Basement floor drain, seal off??

[bg71361]

:?: I will be finishing my basement this year. My questions has to do with the drain in the floor. The floor slopes down to this drain, can I seal off this drain, so I can level the floor? I have no water problems.
Thanks,
Bill:?:

[bg71361]

Anybody?:roll:

[homebild]

How do you plan to finish the floor?

[pushkins]

Does your basement have a sump pump ?

[bg71361]

The area where the drain is will most likely be carpeted.

No Sump pump in the basement, and no problem with water.

Thanks,
Bill

[pushkins]

I'm not so sure code allows you to seal off an existing floor drain when no sump pump is present, you might be best calling your local building inspector and asking him if it allowable. If you have to keep the drain you can get a basement drain plug that allows water into the drain but not back from it, you could bring the drain height up to level with the floor use one of these plugs and then carpet right over the top of it all.

[homebild]

A floor drain may be a code necessity particularly if it is the only drain source for a boiler or water heater relief valve, or for a washing machine overflow.

Your owner's insurance may frown upon eliminating the drain (read that: raise your rates) because it is there in part to keep water damages to a minimum in the event of a major pipe rupture. (My floor drain saved my finished basement when the braided supply line to my kitchen sink above ruptured while we were on vacation and water ran unchecked into the basement for several days. The floor drain handled the water and there was no damage to the finished area.

An alternative can be to frame a raised floor over which you can install your carpeting and still have the floor drain operate as required.

There are also those rubber bottomed plywood subfloor products that Lowes and Home Depot sells just for this purpose. The idea here is to provide a finish surface over which to install your finished floor but which allows water to drain underneath unobstructed:

http://www.subflor.com/

Perosnally I would deisgn with keeping the floor drain intact and find a way to finish the basment while still having a functional floor drain.

[xkvator]

also, if the water in the trap evaporates, you're going to get the sewer gas smell in the basement...so if you're keeping the drain...make sure you can get to it to add water.

[bg71361]

Thanks for the replies all.

homebild - I see your point about code and insurance. I have had laundry tub overflows but the water never makes it to the drain, not close enough. Even if we had a pipe rupture and run for seveal days like you, I believe the water would go out the walkout basement door first. The drain has never had a drop in it, because it is not near any of the utilities. (washer, hot water heater and boiler) It is at the opposite end of the house. I also thought about the subfloor, but really was not real excited about raising the floor.


basement drain plug that allows water into the drain but not back from it
pushkins - Is there an official name for the plug?

Guess I call a local plumbing inspector.;-)

[pushkins]

I believe it is just called a basement drain valve.

Just my two cents worth, if it were me in your shoes there would be no way I'd seal of the floor drain. I'd raise the drain pipe to make it level with the rest of the basement floor, put the drain valve in it or a S/S grated cap and then carpet up to and around it. (though I'd be very reluctant to carpet a basement)

[bg71361]

Thank you!