When it comes to home maintenance, taking care of your drains probably isn’t at the top of your list. However, this often-overlooked aspect of your property is essential to its function, appearance and value. By checking your drainage system regularly and undertaking improvement works when necessary, you can protect your home and your investment.
What is Drain Relining?
Drain relining is a process which fortifies drains and improves their performance. Using specialist tools, a waterproof liner is placed within the drain. This acts as a protective layer and prevents existing damage from affecting the functionality of the pipes. Commonly described as putting a ‘drain within a drain’, all water or liquid flowing through the pipe is encapsulated within the liner. Once in place, the newly lined drain functions optimally and allows liquid to flow through without leaking or spilling into other areas.
Before drain relining can be effective, it’s essential that the pipework is cleared of any debris. With drain unblocking, high pressure jetting systems can clear blockages in seconds. What’s more, drain jetting is a safe way to clear pipes without risking further damage to the drains.
What are the benefits of Drain Relining?
This form of maintenance is one of the most popular ways to improve drainage systems and pipework. Drain relining offers a wide range of benefits, both to homeowners and commercial property owners. When you have your drains repaired or upgraded using relining, there are numerous benefits to enjoy, such as:
Resolution of leaks
When drains become old or damaged, tiny cracks appear. These may not even be visible to the naked eye when the pipe is removed and examined but they are enough to allow the contents of the drain to seep into other areas. Typically, this kind of drain damage results in slow leaks, which can cause significant harm to surrounding land and property. When a drain liner is fitted, however, the cracks in the old pipework become irrelevant. As the contents of the drain are now encased within the liner, there is no risk of cracked pipes causing a leak.
Reduced risk of collapse
Once a drain is starting to show signs of damage, the risk of collapse increases significantly. Over time, the strength and structure of the pipe will become weaker, eventually leading to a total collapse. When this happens, it can have catastrophic effects. Generally, the contents of the drain will quickly spill over into the surrounding areas, causing extensive leaking and flooding.
By relining drains, however, the old pipework is no longer actually in use. Although it remains in situ, there is no pressure on the old pipework as no water or liquid is flowing directly through it. As such, the structural integrity of the drain is not worsened. Furthermore, subsequent minor degradation of the old pipe has no impact on the functionality of your drainage system, as all liquids flow through the liner.
No-dig drain repair
As well as being an effective form of drain repair, relining is quick and cost-effective. As a no-dig repair, engineers will not need to excavate the existing pipework in order to fit a liner. Instead, advanced technology is used to inspect the drain in situ and install the protective liner.
This significantly reduces the cost, time and hassle involved in repairing your drains and means there is minimal interruption to your daily life. While a collapsed drain typically means a full excavation is required, drain relining can prevent this from happening and will enable you to access stress-free no-dig drainage solutions.
How is Drain Relining Carried Out?
Before a liner is fitted within your drains, technicians will inspect the affected pipework carefully. Specialist CCTV equipment is used to look inside the drains and examine the pipes. By visualising the drain and assessing the extent of the damage, experienced contractors can determine if drain relining will provide a long-term fix for your drainage issues.
Depending on the outcome of your CCTV drain survey, engineers will evaluate where a liner needs to be placed and which portions of the drainage system have been affected. In some cases, just one drain may have been affected by an ingrowing tree root, for example. In others, old pipework may mean extensive relining is required.
Once you’ve approved the planned work, a technician will begin installing the liner within the drainage system using no-dig technology to facilitate easy access.
Protecting Your Home and Property
Dealing with an unexpected leak or drain collapse is time-consuming, expensive and potentially harmful to your health. In addition to this, it can cause irreparable damage to your property and your belongings. With drain relining, however, you can ensure your drainage system is functioning optimally at all times and reduce the risk of leaks, pipe failures and flooding.
