# Bet you've never done anything like this before



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Rotted out 2" cast iron kitchen line under slab on grade construction. Very common around here. The whole house is wall to wall tile that can't be matched. Relineing isn't an option because there is a 90 that is so bad the liner won't make it thru.

Solution? Surgical slab repair.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Finished product


----------



## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

How long did it take to cut that out? Nice job at saving the tile. :thumbsup:


----------



## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

Nice job. I would never thought that would work. Busted up cement and the number of a tile guy is what I would have done.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

About an hour and 1/2 maybe 2



UnclogNH said:


> How long did it take to cut that out? Nice job at saving the tile. :thumbsup:


----------



## Regulator (Aug 20, 2009)

Nice job! Clever.


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Protech said:


> Finished product


Very nice job!..Are they going to hang a plant on the hoist?


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Smart A$$ 



slickrick said:


> Very nice job!..Are they going to hang a plant on the hoist?


----------



## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

Very nice job. I bet the customer was very impressed with you when it was all done.


----------



## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

Great job:thumbsup:, that's the kind of stuff that makes customers talk about you for along time.


----------



## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

That is marketing material there folks! 

Great job thinking outside of the box and providing a unique solution to a complicted challenge that served your client well. :thumbup:


----------



## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Just wanted to add that if I were you I would probably try to solicit a testimonial for that job on how you saved your client thousands of bucks on a tile job. You provided a solution that not many guys would have thought of or wouldn't even be willing to do.


----------



## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

If I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed it. Guess that's where the phrase, "Pics, or it didn't happen!", came from.


----------



## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Pretty damn nice! Great solution. :thumbsup:

How did you anchor that hook in the center of the tile? Also, it must have taken some patience to get that cut out level with the existing floor. What did you do to keep it from sinking in the future?

If I would have tried that, the tile on that section would have cracked as soon as I lifted it out!


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you


----------



## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Protech said:


> I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you


 Punka$$ kid.


----------



## Turd Burglar (Sep 26, 2009)

:notworthy:
I have done a few jobs very similar, but I don't have the pics like this! Excellent locating precision! Let me guess, you were using a Ridgid Navitrack system?:thumbsup:


----------



## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

i must say protech, you are the man. :thumbsup:


----------



## Song Dog (Jun 12, 2008)

NICE!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

In Christ,

Song Dog


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

You guess right. Did you notice the line of duct tape that is right above the pipe?



Turd Burglar said:


> :notworthy:
> I have done a few jobs very similar, but I don't have the pics like this! Excellent locating precision! Let me guess, you were using a Ridgid Navitrack system?:thumbsup:


----------



## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

This is cool! Now I have hope that I can finally use my engine hoist for something!


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Nice job Protech!:thumbup:


----------



## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

Very nice. Top notch work!


----------



## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Nice, thats what makes a man a pro!


----------



## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

Ken, in that first picture, it looks like you have your wedding ring on, you wear it everyday? I took mine off a few years ago after numerous pinches and one last time after I got my hand stuck in a wall, the ring was the only thing holding me up. hurt like hell, told the wife sorry, she was really cool about it, cuz she sees what I look like after a long one


----------



## ESPinc (Jul 18, 2009)

Can't say I have ever seen that or heard of anyone doing what you did, Great Job Protech :thumbsup:


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

How did he assure that the concrete block would not settle?... Dow the sides? not an option. 

(A) Some protech metalearlgical marvel clip anchored from the underside?

(B) Drill 4 piers down to bedrock?

(C) Pack the hell out of the dirt and hope for the best? (looks like sand, packing won't help)

(D) Super glue?....

(E) Ken mentally permanantly suspended the block using the " Force".....

(F) Fl. code does not address the slab repair, stick it back in and call it good...


----------



## Regulator (Aug 20, 2009)

slickrick said:


> How did he assure that the concrete block would not settle?... Dow the sides? not an option.
> 
> Some protech metalearlgical marvel clip anchored from the underside?
> 
> ...


I too am very curious about the settling/shifting potential. Will we ever find out?


----------



## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

What DO you mean???? That's what the grout is for............


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Regulator said:


> I too am very curious about the settling/shifting potential. Will we ever find out?


He'll give us a answer if he wants to stay a " Bonified Genius"...I'm just sayin'.....:whistling2:


----------



## Regulator (Aug 20, 2009)

slickrick said:


> He'll give us a answer if he wants to stay a " Bonified Genius"...I'm just sayin'.....:whistling2:











:thumbup: *PROTECH - SUPER GENIUS
*Shhh, though .... don't tell Song dog ... could be dangerous. :laughing:


----------



## user2091 (Sep 27, 2009)

must of been digging a hole to mexico under that cover! I'd of replaced that ugly ass tile for the price of that repair cost! lol


----------



## user2091 (Sep 27, 2009)

great job of leak detection! masterful work!


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

OK fine. I'll spill the beans. I drilled #3 deformed rebar into the face of the slab cuts. I then bent the bar (cold) down and the horizontal again to make sort of an "s". This was down twice on each of the 4 faces of the cuts. The concrete plug was notched to make space for the rebar. The ground was compacted and then concrete was poured in. The plug was lowed into position with the crane and leveled. It was left to setup for about a week with the crane bearing the load. After all contraction was done from the hardening concrete, the crane was removed and the plug was grouted back in.


