I'm renovating a bathroom and thinking about replacing the old drain that's embedded in the floor slab, but I'm getting anxious about the load-bearing capacity when I start chiselling. Is there any risk of chiselling up this old drain to lay down a new one in roughly the same place?
It feels like it's very shallow, so I won't get too far down, but still, it is a 110 drain that needs to go down.
I think it's better to use the same spot it is today compared to weakening with a new channel...
The slab thickness is about 16 cm, split-level house, load-bearing concrete wall in the basement about 1 meter from the toilet drain where the stack goes down right near this wall.
Concrete block in basement wall
Concrete slab over the entire basement
It feels like it's very shallow, so I won't get too far down, but still, it is a 110 drain that needs to go down.
I think it's better to use the same spot it is today compared to weakening with a new channel...
The slab thickness is about 16 cm, split-level house, load-bearing concrete wall in the basement about 1 meter from the toilet drain where the stack goes down right near this wall.
Concrete block in basement wall
Concrete slab over the entire basement
The old column goes straight through the concrete slab, doesn't it? It should be easier to hire a concrete driller to make a new hole with a clean cut and then just scrap the old one. Try to avoid the reinforcement while drilling. Do not place any pipes horizontally in the concrete slab.
Yes, the pipe goes right through the joist and then turns along the top of the joist. I see the top of the drainage pipes, and since everything should be in the same place, I would have liked to place it where the old one is...... You mean that I should make holes through the joist in 3 places in different dimensions and then connect it under the joist if I understand you correctly. They end up very awkward down there in the basement and there's low ceiling height......
Question: Can you weaken the joist by removing the old pipes that are right at the top of the concrete? They don't have any load-bearing capacity where they are today, right?
Question: Can you weaken the joist by removing the old pipes that are right at the top of the concrete? They don't have any load-bearing capacity where they are today, right?
I did not realize it was a question of three holes. As long as you do not drill through the reinforcement, there are no structural issues with three holes. Drilling is gentler on the floor structure than chiseling. If the old pipes are positioned correctly, why do you want to chisel them up?
OK, then I'm with you. There is rarely a reason to break up old cast iron pipes over such short distances. Check with a concrete saw operator. He can probably cut (albeit with a slightly larger radius) even where the pipes are located.