with their pros and their cons. Some argue that plastic is the best material, while others opt in favor of wooden toilet seats. Yet, stainless steel toilet seats take the lead.
When it comes to the durability of a toilet seat, stainless steel toilet seats take the lead. This is because it’s rare to see them wear out, and it’s easier to clean than most toilet seats.
Another benefit is that it won’t break as easily as the materials abovementioned.
Yet, just because they’re durable, doesn’t mean they’re comfortable. If you want a mix of comfort and durability during any type of weather, then porcelain toilet seats are your go-to.
Final Thoughts
Having a functioning toilet seat in your bathroom is essential.
Not only because it can provide comfort to the members of your household, but because you avoid a lot of problems.
For example, suffering a pinch in an unwanted place due to a broken wooden seat. Generally, toilet seats are meant to last from five to seven years.
Depending on the material of your toilet, it can wear out or break too quickly if it’s not taken care of appropriately, or if an accident occurs when using the restroom.
Keeping in mind the type of material that your toilet seat is made of can give you an idea about why would it break, and what to know when considering replacing it.
You also must take into account the material its hinges and nuts are made from.
In short, it’s best to replace your toilet seat often, clean it and maintain it to avoid further issues with your toilet.
If you decide to fix it, you can use specialized glue or tape for the type of material of your toilet seat. However, it’s better to replace it in the long run.
