Pipe Patching vs Pipe Relining

Understanding Pipe Repair Alternatives

Damage to your drain pipe, whether due to age, tree roots, or ground movement, necessitates immediate repair to prevent leaks, blockages, or complete breaks.

Rather than the traditional approach of extensive excavation and pipe replacement, modern methods like pipe relining and pipe patching offer effective no-dig solutions without huge costs or property disruption.

Pipe relining reinforces and seals cracks by installing a new liner within the damaged pipes, whereas pipe patching employs epoxy resin to fix small sections. At Paddington Plumbing, our licenced and experienced team stays up-to-date with the latest trenchless relining pipe repair techniques to provide these services across Sydney.

Pipe relining and patching both rejuvenate pipes while sparing your garden, driveway, and outdoor areas from excavation damage. They offer cost-efficient repairs suitable for various pipe materials, sizes, issues and locations. We’ll assess your plumbing system with our drain cameras and advise the best no-dig method for your situation, including for broken pipe scenarios.

Exploring Pipe Relining

Pipe relining, also called Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) lining, is an efficient no-dig repair method that creates a 'pipe within a pipe’ using a flexible tubular liner impregnated with epoxy resin. This resin-saturated liner, or tube inside, gets inserted into the damaged pipe then inflated and cured to form a smooth, seamless and watertight new inner pipe.

The materials, typically corrosion-resistant plastics, are stronger than conventional ones and bond robustly to the existing pipe walls. Pipe relining is effective at repairing cracked leaking pipes, blockages in broken pipes or collapsed sections in all common pipe materials like clay, concrete, iron and PVC across diameters from 50mm to 300mm.

Pipe relining revitalises pipes from within, offering an extended lifespan of 20 to 50 years. It avoids expensive and disruptive digging, working for different pipe types and issues where pipe replacement isn’t necessary.

Opting for Pipe Relining: Ideal Scenarios

Pipe relining is recommended when there is extensive damage spread across larger sections of your piping system. As it renews pipes from the inside, pipe relining works well for issues that are otherwise pipes difficult and disruptive to access if full pipe replacement was needed.

We advise pipe relining when:

• The pipe damage extends beyond one metre
• Multiple leaks or cracks exist along a section of pipe
• Pipes under driveways, gardens or built structures are deteriorating
• Restoring flow in blocked drains requires internal pipe repairs

Pipe relining modernises your pipes internally, circumventing the need for excavation that could damage outdoor or indoor areas. It also prevents the cost and upheaval of full pipe replacement.

CCTV drain cameras help us inspect the damage, allowing us to advise whether pipe relining is your ideal solution. Get in touch if you suspect pipe issues so we can assess if relining can restore your plumbing.

Steps in the Pipe Relining Procedure

The pipe relining process is a trenchless method that renews pipes from the inside out. Here are the key steps our team takes:

1. First we use CCTV drain cameras to inspect the pipe’s interior and locate damages.
2. Next, we measure the pipes and tailor a resin-impregnated felt lining tube for insertion.
3. Our technicians feed this lining tube through the pipe and inflate it like a balloon, pressing it firmly to the old pipe walls.
4. UV light or steam curing transforms the resin lining into a smooth, seamless and corrosion-resistant new pipe formed within the old one.

By inserting a pipe lining rather than digging trenches, we avoid destruction to outdoor areas or flooring. Pipe relining also prevents the major expense and disruption of full pipe replacement. We keep our work as unobtrusive as possible when restoring your plumbing.

Whether your pipes are cracked, blocked, misaligned or deteriorated, call Paddington Plumbing to understand why we recommend trenchless pipe relining to renovate them without invasive excavation. We service all areas across Sydney with advanced no-dig repair techniques.

Understanding Pipe Patching

Pipe patching, a targeted repair method, effectively mends small, contained sections of damage within sound pipes. It applies an epoxy resin compound directly to leaks, cracks, holes or fractures in the pipework.

We recommend pipe patching when:

• There is a small, single damaged area less than one metre long
• Minimal pipe replacement is needed to restore watertightness
• Accessing the damage won’t require significant digging or destruction

Pipe patching conserves resources by sealing specific problem areas, unlike the broader scope of pipe relining. It’s ideal for quick repairs to leaks and cracks before they become larger issues. We can despatch our drain specialists to assess if patching is suitable for your plumbing damages without excavating your property.

Selecting Pipe Patching: When Is It Appropriate?

Pipe patching is the preferred solution for minor, localised damage to otherwise functional pipes. As it seals leaks and cracks locally without replacing entire pipe sections, pipe patching saves time and money compared to relining.

• There is a single crack, hole or leak less than one metre long
• The pipe damage is easily accessible under homes or driveways
• Your drainage pipes have localised fractures but aren’t deteriorating overall

Pipe patching directly fixes small problem areas, avoiding the excavation and destruction of your outdoor spaces. It provides an affordable repair before minor issues become larger cracks or pipe collapses.

Speak our Paddington Plumbing experts if you notice damp patches, bad pipe odours or slowing drains. Our team can assess if patching the damage is the optimal no-dig solution to restore your plumbing.

Outline of the Pipe Patching Process

Pipe patching is a straightforward, non-invasive process our team follows to repair isolated areas of damage:

1. First, we use CCTV drain cameras to inspect the pipe interior and pinpoint the exact location of cracks, holes or leaks.
2. We then clean the damaged section thoroughly and prepare the pipe surface for resin application.
3. A two-part epoxy compound gets mixed and applied directly to fill cracks or seal leaks using specialised equipment.
4. The resin cures rapidly to create a permanent, watertight patch bonded with the pipe.

