Just what are trenchless technologies, and how do they work to restore underground pipe lines? How can I tell what solutions are best for my broken pipes?

Dealing with a cracked, deteriorated or aging pipe system is never easy. With the wrong repair techniques, you could wind up spending thousands of dollars on remedial landscaping, labor and materials.

This is where non-invasive, single application trenchless repairs are worth their investment. Pipe lining, manhole-to-manhole curing and pipe bursting can repair significantly damaged pipes with ease, and end up costing you a fraction of what traditional, digging repairs would.

Not sure which solutions are right for you? In this blog, we outline the main trenchless pipe repair technologies, so you can make more informed decisions as to what option is best for your damaged pipes.

General-Purpose Pipe Lining

The “standard” trenchless repair option, cured-in-place pipe lining, makes use of epoxy-resin, liquid lining material to physically cure over damaged pipe segments. Form-fitted to existing pipe walls using air bladders, lining material can solidify within as little as two hours. This provides a fast, affordable and non-invasive alternative to excavation repair methods.

Using either existing entry points or small, non-destructive boring holes, trenchless experts can apply pipe repair solutions from within, and cure entire new pipe segments with efficient ease. This is the perfect solution for underground home and property pipes damaged by:

• Weathering
• Cracking or fissures due to sudden temperature drops (freezing water)
• Root intrusion throughout a pipe
• Pipe decay with age
• Chemical deterioration
• Poor installation techniques

Pipe Bursting

General pipe lining, however, isn’t the best solution for all damaged pipes. In the event of full, severe pipe collapse, more intensive pipe repairs may be required. Fortunately, innovations in trenchless technology make it possible for repair specialists to fully replace severely damaged pipes without the digging hassles of conventional repair, in a technique known as trenchless pipe bursting.

Pipe bursting is the trenchless solution for significant pipe fracturing or collapse. Using directional boring equipment, trenchless specialists physically fragment failed pipe lines using a steel, cone-shaped bursting head. This head is designed to push fragmented pipe debris outward, and leave an open path for replacement pipe segments attached to the wide end of the bursting head. This process can often be completed in a single day, and saves homeowners thousands every day in fully replacing damaged pipe sections.

Sectional Point Repair and Manhole-to-Manhole Lining

Trenchless, cured-in-place pipe solutions go beyond basic pipe lining; specialized repair options can be used to repair entire municipal sewer lines under your property, and cure over isolated, single-incident pipe intrusions with ease.

Manhole-to-manhole pipe lining is the trenchless answer to damaged sewer lines, and is used by trenchless professionals nationwide to restore cracked municipal pipe systems. Through existing manhole entry points, pipe repair specialists can cure entire new sewer lines within pipes on your property, in a process that avoids 100% of the costly, invasive digging required in traditional repairs.

For certain pipe damages, full pipe relining or bursting would be impractical, and require more work than necessary. Sectional point repair is the perfect solution for pipe damages limited to joints, localized damage or isolated intrusions. Whether your damaged pipes are made of clay, iron, wood or PVC, sectional point repair offers efficient, low-cost pipe repairs that can be completed in mere hours, and save you hundreds in digging and unnecessary landscaping costs.

Trenchless technology solutions are designed with minimal digging and homeowner savings in mind. Trenchless can help you avoid many of the high costs of conventional pipe repair, including:

• Intensive labor requirements, spread over multiple days
• Replacement pipe material and equipment needed for full-scale digging
• Remedial landscaping, to counter the damage of digging
• Future repair needs; trenchless, epoxy-liner repairs provide peace of mind for over 50 years to come, and form in-place as single-bodied, dependable new pipe segments

If you’re currently dealing with broken pipes on your property, don’t wait to resolve the issue. Putting off professional pipe repairs will only make matters worse, and end up costing you more at the end of the day.

To learn more about innovative trenchless technologies, and find out what solutions are ideal for your underground pipe repairs, contact the pros at Express Sewer & Drain today.