In cured-in-place lining, a flexible tube saturated with resin is pulled or inverted into the cleaned host pipe, inflated against its walls, and cured until it hardens. The result is a continuous pipe inside the old one, with no joints for roots to find along the lined length.
Because the liner takes the shape of the pipe around it, lining is a good match for cracks, open joints and root intrusion in a lateral that is still round and on grade. It is a poor match for sags, collapses and badly offset sections, which the liner would simply reproduce or cannot get through.
Good and poor candidates
Lining usually fits
- Roots and cracks at many joints along a straight run
- Pipe still round with no missing sections
- Steady slope with no standing water
- Access from a cleanout or a small pit at each end
Lining usually does not fit
- A belly or sag that holds water
- Collapsed or crushed sections
- Large offsets the liner cannot pass
- Missing pipe wall with soil exposed over a long stretch
What lining involves
- Clean thoroughly.Roots, scale and debris are removed, often by jetting or mechanical cutting, so the liner bonds to a clean wall.
- Inspect and measure.A camera confirms the pipe is suitable and measures the exact length to be lined.
- Install the liner.The resin-saturated tube goes in through the cleanout or an access pit and is pressed against the pipe wall.
- Cure.The resin hardens by the method the system uses. The line is out of service during this time.
- Reopen connections.Any branch connections covered by the liner are reopened from inside.
- Final camera run.The finished liner is inspected for wrinkles, gaps and properly reopened connections.
Questions to ask about a lining proposal
- Does the camera show any sag, collapse or offset the liner cannot handle?
- Exactly what length will be lined, from where to where?
- Which branch connections will be covered, and how will they be reopened?
- How will the transition to unlined pipe at each end be sealed?
- Will I get the before and after footage?
Common questions
Does lining require digging?
Often only at access points, and sometimes not at all if a usable cleanout exists. A small pit may be needed at one end depending on the layout.
Can a lined pipe get roots again?
The lined length has no joints for roots to use. Roots can still enter old, unlined pipe beyond the ends of the liner.
Is lining permitted in Placentia?
Permit requirements depend on the work and location. Check with the city, and ask the contractor who will obtain any required permits.
General information for Placentia, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.