I am installing a toilet in my basement. The trench is cut through the concrete, the piping (PVC) is in, and there is a 4" pipe stubbed out for the toilet flange about 5" or so above to floor level. The gravel is backfilled and I am ready to pour the 4" of concrete back to floor level.
My question is, do I pour the concrete tight up against the toilet sewer stub and then cut off the stub at floor level (plus the thickness of the tile that will be going in)? Also, are there flanges available that have a metal back plate to strengthen the PVC flange? PVC seems to me to be likely to be too weak to really hold well.
Thanks for any help on this.
Phil
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Hi Phil.

You do not want to have the toilet drain poured directly in concrete. You need to "wrap" the drain with sill seal, cardboard, or equivalent to create a barrier between the pvc and concrete. I suggest wrapping roughly a 1/2 barrier material around the pipe before pouring the concrete. This will allow for room to set your closet flange after the finished flooring is done. Once your concrete is poured, just leave the toilet stub up at five inches above and go on with the rest of your project. Once you get to the point of installing the finished flooring (tile in you case) simply install the tile, then remove the barrier material around the pipe. Next you will use an inside pvc cutter to cut the pipe off to the required height to make your flange sit DIRECTLY ON TOP of the finished flooring. Best result when you do it this way, I promise. Good luck on your project, and please come back with any questions.
Lee.