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Protech said:


> OK fine. I'll spill the beans. I drilled #3 deformed rebar into the face of the slab cuts. I then bent the bar (cold) down and the horizontal again to make sort of an "s". This was down twice on each of the 4 faces of the cuts. The concrete plug was notched to make space for the rebar. The ground was compacted and then concrete was poured in. The plug was lowed into position with the crane and leveled. It was left to setup for about a week with the crane bearing the load. After all contraction was done from the hardening concrete, the crane was removed and the plug was grouted back in.


 

Sounds like you went all the way...You retain the title "Plumbing Genius"..


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

slickrick said:


> How did he assure that the concrete block would not settle?... Dow the sides? not an option.
> 
> (A) Some protech metalearlgical marvel clip anchored from the underside?
> 
> ...


 

The answer is..... (A).... :thumbup:


----------



## Regulator (Aug 20, 2009)

Protech said:


> OK fine. I'll spill the beans. I drilled #3 deformed rebar into the face of the slab cuts. I then bent the bar (cold) down and the horizontal again to make sort of an "s". This was down twice on each of the 4 faces of the cuts. The concrete plug was notched to make space for the rebar. The ground was compacted and then concrete was poured in. The plug was lowed into position with the crane and leveled. It was left to setup for about a week with the crane bearing the load. After all contraction was done from the hardening concrete, the crane was removed and the plug was grouted back in.


Protech, you 'da man!


----------



## Lee in Texas (Jun 24, 2009)




----------



## rickmccarthy (Jul 20, 2009)

did you use the infa red for leak detection


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

seesnake and navitrack


----------



## PipeDreamer (Mar 26, 2009)

Very nice


----------



## Kyle181 (Sep 5, 2008)

sweet


----------



## Shuanvon (Aug 5, 2009)

Very impressive, was tunneling not an option?


----------



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

Protech said:


> Rotted out 2" cast iron kitchen line under slab on grade construction. Very common around here. The whole house is wall to wall tile that can't be matched. Relineing isn't an option because there is a 90 that is so bad the liner won't make it thru.
> 
> Solution? Surgical slab repair.


Excellent job! But I have Questions?

1. How did you find the spot to cut.

2. Did you cut dry or wet?

3. Is that you in the picture?


----------



## LoKo498 (Jan 20, 2009)

Protech said:


> Finished product


Nice channel locks


----------



## TheSkinnyGuy (Sep 15, 2009)

and that's why he's the PRO tech. =)


----------



## Mega Smash (Oct 9, 2009)

I'm still baffled as to how the shop hoist isn't tipping forward without the legs on it.

I see the bags of concrete in the last one, but nothing to stabilize it in the first pics.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

1. I sent a seesnake into the line from the newly installed yard cleanout and fished it into that branch line. After reaching the bad section of cast iron pipe I turned on the sonde and located with a navitrack.

That's how we roll at Pro-Tech Plumbing LLC (gotta plug my site ya know?)

2. Dry. I taped off the room with polysheets and shut the central air down. I opened the sliding glass doors and taped in some turbo fans aimed out. That made for a strong breeze in the room and made the rest of the house a negative pressure zone so that all the dust and fumes were pulled out of the slider door. I opened all the windows and doors in the rest of the house. I opted for a dry cut vs. wet because you can't see the grout lines with all that mud in the way.

3. Yes, it is. Surprised at how young I am?



PLUMBER_BILL said:


> Excellent job! But I have Questions?
> 
> 1. How did you find the spot to cut.
> 
> ...


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Not a cost effective one, but yes. That's sort of what was done. I tunneled about 10 feet in both direction from that cut. Luckily, the cast iron had grommeted hubs so I just pulled the down stream side out of the hub that was 10 feet away and shoved PVC back in.



Shuanvon said:


> Very impressive, was tunneling not an option?


----------



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

That's how we roll at Pro-Tech Plumbing LLC (gotta plug my site ya know?)

2. Dry. I taped off the room with polysheets and shut the central air down. I opened the sliding glass doors and taped in some turbo fans aimed out. That made for a strong breeze in the room and made the rest of the house a negative pressure zone so that all the dust and fumes were pulled out of the slider door. I opened all the windows and doors in the rest of the house. I opted for a dry cut vs. wet because you can't see the grout lines with all that mud in the way.

1st post since I'm back from my son in Salt Lake. Saw some beautiful USA Re: Arches National Park, Moab, UT --- Now#2 above. I have a friend who is a volunteer firefighter. The negative pressure you speak of is the old way (smoke removal instead of dust). Two fans are used, The first fan blows its air at the open front door. This is called the air seal fan the 2nd fan is placed in the air stream of the first fan closer to the door. This fan (high speed) creates a positive pressure in the house. So when a window is opened in the smoke filled room. All the smoke exits from that window. One time I tried his therory on a basement jack hammer job with a small basement window open and the fan placed at the door where we entered the basement on the first floor. The positive pressure blew all the dust out the window. Now I have a hydraulic hammer. No dust is being blown around by a air compressor discharge.


----------

