Repairing a cracked or collapsed drain used to mean digging it up. On a Cape Town property that often meant breaking through a driveway, a paved courtyard or an established garden, then reinstating everything afterwards. Pipe relining avoids nearly all of that. It rebuilds the damaged pipe from the inside, through existing access points, and in most cases leaves the surface above completely untouched.
What is pipe relining?
Pipe relining — also called drain relining, or CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) — installs a new structural lining inside your existing pipework. A resin-saturated liner is drawn or inverted into the damaged section, pressed tightly against the host pipe, and left to cure into a hard, seamless thermoset sleeve. The result is effectively a new pipe formed within the old one, sealing cracks, open joints and root entry points in a single operation.
Because the liner is continuous, it removes the joints that most root intrusions and leaks exploit in the first place. Wall thickness costs you a small amount of internal diameter, but the smooth cured surface usually restores or improves flow compared with a scaled, corroded original pipe.
When relining is the right repair
Relining suits pipes that are damaged but still structurally continuous — the liner needs a host pipe to form against. It is typically the right call for:
- Cracked or fractured pipes that have not lost their shape
- Open or displaced joints causing leaks and recurring blockages
- Tree root intrusion through joints, once the roots have been cut out
- Corroded or scaled older pipework with a rough internal surface
- Drains running beneath driveways, buildings, paving or mature landscaping
It is not a universal fix. A fully collapsed drain, a severely deformed pipe, or a section with a major misalignment generally cannot be relined, because there is no sound host pipe to cure against. In those cases a patch repair, a pipe burst replacement or a conventional excavation is the honest recommendation. Any contractor who quotes relining without first inspecting the pipe is guessing.
The relining process, step by step
1. Survey the drain first
Nothing gets relined before it has been seen. A drain camera inspection establishes where the damage is, how long the affected run is, what condition the surrounding pipe is in, and whether relining is viable at all. It also gives you a recording of the pipe’s condition before any work starts.
2. Clean and prepare the pipe
The liner can only bond to a clean surface. Scale, grease, root matter and sediment are stripped out using high-pressure water jetting, and any remaining roots are cut back flush with the pipe wall. This preparation stage does more to determine the quality of the finished liner than any other part of the job.
3. Install and cure the liner
The resin-saturated liner is fed into the prepared section and inflated so it presses firmly against the host pipe. It is then left to cure — at ambient temperature, or accelerated with hot water, steam or UV light depending on the system used. Curing times range from around an hour to several hours, driven by liner diameter, resin type and ground temperature.
4. Reinstate and verify
Once cured, the inflation equipment is withdrawn and any junctions covered by the liner are reopened by cutter. A final camera run confirms the liner is continuous, correctly seated and that all connections are clear. Insist on seeing this post-installation footage — it is your proof the repair was completed properly.
How long does relining take?
Most domestic relining jobs are completed within a day, including preparation and curing. Drains are out of service while the liner cures, so we plan the work around your household or trading hours and confirm the downtime window before starting. For restaurants and commercial premises this is usually the deciding advantage: an excavation could close you for several days, whereas relining generally does not.
Relining versus digging up the drain
Compared on the pipe repair alone, excavation can look cheaper. The comparison changes once reinstatement is included — breaking out and replacing a driveway, paving, retaining structure or landscaping is frequently the largest line on an excavation quote, and it is a cost relining largely avoids. Access matters too: a pipe running under a building or a boundary wall may be impractical to excavate at any sensible price.
The trade-off is that relining depends on a suitable host pipe and on thorough preparation. Where those conditions are met it is usually the faster, less disruptive and better-value repair. Where they are not, excavation remains the correct answer. Cured-in-place pipe methods are well established internationally — the technical background to CIPP is worth a read if you want the engineering detail.
Talk to Drain Blasters about pipe relining in Cape Town
If a drain on your property keeps blocking, is leaking, or has been flagged in a pre-purchase survey, the first step is a camera inspection so the problem is diagnosed rather than assumed. We will tell you plainly whether relining is appropriate for your pipe or whether another repair is the better option. Explore our drain clearing services in Cape Town, or contact us on 021 439 4086 to arrange an inspection.
