Moving Toilet in Condo

[MiamiRob]

I live in a condominium and I am planning the renovation of a bathroom. I would like to know if it is possible to replace the existing toilet, which is floor mounted, with a wall-mounted toilet. And install the wall-mounted toilet about 6 inches to the left of the current toilet location. I would like to move the toilet to the left so that I can expand the width of the shower that will be to the right of the toilet.

Thank you very much.

Rob

 

[hj]

It is MUCH, MUCH, much easier to move a floor mounted toilet 6" than it would be to install a wall mount there.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

How many floors in the condo?
Which floor are you on?
Do the bathrooms stack?
Are the bathrooms back to back?
Wood frame construction or concrete?

 

[MiamiRob]

How many floors in the condo? >>There are 22 floors in the building.
Which floor are you on? >> I am on floor 14

Do the bathrooms stack? >> Yes, the bathrooms stack. The bathroom in which the toilet is located is a bathroom connected to the second bedroom. All units in the building have this same bathroom in the same location.

Are the bathrooms back to back? >> No, the bathrooms are not back to back. The master bedroom is on the other side of the wall on which the toilet is located. In other words, if I am standing facing the toilet, I am looking at a wall. If I could look through that wall, I would be looking into my master bedroom.

Wood frame construction or concrete? >> Inside the wall there are metal studs every 18" or so. (I have seen renovations underway in other units so I know what is in the wall.) There is some type of painted wallboard on the bathroom side and painted drywall on the master bedroom side.

Some additional information: The ceiling in the bathroom is dropped about a foot, I think. If the ceiling were to be removed, I would see pipes from the bathroom in the unit above coming through the floor and dissapearing into the wall.

Thank you for responding to my post. I appreciate your help.

Sincerely,
Rob

 

[Terry]

Imagine something like this for the entire 22 floors.
You will have a waste stack, and a vent stack, with a revent from that toilet over to the vent stack.
If you open the wall, there may be a lot of stuff there.

You have concrete floors, reinforced with post tension cables. If any cutting is done, you will need to X-Ray the floor to make sure you don't cut on of those.

More than likely, you have cast iron no-hub pipes for waste.

Are you sure you want to move that over?

 

[FullySprinklered]

If what you're asking is possible, you would have to make friends with the folks in the unit below you. That's where much of the work would be done, angling the pipe over to the new location. If it were me I'd tell you to kiss butt. Note that I'm not sure how your condos are put together and this comment is predicated on your floor being 4" poured concrete, etc.

 

[MiamiRob]

Terry and fullysprinklered,

Thank you both for the information and advice. You are both telling me what I do not want to hear... To move the toilet, even if a wall-mounted model is used, I will have to get involved with my neighbor downstairs. Involvement with the neighbor is something I had hoped to avoid by using a wall-mounted model. fullysprinklered, the floors are 4" or perhaps 6" poured concrete. Terry, I realize that x-rays would have to be done.

Based on what you both have written, assuming I gain access to the bathroom ceiling in the apartment below, moving the toilet is probably achievable. But I really do not want to have to deal with the neighbor downstairs. I guess I need to start thinking about cutting into the closet on the other side of the bathtub wall so a larger shower can be created without having to move the toilet.

Thank you very much. I most sincerely appreciate your time and advice.

Rob

 

[Gary Swart]

Have you checked with the condo association? There usually are legalities that have to be dealt with before any renovation or remodeling can be done. If it is OK to do this, your next step would be to hire a licensed contractor to analyze the job and give you advice and price estimate. I can assure you that if you can do the job, it will be mega pricey.

 

[bjwat]

Thanks for everyone's information here. Very helpful forum. I look forward to your responses.
I have a similar situation. 6th floor of an 11-floor condo with 6+ inches of concrete (the building manager claims 12" (it is my state's first-built condo building, so i could see how it might have such thick floors). Metal studs, but with 2-foot cavity behind wall to work with. Stacked.

I need to move my toilet 6-8 feet to the right to allow for a double vanity. If I build a channel underneath the vanity, and as long as i keep adequate slope and venting, can I not come off the side of a wall-hung toilet, underneath the vanity soffit, and into the original floor drain?

If not, why not (specifically)? No one seemed to answer the fellow's questions above: is it possible to replace the existing toilet, which is floor mounted, with a wall-mounted toilet?

Thanks!
Bobby

 

[hj]

There is so much piping that would have to be changed, PLUS steel stud walls are NOT strong enough to support a wall hung toilet by themselves that it would be a very expensive revision. Depending on HOW the piping is arranged in the wall a "rear outlet floor mounted toilet" MIGHT be an option, but even that would be difficult to just move 6" because of the size fittings that would be needed.