basement shower installation

[jsmall]

So I have a half bath in the basement, but there is a drain in the floor and the hot and cold water lines are roughed in for a shower and/or tub. When I last had a plumber here I had him take a look at it in terms of putting in a shower. He mentioned that the drain would have to be moved to center it in the floor of the shower. I assume that this is not (for me at least) a DIY? What's involved here? I assume they'll have to cut into the concrete, make a new trench, replace pipe and then fill with new concrete? If it matters, the waste lines are all cast iron. Yep. Every drain in this darned house is slow. :( I'd really love to get the waste lines replaced but I'm not made of money.

Oh, my bad. The MAIN waste line (out to the sewer at the street) is cast iron. The rest of the waste lines are some sort of galvanized (sp?) metal, very heavy, and the elbow fittings that attach these are also cast iron. Either way - I think they're all full of gunk if the waste pipe from the kitchen sink is any indication. When I replaced the busted trap under there the waste was filled about 1/3 of its diameter with sludge.

[mdshunk]

You'll be able to save most of the cost here if you dig up the old drain and trench over to where the drain needs to be. You can rent a concrete saw (looks like a chainsaw with a big circular diamond blade) and make sawcuts through the cement. Either bust out the cement with a sledge hammer or rent an electric chipping hammer and remove the slab. Don't worry, the slab is not all that thick in basements. Four inches or so. Dig the stones and dirt out underneath and then call the plumber. No sense paying high plumber dollars for grunt work. Surely you can put the dirt/stones back and repour a little cement when the plumber's all done too.

[jsmall]

You'll be able to save most of the cost here if you dig up the old drain and trench over to where the drain needs to be. You can rent a concrete saw (looks like a chainsaw with a big circular diamond blade) and make sawcuts through the cement. Either bust out the cement with a sledge hammer or rent an electric chipping hammer and remove the slab. Don't worry, the slab is not all that thick in basements. Four inches or so. Dig the stones and dirt out underneath and then call the plumber. No sense paying high plumber dollars for grunt work. Surely you can put the dirt/stones back and repour a little cement when the plumber's all done too.

And once again you give great advice. I excel at demolition :p This sounds really doable to me. The only problem is to know where to make the cuts. I guess I need to first get the shower and measure to the drain to see where the new drain needs to go? I was planning on one of those fiberglass shower enclosures that comes in 3 pieces. There's not much room to get things into that bathroom.

[mdshunk]

Before I'd measure where the drain should go, I'd be more inclined to drag the shower pan into the room and trace the drain hole with a sharpie exactly where the drain is. Don't be to stingy making the cutout. It's pretty normal to have a square hole in the floor about 18" square where the drain is and a trench about 8-12" wide for the plumber to work in. Remember, he's gotta get a shower trap in that hole. You're gonna be concreteing it back in anyhow.

[jsmall]

Before I'd measure where the drain should go, I'd be more inclined to drag the shower pan into the room and trace the drain hole with a sharpie exactly where the drain is. Don't be to stingy making the cutout. It's pretty normal to have a square hole in the floor about 18" square where the drain is and a trench about 8-12" wide for the plumber to work in. Remember, he's gotta get a shower trap in that hole. You're gonna be concreteing it back in anyhow.

Thanks, the rough measurements for the cut were exactly what I needed. How deep should the trench be? You said about 4 inches of concrete, but I assume I'll need to go deeper than that.

[mdshunk]

Thanks, the rough measurements for the cut were exactly what I needed. How deep should the trench be? You said about 4 inches of concrete, but I assume I'll need to go deeper than that.

The trench needs to be at least as deep as the pipe you're connecting on to. It won't be until you start to dig that you'll be able to determine that. Right below the shower drain, you'll need the hole there to be a good 6 or 8 inches deeper than the trench proper to accomodate the shower trap.

[great]

Thanks, the rough measurements for the cut were exactly what I needed. How deep should the trench be? You said about 4 inches of concrete, but I assume I'll need to go deeper than that.

Did you made the work or you hired a plumber? I what to know this so I could decide if I will do it my self or not.

[Bob Nelson]

Hello friend I am not a plumber by profession. But I suggest that you should take second advice if possible.