Are you having serious problems with your drains? Do they block or clog up repeatedly? Have you been told your drainpipes are broken, cracked, damaged or collapsed? Has a plumber done a camera inspection of your drains and shown you how bad they are?
If your drains are in bad shape you basically have two alternatives to fixing the problem. First you can dig up the damaged sections of your drains and have them replaced with new drains. However there might be many reasons why this is not possible. The damaged section of your drains could be under a building, such as a house, garage, shed, office, retail store, factory, etc They could be under a driveway, garden bed or even a swimming pool. There are many cases when it is simply impossible to dig up your drains. Even if they are accessible, the cost of digging them up can be horrendous. Usually drains are dug up using excavators but if you can't access the property with one, then the only other alternative is to dig them up by hand. If they are a sewer drain they can be more than 2 metres deep - that means a massive great trench in your backyard. Then after you've dug up and replaced the drains, you have to then restore the garden or lawn or whatever area was dug up!!
The other alternative is to have your drains repaired by relining them from the inside. This is a "no-dig" alternative that is less costly and less damaging to your home, office, warehouse, factory or retail store. Advances in relining technology mean that a badly damaged drain can be restored to better than it's original condition, in just a few hours at far less cost and damage than the alternative of digging up and replacing your drains.
How Drain Relining Works
The first action is to evaluate whether your damaged drainpipes are suitable for relining. Your drain clearing specialist will put a CCTV camera down inside the drain to inspect it and record footage of the condition of the drain. The footage is then carefully assessed to work out the exact condition of your drain pipes, where the problem areas are and what it will take to reline them.
The in-drain camera footage is also assessed to work out what preparation works might need to be done to clean and clear the drain before relining. If the drain has tree root intrusions these will need to be cleared using high-pressure water drain jetting equipment or other methods. Any other blockages will also be removed before relining to ensure that the new drain lining will adhere correctly to the existing drainpipe walls.
Once the drain is assessed as being suitable for relining, a special new drain lining is cut and prepared to exact length and dimensions required for the drain. If the drain has bends or junctions in it that are damaged, then a new lining is made that matches the shape of the junction or bend.
The lining is then soaked with a special resin and pulled into place through the existing drain pipe. The lining has a bladder inside it that is inflated once the liner has been carefully positioned exactly into place. The bladder remains fully inflated until the resin in the lining has hardened and cured.
This means that the new lining is now firmly attached to the inside of the drain pipe and takes the exact same shape of the original drain.
The new lining is smooth and has covered all the gaps, holes, cracks etc in the broken or damaged drain, so that water and other things will flow through it smoothly without blocking. The lining is also very strong, in fact stronger than the original drain! So tree roots can no longer get into your drain.
Your new drain lining is guaranteed for 50 years, so you have nothing to worry about.
When your drain has been relined, your drain relining expert will conduct one final CCTV camera inspection inside the drain to show you that it is all smooth and working perfectly!
The Pros of Drain Pipe Relining
Pipe Relining Has Excellent Results
When you have relined your drain pipes, you have a stronger, smoother flowing drain. You are unlikely to have any future issues with your drain pipes as they will be even stronger than the original drainpipe. They are 100% leak-proof and tree roots have zero chance of invading the pipe if the lining is installed correctly.
The Process is Safe
Drain pipe relining is a "trenchless" procedure that is entirely safe as no digging is involved. So your property is not damaged. This also means there is no risk of damage to any services such as phone cables, gas pipes, electrical connections or anything else under the ground. Relining your existing pipes doesn’t disturb anything on your property.
No Extra Costs for Restoration works
Because drain relining is a trenchless pipe relining process, you don't have to pay any additional costs to repair driveways, paths or landscaping like you would if you had your drains dug up and replaced.
Suitable for Small or Large Jobs
With drain relining, any size job can be done. Relining can be done as a small patch on just a short section of pipe right up tto an entire sewer or stormwater drain. Adn because drain relining is a simple and practical solution, it can done even on hard-to-access drainpipes on a property.
Pipe Relining is Quick
Drain pipe relining is a much faster process than replacing drainpipes. Often the entire relining process can occur within one day. Of course, this can depend on how big the drain relined section will be and various other factors but compared to drain replacement, relining is a much faster and time-efficient process, making it much more cost effective too.
Lifetime Warranty
Expert drain relining companies like The Drain Man offer pipe relining services to both residential and commercial properties and our work carries a lifetime warranty.
When might Pipe Replacement be necessary?
There is really only one downside to drain pipe relining and that is that occasionally it may not be possible. If the drain is very seriously damaged, completely collapsed and/or has significant sections actually missing, it can be very difficult to reline, if the integrity of the original drain pipe is very poor.
We have been able to save many very badly damaged drains in the past by relining them, even when the owner or other plumbers said it couldn't be done. (We don't walk away from tough jobs and will always find a solution.)
Despite our expertise and over 30 years experience relining literally tens of thousands of drains, there are occasions when drain pipes will need to be replaced rather than relined. While storm water and sewer pipes are durable, they don’t last forever and if they are severely damaged, relining or other repairs may not be possible. Replacement may be the only options.
If your drains have severe tree root intrusions it may not be possible to remove them all and reline the drains
If your drain pipes are fully and completely blocked with something like large amounts of concrete for example or if they are really seriously destroyed you will have to replace them. Usually this involves excavation of the drains, digging large trenches and employing a team of workers. It can take a few days to complete the task of digging up the drainpipes, removing them and laying down new pipes, followed by filling in the trenches. This method can be way more expensive than drain relining and then you’ll also be up for the cost of restoring your garden and paved areas.
Don’t suffer ongoing and recurring problems with your drains. And don't spend a fortune on replacing them if its not necessary. Make the call to a reputable drain relining service like The Drain Man and have your drain pipes assessed for relining. Your job will be completed to the highest standard and with a lifetime warranty, you will have peace of mind for the years to come.
If you have any questions about pipeline inspections, drain clearing or pipe relining at your premises, contact our friendly team. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can.
Drains relined by TDM carry a Lifetime Warranty.
