On Mar 25, 9:47 pm, wrote:
On Mar 25, 10:00 pm, "Mike Holmes" wrote:





Brace the hell out of cast!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cast iron is brittle and
cracking is too common.
the total weight is in excess of 500 #s and the potential leaks
include the roof (a soft lead sheild aove the roof line can and will
fracture).
There are special collars for such bracing, don't let him cheap out
and attempt to use iron or copper straps.
Also assure that this so-called 'professional' uses the correct snap
cutter. any other method could introduce vibration which could disturb
the oakum packing originally used (if this is hubbed cast iron).

BTW ask to see a copy of the guys license as a plumber. Bet he is not
licensed or he would not be having this argument.

On Mar 25, 8:30 pm, wrote:

I've got a plumber (who I really trust) coming out tomorrow to
temporarily cut into one of my main cast iron waste stacks. Reason:
there is a crack in the foundation right behind the stack that is
going to be treated tomorrow with epoxy injection -- and the stack is
in the way.

Once the crack in the foundation has been treated, the plumber is
going to replace the cut-out section of cast iron pipe with PVC.

My worries: the waste stack runs all the way up to the 2nd floor (and
out the roof through the attic, so technically through to the 3rd
floor). Everything I read says you MUST support the stack when making
a cut like this.

I asked my plumber (very reputable company and he has done alot of
work in this house for me -- all of which has been good) if he would
need to support the pipe before making the cut. He said "no" -- but if
when he began to cut he though it needed it, he would support it from
below (in the basement, where he'll be cutting).

I am worried about this. It's a beautiful 1930s Tudor-revival era
brick & mortar home -- built like a tank -- and I don't want to have
all kinds of damage to the plumbing connections in the walls that
connect to this waste stack when it gets cut (I hesitated even doing
this, but the crack in the foundation is something that appears to
have needed attention for a long time -- it gets water, although I've
fixed most of that problem from the outside).

Help. What do I tell my plumber? Do I insist that he install a brace?
Does it need to be a permanent brace? I can't imagine how tying in PVC
w/neoprene gaskets is going to support the weight of this stack. How
does this work? Should I be worried -- or trust this guy (who has 40
years of experience in this area, working on these types of homes)?

Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

I will tell him I want it permanently braced. He works for one of the
largest plumbing firms in this city; the firm is known for being one
of the most reliable (and therefore e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e: this is going
to cost me $900) and professional plumbing outifts around. Top-notch
guy, top-notch work (so far). In fact, everyone in the company has
been great. I just wonder if it should be braced in the attic AND in
the basement -- or if just the basement will suffice. If you brace it
from below, what does the brace attach to? Floorboards above? The
ceiling in the basement is one of those plaster-finished ones --
actually looks more like a skim coat of cement -- so he'd have to cut
that away to get at any joists. There is a masonry wall and a steel
beam nearby...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I think I'd question the guys doing the epoxy injection in your
walls. $900 is big money. I cant understand how a 4 inch pipe can be
that much in the way. It's not a wall, just a small obstacle. I
would not remove the pipe at all. If you MUST remove it, I'd replace
it with cast iron, not pvc. Yes, it definately needs to be braced and
in several spots or it could crash down, or at least it will begin to
creep down over the years.

I used to work for a plumber. Although I was not licensed, I was his
assistant. I saw an entire stack crash into the basement and it was a
catastraphy. He got this job where the pipes were completely plugged
and two very elderly women lived there. They dumped cans and cans of
chemicals down the drain, including strong acids. When the pipes
would not unclog, they left them for several years and used the
neighbors bathroom and tossed the dish water out the windows. When
one of them died, the other was forced to sell the place, and it was
in real poor condition. When we went there, the plumber I worked for
was trying to wrench off a long section of 1 1/2" galvanized pipe from
the stack. Little did he know how much damage the acids had done to
the pipes including the cast iron stack. The entire stack broke off,
and all the pipes throughout the house snapped. Both of us were
nearly killed, and the black gunk splashed all over us, and the acids
caused severe burns on us. In fact we both ended up stripping down to
our underwear and used a hose in the basement to drench ourselves to
remove this gunk. We boith ended up going home immediately to take
baths and left the job wrapped in some drapes from the house. My
worst damage was to my eyes and I ended up going to the hospital after
going home and showering.

It turned out every pipe below the highest fixture looked like a
screen from the acids pitting it. The stack snapped off in the attic
and the upper part just hung from the roof. We ended up ripping out
all the walls from the basement thru the 1st and 2nd floors and
replaced everything all the way to the roof, except for the top 3 feet
of cast that exited thru the roof, which we spliced into because
neither of us wanted to mess with the flashing, which would have
likely meant dealing with bad shingles etc. We put silicone caulk
around the pipe and shoved it up a few inches into the flashing.

I was never so happy to leave any job as that one.