Pipe relining: what it is, what it claims to do, and why we think it is often the wrong answer.
Pipe relining (also called CIPP — cured-in-place pipe) installs a new resin-impregnated liner inside an existing damaged pipe. A flexible felt tube soaked in epoxy or polyester resin is inserted, inflated to press against the pipe walls, and then cured — using UV light or steam — until it hardens into a new pipe inside the old one. The appeal: no excavation, no digging up the yard, lower cost than pipe replacement.
When pipe relining is appropriate
There are legitimate applications for pipe relining. Inaccessible pipe sections where excavation would require major structural disruption — under a slab, beneath a road, or through a finished basement. Short spans with localized damage in an otherwise sound pipe. Situations where the cost and disruption of traditional pipe replacement genuinely outweigh the limitations of relining.
Our concerns with pipe relining as a general solution
It reduces interior diameter. The liner takes up space inside the pipe. A 4-inch pipe relined with a standard liner becomes effectively a 3.5-inch or 3-inch pipe. For a line that was already functioning marginally, this reduction in flow capacity matters.
It does not address root cause. If roots entered through a crack, the crack (now under the liner) is still there. Roots can enter at the ends of the liner or through new penetrations. If the pipe is deteriorating due to corrosion, the deterioration continues in the host pipe around the liner.
Liner failure is possible. If the liner delaminates or separates at a joint, it can create a new obstruction or a gap where waste pools. Liner failures are harder to diagnose and address than original pipe failures.
It is frequently oversold. The drain service industry markets relining as a premium solution that avoids the mess of excavation. In our assessment from camera inspecting hundreds of pipes: a pipe that needs relining usually needs replacement.
What we recommend instead
When the camera inspection shows a pipe that is at end of life, we tell you straight: replace it. We refer you to a plumber who can assess trenchless replacement options (pipe bursting, which also avoids excavation in many cases) or traditional open-cut replacement. It is not the answer you want to hear. It is the honest one.
Call Sunburst Environmental at 678-799-4389 for same-day service across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, or request a free estimate online.