Cover Over Floor Drains

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I would like to lay new flooring (vinyl) down in my basement and I’m wondering if it’s okay to floor over the existing drain and clean out.

Currently I have a clean out at base of waste drain from bathroom on first floor against wall. I also have floor drain in furnace room. I have a backflow preventer under porch in cold room with clean out. I also have a clean out and a drain on the floor in the main living space in the basement but I’d like to floor over this area with new vinyl flooring.

Can I do this or do I need to cut out holes in new flooring so drains are easily accessible? Are there any codes in Ontario or Toronto regarding this?

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (3)

PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
5 years ago
Drains/cleanouts should always be accessible. If you cover it and you need to get to it you will have to remove flooring.
SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
If you GLUE DOWN the vinyl (like sheet vinyl....picking up what I'm putting down???) is fine. You simply glue it down to the edge of the drain and then fit the access cover over top. Just like you would tile.

If you want to FLOAT the vinyl.....then you better have a way to access it. Home insurance gets a bit picky if they find out the water damage was made worse (or possibly made worse) or was 'preventable' if the clean out had been made accessible.

I'm not overly concerned with 'code' on this one. You have plenty of clean outs and drainage areas....it's the HOME INSURANCE that will be the issue. Nothing like doing $20K worth of work, and then have insurance deny you coverage because drain access was covered up by something pretty.

If you have the ceiling height, (ahem....like 8'+ basement ceiling), you can look at using a subfloor system like Dricore. You can have a 'hatch' built into the panels that sit over top of the clean-out. That way you leave it accessible AND you maintain a flat floor for FLOATING flooring.

Oh yes. A floating floor cannot sit over a floor with a drain...the slope around the drain causes MUCH upset with floors that have a 'click' edge.

A Framer/or flooring pro could do the work for you. It isn't horribly difficult but it takes some precision and some measuring (a whole schwack of measuring) and some problem solving to get a hatch built.

I'm in Vancouver BC BTW...I get the want to keep to code. The best place to find that is at your local city hall...assuming you are allowed to leave your home and wander into public buildings right now.
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worthy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

The City is not sending out inspectors. But, as mentioned above, you can bet the insurer will if you make a flood damage claim.

When I build new, I try to have the slope towards a laundry or utilities room where the drain will be less intrusive.

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assuming you are allowed to leave your home and wander into public buildings right now.

Phone and email only.

More than a year that way in a city above Toronto. Since it has helped reduce per capita Covid-19 deaths to half that of the star-spangled, riotous conglomerate to the South, not complaining.