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annemusic · Jun 14, 2008, 10:26 AM

Our home is built on slab with an extra 4" slab at one end of our bedroom upon which sets our bathroom vanity area and toilet. The entire vanity area is open to the bedroom. You walk down into a large shower area shared by the toilet, which has a door. We wish to remove this raised slab area to house floor level. Our bedroom is 15x15' and this raised area at one end of the bedroom is 8x14'.

Would it be likely that the raised concrete slab is part of the foundation, or probably poured later and is a separate piece of concrete? Is it possible to remove this concrete? We also want to lower the toilet. Several houses in our area have these raised concrete slabs or step down living rooms. Our home was built in 1978.

Thank you for your input.

ballengerb1 · Jun 14, 2008, 08:10 PM

The floors are not really part of the foundation, they sit on the foundation but the connection is often quit loose being a separate pour. It probably was original if other homes have step ups and step down but who knows. The main issue is that once you remove this all drains and traps will likely need to be reset by someone who know show to properly rough in a bath. A very handy person with a strong back or the phone number of a jack hammer rental place can do this work. However, check the building permit requirements in your area, a licensed plumber may be required for some of this work.

speedball1 · Jun 15, 2008, 05:09 PM

Our home is built on slab with an extra 4" slab at one end of our bedroom upon which sets our bathroom vanity area and toilet.

I never ran into that one before. I bet that raised slab is at the end of the rough in. The only reasion that I can figure out is that that the rough in plumber started his rough where the main leaves the foundation but started it too higk amd ran out of space by the time he got to the end of the run which was your bathroom. Rather then tear out the entire rough in and do it over he conned the contractor into raising the floor 4 inches. If that's the case, and I can find no other explanation, then the rest of your drainage will have to be torn out and lowered. This includes ALL your underslab drains all the way out to the foundation. But wait! It gets better! So you lower your entire rough in by 4 inches. When you go to connect to the sewer line you'll find that you have 4 imches of back fall so that will have to be lowered as well. Still want to drop that floor? But, hold tight! There might still be a way out. Pull the toilet and see how deep the bend is under the floor line. If the curve of the bend sets 8 or 10 inches down it might still be possible to lower the floor and save the original rough in. But don't bet the farm on it.
You say,

Several houses in our area have these raised concrete slabs or step down living rooms.

Sunken living rooms yeah, but I can come up with only one explanation for a raised bathroom. Sorry to have to rain all over your parade but this is something that you should be aware of.
Good luck and let me know what you decide. Tom

speedball1 · Jun 16, 2008, 11:06 AM

I want to keep this thread active. I think these folks will be in big trouble if the just go in a start to jackhammer up the slab. Tom

ballengerb1 · Jun 16, 2008, 01:22 PM

Yep, I think they will have some tricky drain fixes as well as what to do with the walls that no longer reach the floor. Every door would also need to be removed and rehung, plus the new space above the doors will need patching. I'd buy a new house.