Originally Posted by FirstNissan
Hi, One of the toilets in the house has started leaking around the base. I've tightened it down As much as I can, however the lake persists. Would it be reasonable to apply a ring of silicone between the base and the floor....
As the majority have already noted, this is probably a failed wax ring. It's not a big deal - they wear out over time and need replaced. Two comments for your above statement:
1) Don't tighten the floor bolts down "as much as you can". Get them snug and no more. As also noted, it's easy to crack the base and if you do that, you'll be replacing the toilet along with a $8 wax ring.
2) Don't put a bead of silicone around the base. Yes, it makes it look prettier but it HIDES a failed wax ring. You won't know it's leaking - and it will leak for a long time - until your floor ends up "squishy" around the toilet or it leaks in the ceiling below the toilet (or in the basement, crawl space, etc). At most, put a bead halfway around (front only).