[LazyPup]

I am very glad to hear that you got through removing the flange without incident however I cannot caution you enough, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT use a torch or any spark producing device, or for that matter smoking cigarettes when working on an active sewer line.

One of the key components of sewer gas is methane, which is highly flammable and under some circumstances in relatively low concentrations it can be explosive, not to mention that there have been many instances of people disposing of raw gasoline or other highly flammable liquids in the sewer system.

Do not take this lightly, by example, on Feb.13, 1981 a sewer exploded in Louisville, Kentucky and it destroyed 3km of streets.

Now in regards to your tile; keep in mind that once the tile is finished the footprint of the closet bowel is going to be covering a relatively large area in relation to the size of the closet flange. You can run your tile up to the edge of the closet flange and allow two or three corners of the tile to support the outer edge of the flange or you can cut some small pieces of the tile that you install under the flange as shim spacers to insure the underside of the flange is at the same height above the sub-floor. You then install the screws through the flange and into the sub-floor in the normal manner.