If you are the Chicago property manager of a multi-story, multi-unit residential building that needs a partial or complete plumbing pipe replacement, you’ve probably looked into numerous solutions to stop the leaks and water damage. One of those solutions should be CIPP pipe lining. CIPP stands for Cured-in-Place pipe liners, and when installed properly, they are just as durable as replacement pipes. The trick is ensuring that each pipe liner attains maximum CIPP adhesion.
Adhesion VS. Bonding
If a pipe lining expert tells you that their pipe liner bonds to the host pipe, he is being slightly misleading. When bonding occurs, the two materials essentially become one material through a chemical reaction at the molecular level. This means that once bonded, the two materials cannot be easily separated if they can be separated at all. A common example of a chemical bond would be when two hydrogen molecules attach themselves to an oxygen molecdule. When this happens, we get H2O or water.
Adhesion, by contrast, is two items that fit together extremely closely, usually with the help of an adhesive. An example would be when you glue two pieces of wood together. You spread the adhesive on one or both pieces of wood then press them together. The two pieces of wood do not combine into a single piece of wood. Instead, they are stuck tightly together with help from the adhesive. Pipe lining works very similarly.
CIPP Adhesion
CIPP Adhesion is a critical component in the pipe lining process. Without proper adhesion, the pipe liners can slip out of place and/or allow water to penetrate behind the liner, which can lead to further pipe corrosion. To avoid this scenario, our professional pipe restoration experts start the process by determining if your pipes can be relined. This involves a complete camera inspection, which is part of our building pipe assessment.
The CIPP Pipe Lining Process
If your pipes are good candidates for our pipe restoration services, we ensure maximum adhesion by thoroughly preparing your pipes to accept the liner. This process includes thoroughly cleaning all the debris and corrosion from the insides of your pipes and slightly roughing the surface. The rough surface creates pits or voids that the liquid adhesive can fill in order to help ensure a strong adhesion. The entire liner is then coated with a liquid epoxy resin that is designed to soak through the pipe liner. A second rough surface is then created by scoring the material.
The new pipe liner is then threaded through the existing host pipe and inflated with a bladder. The bladder presses the liner tightly against the host pipe, which allows the epoxy to spread and fill all the voids or tiny pits created when the surfaces were roughed. Once cured, the pipe liner hardens and seals against the host pipe, which prevents slippage and further corrosion of the host pipe. Pipe lining success for years to come.
CIPP Lining with Nu Flow
Our professional pipe liners at Nu Flow Midwest, serving Chicago, can help determine if lining your pipes would benefit your building and add longevity and durability to your existing plumbing pipes. We personally guarantee our work for 10 years, and the pipe liners and epoxy coatings that we use to restore plumbing pipes has been tested in laboratories and may last up to 50 years, which is comparable to the expected lifespans of new plumbing pipes.
To schedule a pipe assessment to see if CIPP pipe lining would be right for your residential building in Chicago, call us at 815-790-9000.