My basement rough-in left us with a 3 inch PVC stub with glued on cap sticking right out of the concrete. I would like to remove enough concrete from around the pipe to add an offset closet flange. Can anyone walk me through the procedure/exact tools needed for this? (the house is 7 months old... )

Also, are there any problems associated with using an offset flange. I cannot get the correct clearances to the left and right, otherwise.

Thank you,
Kim

Good morning Kim,

As you can see,(see image), a off set closet flange will have to be recessed in rhe cement. You will need three things to prepare the cement. A hammer, chisel and lot of muscle. You will also need PVC Primer and Glue. How much cement you'll have to chip off will depend upon howfar you wish to off sel the toilet. A rule of thumb says keep the offset to a minimum. Good luck, Tom

The toilet clearance to the back wall is more or less OK at 12 inches to the framed wall, most toilets seem to have the tank sitting around 3/4 to an inch close to the wall, so I think we can squeeze on in. The side clearance is the problem. I believe we have 13 inches to the outside of the shower pan we are installing (with glass doors on top of that) We were left only 30 inches from the Toilet drain to the shower drain (center to center). I detailed all measurements in another post, but fear it was too long to receive any comments!
Thanks again,
Kim

If we were to chisel away the concrete is it hard to remove from the PVC pipe without damaging it?

You could pick up a masonry blade for an ordinary circular saw for a few bucks. Cut a square around where you will be working and maybe some extra kerfs in the larger area. Set the blade for only about as deep as you need. Take it easy. This is a tough job. Very much masonry cutting calls for a visit to the rental yard. The vertical cuts around the edge will make patching the cement go better too.

I have found a milk jug of water with a small hole in it good for cooling small cutting jobs.

Kim,

Here's a toilet with a tank that measures 14 3/4". If you have at least 7 3/8ths inches from the center of the flange it will mount OK. Check it out at; http://www.watersavers.com/docs/wate...ag_const.shtml If not follow Labmans advice. Hope this helps. Tom

It hadn't occurred to me that the toilet wouldn't fit at all, just wouldn't meet code, which I thought was a measurement from the drain hole center, not the toilet edge? Or am I missing the point here?

Are toilet measurements what is the order of length width, height given?

Thanks again!
Kim

Hi Kim,

I don't understand your problem. First you say, "The toilet clearance to the back wall is more or less OK at 12 inches to the framed wall, most toilets seem to have the tank sitting around 3/4 to an inch close to the wall, so I think we can squeeze on in."

Are you saying that when the toilet's set that the tank is 12 inches from the wall? The correct measurement is 12" to the center of the closet flange.

You then go on to tellus that, ". I believe we have 13 inches to the outside of the shower pan we are installing (with glass doors on top of that) We were left only 30 inches from the Toilet drain to the shower drain (center to center).

With a tank that measures 7 3/8ths " from the center of the flange thyat will still leave you room to install the toilet.

"I detailed all measurements in another post, but fear it was too long to receive any comments!"

We answer all posts please show us where we over looked yours.

Or am I missing the point here?"

Perhaps I'm missing the point. If the toilet fits then what's all the rukkus about?

""It hadn't occured to me that the toilet wouldn't fit at all, just wouldn't meet code, which I thought was a measurement from the drain hole center, not the toilet edge? Are toilet measurements what is the order of length width, height given?"

There is no "code" Toilets are roughed in at 12 " to center of the flange and centered in the space available.

As I said in the begaining. I don't understand your problem. Tom

Do you mean the left-right space available for the toilet? I believe you need 30" with the toilet centered, so 15" each side of the center line. An old powder room in our house has the toilet about 13" from the wall and my arm tends to be against the wall when I use it :(

Sorry to confuse. I'll answer but can send pics if needed.
I only have rough-in pipes now. I measure 12 inches from the center of the 3" toilet pipe rough-in to the 2x4 wall. After we add drywall this leaves us 11.5 inches to the finished wall to fit in the toilet. I was saying that when you install the toilet, assuming you have the standard 12" to framed wall size (not 10 or 14, which I have seen available... ), I think we should be able to fit it into the 11.5" of space, since most spec sheets for toilets show them installed with 12" suggested, then the tank ends up 3/4" to an inch from the wall, hence mine should end up 1/4" to 1/2" from the wall.

