Abandoning waste pipes

[mike gratton]

hi all, I am considering a basement remodel and will need to remove a bath. My question is on how to abandon the waste pipes. I am assuming they are under the concrete (although the bath is up above the basement floor about 10)". I would like to reclaim all or some of this height. I think that the pipes are ABS althought the main vent is cast iron. I guess i could cap them but then I would lose space by keeping the floor up. Are there any problems with capping them? Is there another way to do this and be able to lower the floor back to concrete (without breaking up the concrete)?

Thanks Mike

[Speedy Jim]

Chisel out the concrete around the pipe stub. You don't need much, maybe 1/2" wide; possibly the concrete doesn't even touch the pipe.

You can only saw the stub flush with the floor; to get a cap on you'll need to cut it a bit shorter. There is an inexpensive rotary cutter for inside of pipe. Get that. Now you can slip an ABS cap on and cement over.

Make a precise map of where the stubs are.

Jim

[mike gratton]

Thanks Jim