Direct application of resin patches isolates repairs, thus steering clear of extensive pipe replacements or complete relining. It’s a faster, more affordable repair method before small issues expand or leaks cause property damage.

Pipe patching also prevents the extensive process pipe excavation under homes, gardens or driveways just to access and replace short damaged sections. Speak to our team at Paddington Plumbing to learn what pipe repair method - patching or relining, is the best trenchless solution for your plumbing repairs.

Contrasting Pipe Relining and Patching

While pipe relining and pipe patching both offer trenchless methods to restore pipes without digging, they differ in their scale and application.

Pipe relining involves fully renovating extensive sections of pipe by installing a sturdy new liner inside the old pipe. This comprehensive repair is best for addressing widespread deterioration or damage across larger areas.

In contrast, pipe patching seals isolated, contained leaks or cracks directly while leaving intact sections unaffected. It’s a faster, more affordable option for minor localised damage.

We would recommend pipe relining when:

• Cracks and leaks affecting pipe segments extending over one metre
• Entire pipe sections need structural reinforcement to prevent collapse
• Severely blocked drains require full-scale internal restoration

Pipe patching is preferable when:

• A single small leak, hole or crack less than one metre needs fixing
• Only a short, accessible section of piping is compromised
• General drainage function is fine apart from a minor fracture

Contact Paddington Plumbing for an evaluation of your pipes, where we can discuss whether relining or patching is the best no-dig repair for your needs. We’re happy to assess your pipes and provide trenchless solutions to restore functionality.

Cost Comparison Between Relining and Patching

When comparing the costs of pipe relining vs pipe patching, both trenchless methods provide savings over traditional pipe replacement requiring extensive excavation. However, there are price differences depending on the scale of damage.

For extensive damage, pipe relining costs typically range from $150-$250 per linear metre, with full home projects costing $5,000 to $15,000. Exact pricing depends on the length of piping needing renovation, pipe dimensions, access issues and other variables.

For more contained repairs, patching pipe averages $200-300 per square metre. Small leaks or cracks can often be sealed for $1000 to $3000, avoiding deeper demolition that replacement would need.

Though more costly upfront, relining rejuvenates pipe integrity for an additional 20 to 50 years. Patching is suited for localised fixes before small problems expand over time. When deterioration is caught early, both methods prevent much greater long-term expense from leaks or collapses.

Contact our team at Paddington Plumbing to discuss whether pipe relining or patching makes best financial sense to remedy your plumbing issues. With trenchless repair methods, we can restore functionality without blowing the budget.

Timelines

Pipe patching offers a rapid repair timeline to seal isolated leaks or cracks within hours or days. After inspecting the damage, we mix and apply curable epoxy resins that set hard within 60 minutes to create permanent patches.

The pipe relining process generally takes 1-3 days with careful planning around your property use. We need time to custom-cut the liner then install airbags and curing equipment. Steam or UV light curing then hardens the liner over several hours before restoring flow.

Compared to the potential weeks of work needed for full pipe replacements, both patching and relining provide fast in-place repairs. Patching offers faster solutions for urgent leaks, addressing small issues before they worsen.

Call the team at Paddington Plumbing when you notice sewer pipe issues, and discover why we are the go-to experts for your plumbing needs. We’ll assess the damage and advise if immediate patching or scheduled relining will best restore functionality.

Longevity

The durability of pipe relining is notable, potentially extending drainage pipe lifespans by an additional 20 to 50 years. The solid cured liner forms a new pipe within the existing one, ensuring long-term structural soundness.

In contrast, pipe patching has a shorter repair lifespan of 5-10 years typically. Effective for short-term fixes, patched sections may need further repairs if the adjacent pipe deteriorates.

Ultimately, pipe relining is the more sustainable option. By fully restoring extensive pipe lengths from the inside out, it prevents the need for repeated repairs or major replacement down the track. Pipe patching is ideal for quick, cost-effective repairs but lacks the enduring reinforcement offered by relining.

Our Paddington Plumbing team can inspect your pipes and recommend whether the resilience of relining or the swiftness of patching meets your repair needs. Both methods avoid digging up large sections of pipe, but only relining gives superior durability to prevent problems recurring.

How to Decide on the Appropriate Pipe Repair Technique

When faced with pipe issues, consider the following factors when deciding between patching or full-scale relining:

• Type of damage – Is it extensive deterioration across sections of piping, or just an isolated leak/crack?
• Repair urgency – Does a rupture or blocked drain need rapid patching, or can relining be scheduled?
• Accessibility – Can the damaged sections be reached easily without major digging/destruction?
• Budget – Does patching’s affordability or relining’s longevity suit you better?
• Property impacts – Will repairs require demolishing outdoor areas or flooring?

Analyse the pipe damage specifics, repair timeframes and potential impacts on your home. Contact Paddington Plumbing to inspect your issues then advise the best trenchless repair method - whether fast patching for contained problems or robust relining for widespread renewal.

Questions to Ask Your Plumber

When consulting with plumbers about potential pipe repairs, ask questions to determine which trenchless method - relining or patching - suits your situation best.

Key questions include:

• What are the causes behind my pipe damage and failures?
• Is a full pipe replacement necessary, or can no-dig repair be applied?
• Based on the issues and my location, would you suggest pipe relining or patching?
• What preparation or property access is needed for the job?
• How long do these repairs take and what is the process?
• How much disruption will the works cause?
• Could you provide a cost comparison of relining versus patching?
• How long do the repairs last?
• Do you guarantee your pipe relining and patching quality?

A comprehensive understanding of the damage, repair solutions, procedural impacts, and the durability and cost-effectiveness of each method will guide you to the best repair choice. Contact the team at Paddington Plumbing to schedule an on-site drainage inspection and no-obligation quote.