Roof-Drain Relining Methods

Traditional Methods

• Traditional methods for relining pipes are simply too inefficient and often messy and expensive. These methods are more commonly used in fixing sewer pipes and usually involve digging down to where the pipe is to replace it. However, roof drains built into the building, and not simply attached to the outside, are prone to the same type of treatment. Locating the source of the problem and fixing it at that point is extremely difficult and not very cost-effective.

Epoxy

• One of the more common methods for relining a roof drain pipe or a sewer line is to create a fabric liner saturated with an epoxy resin. This liner is inserted into the drain pipe and is either pulled all the way through so that the fabric covers the entire length of the pipe, or to the point where repairs need to take place. The epoxy resin dries and creates a smooth inner lining for the pipes that's hard and corrosion resistant.

Pipe Bursting

• Pipe bursting is a slightly more complicated and time-intensive method for relining drain pipes. Although this method is primarily used for underground sewer pipes, it can be used in other situations. Pipe bursting involves using a hydraulic machine to pull a new full-sized drain line through the hole where the old drain line already exists. This method would be helpful in situations where the roof drain is built into the architecture of the building. The new drain is pulled through the hole, while the hydraulic machine breaks up the existing pipe along the way.

Advantages

• The advantages to these type of relining methods is that they eliminate the need to perform costly replacements. They also take less time and require less clean up than full-replacement methods. A pipe can typically be relined in about three hours time. When epoxy liner is used, it reduces the inside of the pipe only slightly, which does effect water flow, but this is minimal. The replacement is usually stronger than the original pipe, and will outlast it in terms of longevity.