We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but did you also know that all that rain can reveal problems with your outdoor drainage system, including your building garage drains? As a Chicago property manager, it’s important that you stay on top of any drainage problems and know the common reasons that drain pipes fail.
How Winter and Spring Cause Drain Pipe Problems
During the winter, the city of Chicago keeps the roads clear of snow and ice by plowing and applying ice-melt chemicals and sand. These chemicals and the gritty sand are damaging to your drain pipes. Not to mention, mud, cinders, and rocks can get lodged in wheel wells, and when the vehicle rolls over your speed bumps, it can dislodge these items. Once they are on the ground, the heavy spring rains can push them into your parking lot and garage stormwater systems.
Once all of the chemicals and debris find their way into your drainage systems, they may sit there and corrode the metal plumbing pipes. Once there is a rough spot or hole in the pipe, additional debris can get stuck there, which can lead to clogs and flooding in your parking areas.
Understanding Damaged Plumbing Drain Pipes
Rainfall in building and outdoor drainage systems is not a problem in itself. After all, pipes are designed to funnel water away from your building, but the corrosive materials and clogs are a danger to your drain pipes. If you notice that you’re calling a plumber out more frequently than normal to handle drainage issues and repair broken or cracked and corroded pipes, you may want to consider a long-term solution, like pipe lining. This is especially true if your drain pipes are nearing or past their useful lifespans. If you’re not sure how old your plumbing pipes are, consider the age of your building and the last time you had your plumbing pipes replaced.
For Example: If your building was built in 1921, and you have records that state a full pipe replacement was performed in 1970, the plumbing pipes in your building are currently 51 years old. While having 51-year-old plumbing pipes is better than having 100-year-old plumbing pipes, they’re still past their expected useful life.
An Alternative to Replacement
Garage and building drain pipes can be expensive to replace. This is particularly true if drain pipes are installed within the concrete walls and floors of a building’s garage. The good news is there is a less invasive alternative to correcting a building’s corroded drain pipes. That alternative is pipe relining from NuFlow Midwest.
Our pipe relining process has been proven safe and effective throughout the world. It has been used in government buildings, resorts, healthcare facilities, schools, and condominiums. It is safe for potable water pipes as well as drains, including your outdoor garage and parking lot drains. The process takes less time and creates less construction debris than a full pipe replacement. In fact, you may even save money when you consider all the costs involved in a full pipe replacement versus epoxy pipelining, and did you know that epoxy pipelining is considered environmentally friendly? It is!
Here’s How It Works
Nu Flow first scrubs the interior of your drain pipes using an abrasive material. This clears corrosion and reopens pipes, restoring an open flow. We can even help arrange hydrojetting of drains when necessary. Once cleaned, a safe epoxy lining is introduced. This lining coats and strengthens the interior of the drains. It fills any gaps and leaks. Your drains are left with a relined, smooth surface and a 10-year installation guarantee. Tests show, however, that the relined surface is engineered to last much longer. This is done by using a trenchless process that avoids digging up or jackhammering drain pipes from concrete.
Contact Nu Flow to Learn More
Don’t let heavy spring rains cause you problems. Contact Nu Flow today to learn more about our innovative pipe lining services for drain pipes and even potable water pipes in your building. Ask about obtaining a full building pipe assessment that can set in motion a long-term plan for the complete relining of older structures.
To contact us, give us a call at 815-790-9000. We would be happy to talk to you about your plumbing pipe rehabilitation needs.