You're in So-Cal, and it sounds like your budget is driving you towards--what's the PC phrase--UNdocumented workers? =:O I'm in So-Fla, where EVERYTHING is built on concrete slab. (Figured they wouldn't allow that in earthquake country, but what do I know...) I've had several showers rebuilt on cast iron drains, NO PROBLEM-O.

There's various remedies if the top end is "rough", but yours doesn't look bad at all. Sounds like you're dealing with SCARED AMATEURS. You might have to buck-up and call a REAL plumber, or locate an excellent online pictorial I once saw on how to build your own shower pan. (OTOH, it's scary making mistakes in concrete, lol.)

RE: Shower CURB--brings back memories... curb built up of now-rotted wood covered with cement board and tile, all relying, FOOLISHLY, on the water-tight integrity of narrow-line GROUT, lol.

Anyway, the way to build the NEW curb is with CONCRETE. Nothing exotic or high PSI, just a bag of Sakrete sand mix. Form up your curb so that when poured, that whole edge of the new shower pan is underneath and LOCKED INTO the concrete! SHAZAAM! Water-tight for life! Take away the wood forms and tile right on the concrete! Now when the grout eventually leaks--and it will--no worries... water is contained in your MONOLITHIC concrete shower pan!

(Come to think of it, you might want to do ALL FOUR SIDES of the shower stall/pan like that, since you have so much rotted wood anyway, and set the new studs atop the wraparound "curb"... hmmm... )

RE: Capped drain--I doubt that was the WM "french" drain, as they usually just pass through the wall the WM is up against (check w/ the neighbors who still have it). That cap is pretty far from the walls... I'm thinking previous shower or toilet?... unless the walls have been moved and slab extended?

Anyway, the cap has a big slot in it to facilitate unscrewing. Then you can snake around, or call someone with a high-tech "sewer-cam". Or just leave well enough alone... remember what always happens to Indiana Jones when opening up ancient portals, LOL!

Your profile page makes "budget" redeco'ing sound fun, and I know the thrill of scoring a "deal" on tile and drywall work... but cutting corners on PLUMBING and ELECTRICAL can bring injury, pricey property damage, and general woe.

PS: Your electrical work is... close to the shower... hopefully a pro will weigh in on its code-worthiness.

GOOD LUCK... I don't think there's anything wrong with your cast iron drains... above grade anyways.

Oh my Gosh, Fixizin!

My sincerest apologies for not coming back to the Plumber Forum a day or two after I posted. I checked for responses later in the day and saw that this forum is much slower than the Bathroom forum and also saw only one or two people responding so I went and reposted my post on the Bathroom Forum.
Never thought to recheck here-- I'm so sorry!

Your response made me smile from ear to ear on top of being so helpful!

Funny you mentioned those workers because after the man left, the man that wouldn't touch my cast iron drain, I shouted to anyone who would listen "I'm about ready to hire one of the guys waiting around for odd jobs work in the Home Depot parking lot! "

Long story short, the County Registrar's office is less that two miles from my home. Next to it is the Community Development Department.
Since I had to make a visit to the Registrar's office I walked over to the Community Development Offices to personally explain our situation and ask who to call to come over and survey/diagnose the mold/mildew issue and then to install a shower pan.

The man that came was the second name on the list.

But I tell ya, after the no-shows after setting up appointments, the people who won't deal with mold, the people that won't deal with cast iron and the people that don't even return my call because it's not a complete gut and bathroom remodel, I've seriously considered a couple times about hiring one of them thar 'UNdocumenteds".
Nah, I won't. It's just the total frustration talking.

I did find out from a neighbor down the street, this bathroom was built in 1973.
The way the whole addition was put together, the water damage and unbelievable stench we found in our closet after removing the baseboards in there from the water in the shower leaking/wicking up that shared wall, I'm thinking this shower has been leaking from the get-go.

For all the years we've been in our home we've learned a lot, I mean, a Lot about repairs.
We've done it all ourselves with the exceptions of the new roof, copper pipe throughout the main part of the house and the new electrical panel (with dedicated for microwave, fridge, etc.) put on the side of the home that is accessible to the meter reader.

We even installed our own windows and added a slab out the back door so that we didn't have to walk in mud to get to the garage.
All tile, drywall, cabinet frames, room enhancements of all kinds, we learned and did (some real Laurel and Hardy moments while learning, that's for sure! lol) ourselves.

