Last month I put my entire house through renovation and came across a not-so-subtle dilemma when overhauling my bathroom interior. The design I had in mind required me to place the toilet a few inches to the right. This turned out to be a challenge as the toilet was tightly fixed on a concrete slab.
Personally, I never thought it was even possible. Instead of giving in to failure, I started researching how to move a toilet drain in concrete. That’s when I realized it was far from impossible. And for those of you who are at your wit’s end, I prepared a small informative article describing the process step by step.
How Far Can You Move a Toilet Drain?
Moving a toilet drain away from its original position is possible even if it’s a bit difficult. How far you can move a toilet drain usually depends on the diameter of your drainage system. If you own drain pipes with a 3-inch diameter,it’s possible to move the drains up to 6 inches away to a new location.
Now, if the diameter is 4 inches, you can extend the drain location to 10 feet away. So, do make sure you measure the pipe diameter in advance before you start moving the drains.
If you still confused, Please check this guide : 3 Inch or 4 Inch Toilet Drain : What Size Pipe is Best?
How Do You Secure a Toilet on a Concrete Floor?
It’s crucial to secure your toilet to the concrete floor to ensure that it doesn’t move out of place once you relocate it. You can use Tapcon anchors to help secure the flange. A similar type of concrete screw can also be used to attach it to the floor tightly.
Also, make sure to be extra careful when working with plastic flanges. If you screw the anchor too tight, the plastic flange might get damaged or even break under intense pressure.
How Hard Is It to Move a Toilet Drain?
Moving a toilet drain is not an easy task for any amateur DIY enthusiast to carry out. It requires a certain level of skill and experience that most professionals have. However, a handyperson can still carry it out with a knack for tinkering.
You will need to spend some money on the correct apparatus and tools and follow the instructions I provided in this article.
Can You Move a Toilet on a Concrete Slab?
Although it’s much tougher than on regular floors, moving a toilet on a concrete slab is possible. You will need to use a jackhammer to break the concrete slab to do that yourself, and while you are at it, you also will need to create a trench on your own.
However, the most challenging part can be redirecting the drain pipes to a new location. In addition, You can check our guide on How Can You Move a Toilet Over a Few Inches?
How to Move a Toilet Drain in Concrete?
Where most people tend to rely on professionals for a job like this, some of us still like taking matters into our own hands. For those DIY enthusiasts out there, I urge you to keep in mind that this isn’t an easy task at all. It can also be pretty costly to carry out the entire process.
If you have no previous experience with DIY projects,you should resort to professional help. I have provided all the necessary steps to follow for moving the drainpipe.
1. Turning the Water Off
As easy as it may seem, this is an essential part of the relocation process. There are plenty of people who forget to turn off the water before detaching the toilet. Later on, you will have to remove the water supply pipes from the toilet, so make sure you do this first.
2. Break the Concrete
If your slab is more than four inches thick, you need to take serious measures to break the concrete. You can do this in two ways. One can break the concrete with the help of a sledgehammer by hitting the concrete slab repeatedly until it breaks apart.
This can be very taxing and take a toll on your body. Inexperienced people can even get splinters in their hands.
You can also break the concrete using a jackhammer, which requires less effort. The function is completely automatic, and the job is done faster. You can easily rent a jackhammer from a hardware store if you don’t own it already.
When using a jackhammer, try not to drill too far and damage the pipes underneath.
The best bet is to use the jackhammer to break through the first few inches then break the rest using a sledgehammer.
3. Mark the Pipe
Once you are done breaking the concrete slab, it will expose the pipe underneath. With the amount of pipe you can see, one can easily determine the piping route through the walls. Now you can place markings on the floor to indicate the piping path.
This way, you will know exactly which part of the concrete you need to breakthrough. You won’t have to create more fuss than required.
4. Create a Trench
Redirecting the drain pipes is the next step of the process. This depends on how far or in which direction you want to extend the pipes. You can either move it to an angle or add more pipes to the system. The trench is a surefire way of redirecting the drainage system.
You need to set up the trench up to one foot over the pipes to encase them in a safe housing.
5. Re-Route the Pipes
Depending on the newly set location of your toilet, you need to add pipes to the trench in a specific direction. The pipes should be connected to your previous set of pipes to ensure uninterrupted flow. Try to keep in mind that all the connections should be sealed entirely.
6. Fill the Trench
Once the piping is connected and sealed, it’s time to add the finishing touches. First, fill the trench using dry cement, and wait till it’s all dried up. Take your time to fill up the rest of the holes you have left on the floor.
While leaving a hole open for the drainpipe, smooth out the uneven edges on the floor. Once the rest of the floor dries up, install the toilet and screw the flanges tight.
You can also read our article on: Can A Toilet And Shower Share The Same Drain?
Final Words
If you have reached the end of this article, I would like to congratulate you on learning how to move a toilet drain in concrete. It is not an easy task, to say the least. This requires some steady nerves and attention to detail. Make sure you take all the necessary precautions before going through the process.
