# Soffit Surprise!



## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

close up the soffitt, hang 30" back. messin with that plumbing is going to be a nightmare plus you will spend twice the price of the entire kitchen, just to try messing with plumbing. Sorry but thats the truth
JackM


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## jiggyjack (Mar 30, 2007)

skymaster said:


> close up the soffitt, hang 30" back. messin with that plumbing is going to be a nightmare plus you will spend twice the price of the entire kitchen, just to try messing with plumbing. Sorry but thats the truth
> JackM


Sky nailed it. That pipe is 4 inch for a reason, thats your main drain. It connects to your stool and most likely you sink and tub as well. You cannot downsize it, and to move it can get pretty intricate. If you must move it maybe, and this is a BIG MAYBE it can be pushed into the wall and brought down to the basement and rerouted. If you do this you will have to Fir out your wall to accommodate the 4 inch pipe and will have to cut into one of the cabinets to hide the elbow. Obviously when you opened this cabinet you would see the elbow.

GOOD LUCK!!


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## MinConst (Nov 23, 2004)

Ahhh the surprises in a remodel job. Good luck. I have to agree with rehanging 30" cabs.


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

With 2x8 joist, I wouldn't even try to run anything in the 3-4" inch range, you'll weaken the joist too much.

A friend of mine ordered his cabinets before opening the soffit and found the same as you. He cut the back top corner out of his cabinets, and built a small right angle to cover the inside of the cabinet. His pipes were along the exterior wall, so a right angle about 6" deep and may be 8" high was removed. Now the soffit was inside the cabinet rather than out. While it did cover the drain pipe up, it didn't increase the cabinet volume, and when the doors were opened, it looked odd.

If you goal is to hide the butt ugly soffit, the you could do as my friend and whack on the cabinets, I wouldn't. I wouldn't mess with the plumbing, nothing to gain. The easy way out is to go back with 30's.


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

actually, I think I can stick with the 36's and keep the 4" pipe.

I have 8' ceiling's, and the bottom of the cabinet can be anywhere from 16" to 18" off the top of my counter.

So, if I go with the 36's and stay 18" off the counter, I will be at 54" to the top of the cabinet. That leaves 5 1/2" from the top of my cabinet's to the bottom of the ceiling joist's. All I need to do is make sure the pipe hug's the joist and I still have about 1 1/2" to spare. I will add crown to the top of the cabinet and make from the top of the cabinet to the bottom of the ceilig joist the "soffit". If needed I can cheat the cabinet down some (up to 2") and still be ok. 

Does this make sense?


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

dcd22: I suggest you go back and read all previous posts. You asked for help, 4 professionals replied. There are myriad reasons why you should NOT mess,adjust,malign,annoy or otherwise disturb that plumbing. That said
lots of luck
JackM


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

I am just running an idea by you. I also read a post that said "you will spend twice the price of the entire kitchen, just to try messing with plumbing". With all due respect, moving 3 - 4" waste line's no matter how much work I would need done I do not see costing me $60,000.

I know 6" does not seem like much in the cabinet hight, but it is to us. We are cutting down the # of cabinet's in the kitchen do to the new layout, style and addition that was added. So, adding 36" gives me back some of what was lost. That being said, I am willing to spend some time/money to make it happen as long as it is not an earth shattering #.

I am getting an estimate tonight from a plumber and meeting with my installer also to see what we come up with. I will let you all know and very much appreciate all your idea's and input. I have complete 2 job's now based on info from these board's and value each and every responce.


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

dcd: the fact that you are seeking a professional plumber is very smart and I appluade this. I await the results:yes: 
JackM


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

Thanks Sky.

Here is the end result.

The drain lines can not be moved due to the fact they are so tight, there is no space to gain. The toilet drian comes out into a 45 and then another 45 into the main line. These connections have no space in between them right off the toilet flange. Rerunning down the wall or accross the room will not work as there is either not enough pitch or it would not be correct and not drain right. However, the water supply lines will be moved up. This will give me 5" to the bottom post point of the lowest hanging drain pipe. 

That means that I have 54" from the top of my counter to the bottom of the drain pipe. What we are going to do is hang the 36" cabinet's with an 18" space between the bottom of the upper cabinet's and the counter top. That will give me 5" from the top of the upper to the ceiling. That will be conceiled with crown molding hiding the drain pipe and supply line's. 

The sacrafice here is the 18" from the counter to the upper cabinet BUT I dont think that is a major issue. This is a win win for all, I get 36" cabinet's and the retialer get's to sell me 36" vs. 30's.


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

sounds like you got the info you needed. One other thought, are you going to use std 12 in deep cabinets? You could bump them (or some) up to 15" deep. We have the different depth in our kitchen, i.e. some are 12" deep others are 15"...some are 36 others are 42. Here's some picts...don't know if it's in your style or not...just an idea. The crown isn't installed in the pictures...but you get the idea.


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

that is a NICE looking kitchen!

We are actually using some that are bumped out, it is a nice look. I wish I had the ceiling height to go 36" and 42", but dont.

Nice job on your's!


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

dcd; ur welcome now go git em:laughing::yes::thumbup:
Oh yeah it has been at least 15 mins are you done yet? LOL LOL 
JackM


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

Update on this one.

Had a plummer come over (work's with my cabinet installer) to give me an estimate.

Although the pipe's would be OK where they are, I would have the min. distance between my lower's and upper's so I was still on a mission to move all the drain pipe's that were in the soffit up.

He will be moving them up a total of 3" and replumming the Sink, Toilet and Tub drain. 

In additin to this, he is moving my bas line 6', copper sink supply 3ft, sink drain 3ft and installing a water line for my fridge.

Total cost will be $1400.

I will post some before/after pic's soon.


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## dcd22 (Jul 12, 2007)

Here are some pictures of what I am dealing with and what is going to be done.

THis is what is looks like now. From right to left it is the drain vent for the kitchen sink (will stay) drain for upstair's Sink, Toilet and Shower. The 3" PVC will be taken out and replaced and the copper will be removed and re run. Each will be at least 3" closer to the floor joists.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2526784660056447465iuyEIl

I am picking up the 3" from the hight left between the floor joist and the current pipe. It is hard to tell here but there is actually about 4" between the joist and pipe now.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2685703930056447465UubVqg

The toilet drain will be redone and go direct into the 3" drain once rerun vs. having this elbow into it.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2164606940056447465KDmOJE

THis is where it elbow's doen the wall into the crawl and out. It is a hard picture to get, but if we cut the tope plate we will get 4" to play with. 

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2412601090056447465csbvON

So, in the end this will give me the room I need to put in my 36" cabinet's and this pipe will be covered up by the crown on the top of the cabinets.


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