How to Cut Peel and Stick Tiles Around a Toilet

Find the silver valve behind the toilet and turn it clockwise to shut it off. If you don't see a valve, look in the basement or the crawl space directly underneath the toilet location.

Flush the toilet to remove as much water as possible from the tank. Then sop up any excess water in the tank with an old towel or sponge.

Reach underneath the tank until you find a bolt and turn it counterclockwise to detach the tank from the bowl. Note where the water supply line connects to the tank on the back and unscrew the coupler at the end of the hose to disconnect it. Lift the tank from the back of the bowl and set it aside.

Look at the base of the toilet and note the bolt on either side requiring removal. If you see a plastic cap, turn the cap counterclockwise to remove it and access the bolt. Loosen the nut on the bolt by turning it counterclockwise with a wrench. Repeat for the second cap and nut.

Grasp the bowl of the toilet and lift it off the floor. Set it out of the way. Stuff a rag down into the floor hole to prevent sewer gas from rising up into the home. Scrape away excess wax around the drain using a putty knife.

Place a peel and stick tile directly next to the last installed tile so that it overlaps the toilet drain hole. Use a pencil or a marker to trace around the perimeter of the hole, thus drawing the toilet curve on top of the tile.

Lay the tile on top of a piece of scrap wood such as plywood. Turn on a heat gun or hair dryer and hold it 2 feet away from the tile. Turn it on for 10 to 15 seconds. This heats up the tile and makes it easy to cut.

Hold the tile steady with one hand and cut around the mark or pencil line using a utility knife. Don't worry about exactness because the toilet will cover any mistakes.

Peel off the protective backing from the tile and press the tile firmly into place around the toilet opening.

Repeat the process to cut additional peel and stick tiles around the toilet opening.

Remove the old wax ring from bottom of the toilet and discard it. Remove the rag from the drain hole and discard it. Insert a new wax ring on the flange of the drain in the floor and set the toilet back into position, threading the floor bolts through the holes in the toilet base. Rock the toilet gently to seat the wax ring and insert the nuts back onto the bolts, tightening them with the wrench. Screw the plastic cap back onto the bolts, if applicable.

Reinstall the tank onto the toilet bowl in the reverse manner to which you removed it.

Reattach the water inlet line on the wall to the valve on the back of the toilet by screwing the coupler on tightly. Open the water flow at the shut off valve.