Second I do believe that the code in our area says you need to have 15" from the center of the toilet flange to each side of the toilet. I presumed that meant that I would need to have a measurement of 15" from the center of the 3" pipe I have to the edge of the shower which will be located next to it (as determined by the 2" stub left by the builder.) Maybe my interpretation here is incorrect, however every plumbing book I have read on the subject says you need 15" of space to each side of a toilet.

There's really no problem if my 15" to each side of the toilet being code is incorrect. However I thought with my assumptions that an offset flange would solve my problem as I could gain just a little more space from the wall and also an inch or two to the side. I have taken a concrete chisel to the floor and after whacking away for quite some time have only made a 1/4" depth increase around the pipe stub, so if I do need to set the offset flange, I have a lot more work to do and was hoping there was a shortcut out there.

Basement Plumbing Rough-In questions" Posted Jan 9 in the plumbing forum is where I tried to describe what was present before I asked some questions.

I've read through a lot of posts before looking for answers to my questions and have seen a lot of good advice and I certainly appreciate it...

Kim

Hi Kim,

" I think we should be able to fit it into the 11.5" of space, since most spec sheets for toilets show them installed with 12" suggested, then the tank ends up 3/4" to an inch from the wall, hence mine should end up 1/4" to 1/2" from the wall."

11 1/2" is acceptable. You don't want too much play between the tank and the back wall.

"Second I do believe that the code in our area says you need to have 15" from the center of the toilet flange to each side of the toilet. I presumed that meant that I would need to have a measurement of 15" from the center of the 3" pipe I have to the edge of the shower which will be located next to it (as determined by the 2" stub left by the builder.) Maybe my interpretation here is incorrect, however every plumbing book I have read on the subject says you need 15" of space to each side of a toilet"

While you're correct in assuming that 15" of "wiggle room" on each side from center is advisable in my area it's not in our local codes. We rough 12" off the unfinished wall and center the toilet in the available space left between the tub/shower and the vanity.
how much space will you have between the threshold of the shower and the center of the 3" toiletstub up?

"There's really no problem if my 15" to each side of the toilet being code is incorrect. However I thought with my assumptions that an offset flange would solve my problem as I could gain just a little more space from the wall and also an inch or two to the side. I have taken a concrete chisel to the floor and after whacking away for quite some time have only made a 1/4" depth increase around the pipe stub, so if I do need to set the offset flange, I have a lot more work to do and was hoping there was a shortcut out there"

If you can find a "shortcut " that does away with removing cement to install a offset flange let me know..

"Basement Plumbing Rough-In questions" Posted Jan 9 in the plumbing forum is where I tried to describe what was present before I asked some questions."

I apologize for that sometimes we get busy and a post will slip off to page two and get over looked but we try to not let that happen.


Regards, Tom

I have 13.5 inches from the center of the toilet flange to the closest edge of the shower pan. After some consideration, I do not think the amount of work involved in cutting the concrete to add a flange is warranted, I think we'll just glue in an 3" PVC inside fit closet flange like this one...

http://www.oatey.com/apps/catalog/sh...prodgrpid=104#

Would it be best to install this on the concrete floor and tile around it, or tile first and mount this on the tile?

Kim

Hi Kim,

Since this is a 3" inside closet flange I would tile the floor and then prime and glue in the flange. Kim, I don't believe you'll have a problem with 13 1/2".
My house was built in 1954 and in the master bath the clearance is 5 inches on on side and 2 3/4" on the other. Haven't had a complaint yet and I've living here since it was built. Tom

Thank you for all the advice thus far. Hopefully figuring out the rest of the bathroom assembly will not be too tough, but I'm sure I'll have some more questions as I continue to plan it out. I appreciate the advice and tolerance of the folks that read and respond to these posts! Now to go and put back that little bit of concrete I chipped up so far... LOL

Kim