Before starting the bathroom gut I had read nights for at least 3 months, hours and hours of reading, research, buying plumbing and tile books and honestly felt when it came to the new, enlarged shower, we'd have noooo problem tackling it ourselves.

All was going rather well and for the most part, very few surprises. Little burps were handled by asking on the bathroom forum and we were on our way to a new bathroom.

Standing there side by side, removing the tile in the shower and as the tiles literally crumbled off, I look at husband, he looked at me, dead silence and his comment...
"Houston, we have a problem".

Your response was light-hearted, a joy to read and at the same time, very informative! And once again I've got courage, I feel we can continue with the bathroom ourselves.
I will send your response right now to my husband's email at work.
Bet he'll have some questions for ya.

Thank you, thank you so very much!
Amity

Because of a flu-type bug that ran willy-nilly through our home, the bathroom/shower was put on hold.

Now that the weekend is upon us we plan to work non-stop on the bathroom, working on everything BUT the drain.

Unless of course someone here would be so kind as to instruct us on our shower drain situation.

Keep in mind that my husband moved our kitchen sink from one end of the kitchen to the other, water lines and all, and was rather proud of his perfectionism.

But this shower drain thing really has us both frozen.

A couple weeks ago my husband tenderly chipped away all the hot-mop and cement around the shower drain.
These photos show what we are left with.

My questions:

1. Do we remove the bolts and the whole top flange (I think that is what it is) and replace? Or do we cut and replace the pipe further down. We are on cement foundation, single floor home.

2. What do we replace it with?
I mean, there are different types of pipe so I'm hoping to find out which is easiest in this situation.

3. Any 2-part shower drain will do?

We have someone coming in to give us an estimate on a hot-mop, Monday.
Seems nobody will do anything with the drain but they will hot-mop if all the preliminary work is done---meaning, drain in place, 18 inches of wall shored up from shower floor, etc.

If that doesn't pan out we are going to bite the bullet, save up a few more weeks and do the Kerdi membrane.

Any and all advice, tips and recommendations will be so appreciated!

Here is a link that might be useful: More boring drain photos

HEY-ooo! How's it goin? I'm not sure why the REAL plumbers have not checked in... paging lazypup, paging bus_driver... damsel in distress, come in... ;')

Anyway, I don't want to go overboard trying to map my limited So-Fla experience onto your So-Cal situ... now that I see your drain from ABOVE, not the side with a rag in it, it does look a bit gnarly, but still a lot of "meat" on it...? I don't remember that type of flange on mine... might have some photos... hmmm.... I guess the weep holes are in the part still to be added?

There are many after-market PVC sleeving solutions for cast-iron toilet drains, so I'm guessing similar gizmos exist for the shower, should you have to cut-down the top end of your cast iron.

That Kerdi system looks intelligent, and there are several websites with how-to photos. Looks like they've got a PVC part that mates up to the cast iron. In any event, you're going to be mixing up concrete and mortar in various sized batches, and creating gentle slopes. Might want to practice by making a little dog-wash slab in the backyard, lol.

Anyway, the hot-mop step sounds UNnecessary if you use that Kerdi membrane system. Still, you are right to be focused on how to cleanly and tightly mate that drain to your pan-system. I'd study a dozen books and websites... and then find out where Habitat For Humanity is working in your area this weekend... watch Duh Pros do it! ;')

Look at it this way: WORST case, if you really bollocks it up on your first attempt, it won't be any harder to chisel out than your old one, LOL! Seriously though, do your new curb in concrete.

>>>>PS: Your original gallery now requires a PASSWORD... no longer visible.

Well Helloooooo Fixizin!

Can't thank you enough for your responses to my situation.
I'm going to end up with a little stack of printed sheets and I'll label it "Fixizin's Fix-Its". LOL

If the guy giving us an estimate on the hot-mop doesn't show on Monday, that's when we'll bite the bullet and do the Kerdi.

How can one drain cause two people so much anxiety --- and we thought our grandson kept us up nights. This drain thing has him beat! *s*

I'm in Southern Calif. on a cement foundation so I'm thinking our situations are similar?

I used your email link through this site to send you an email.

bump ... did you ever get any help with this drain?