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I'm going to jackhammer my basement's concrete floor to install plumbing for a new bathroom.

Normally, after the plumbing is done, we should pour concrete to it again.

What will happen if I just "cover" it with something (plywood? with tiles on top) so I don't have to jackhammer the floor again in the future, should I need access to the plumbing?

Will I get weird condensation / water problems?

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    Will you have exposed dirt/soil under this plywood cover?
    – mikes
    Sep 2, 2015 at 20:05

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A good practice is to pour a solid concrete slab over the sewer pipes. Any exposed wood would eventually rot, especially if all you have under it is a dirt floor.

These installations are tricky. Common problems are that the pipes are not vented properly, they aren't pitched correctly, or the type and/or size of the pipes is incorrect. You should also make sure that there is at least one drain cleanout installed. This will allow access to the pipes if they become clogged.

Here is a guide which will show you the basic steps involved: http://www.familyhandyman.com/bathroom/remodeling/how-to-plumb-a-basement-bathroom/view-all

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There should be no issues as long as you reinforce the floor with some joists, preferably connected to existing floor joists or the foundation. It would be no different than a basement under your bathroom.

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  • And therein lies the problem. To properly support joists, you have to use a structure under the joists ( footer or beam and piers are the most typical). The slab gets support by distributing its load on a packed base.
    – HerrBag
    Sep 4, 2015 at 12:32

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