What to do with toilet flange

BOUTYM

I'm remodeling two bathrooms and due to previous water damage I've had to completely remove the floor down to the joists in both (they are adjoining). The one I'm focusing on at the moment is a smaller bathroom with the toilet flange in a corner, which is going to make it difficult to get the new plywood under. Which option below is the better choice keeping in mind time and expense:

1. De-solder the existing flange, clean it up, put down the new sub-floor and solder the flange back in?

2. Whack the drain pipe below the flange, put down the floor and use a rubber coupler to reconnect the old flange?

3. Whack the drain pipe below the flange, put down the floor and use a rubber coupler to reconnect to a new PVC flange?

oh'mike

Post a picture if you can.

Forget the torch--

Often the ply is pieced around the hole so no plumbing is needed.

If the old drains are accessible cutting with a chain breaker and switching to PVC is the way to go.

Need more info.--Mike---

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BOUTYM

I think it's going to be chore to get the plywood under this given the close proximity to the walls. I really don't want to have to piece it together because I'll have to do some framing under it to support the pieces. I'm thinking cutting off the flange and coupling to the existing or a new flange would be much easier.

Alan

You might want to check the hardware stores before you go chopping it.

Around here we don't have ANYTHING at the hardware stores available for copper drainage.

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Journeyman Plumber

Bud Cline

Set two blocks from joist to joist on either side of the pipe then cut your subfloor material so as to have the seam split one of the blocks.

Don't go desoldering any of that assembly. It won't be that easy to re-install.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

oh'mike

Bud has the simplest plan---you didn't mention that the drain was copper--Parts are expensive and not available at retail stores.

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BOUTYM

You were right. Shoring up around the bottom of the flange and piecing it on top was WAY easier than cutting and trying to reattach would have been. Just cutting it would have been a real PITA since I don't have a cutter big enough to do a decent job and I don't have an often enough need to spend big bucks on one. Couldn't really split the seam on one of the blocks due to space restrictions, but came up with another way to configure the blocks to support everything.

Actually, there wasn't much piecing together. I just cut a U in once piece of plywood and slipped it under and cut the next layer 90 degrees to the first one and slipped it under, filling in the cutouts with the pieces cut out from each layer. Came out so nicely that you have to look straight down on it to see that it's not a single uncut sheet.

BOUTYM

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