Lateral piping is the pipe that running from your home or a commercial structure to the street. It is the pipe that the sewage from your building or home runs through to the city’s sewer pipe and on to the sewage plant.  When there is a break or crack in the pipe, it can leak sewage out into the yard or under your home or commercial building. This is when main line pipe relining is required.

In the past, when these breaks or cracks occurred, the entire landscaping or yard would have to be dug up so that new pipes could be installed. Today, contractors are able to reline the inside of the pipe through one hole, leaving the hardscaping & landscaping intact.

They do this by inserting a liner into the old pipe after determining an entry point by using a camera, video, and tracing of lines. From that point, they guide durable epoxy material through the hole and pipe then inflate it with trenchless machinery.

When Do You Know Your Lateral Lines Are Broken?

If your business structure or home has been experiencing drain problems like pooling water and slow draining, or you noticing offensive odors, most likely your lateral lines are broken or cracked. A phone call to your local plumber is needed and they will determine if your lateral lines have a problem before they reach the city lines. In older parts of cities, sometimes it is on their side of the water meter, which is good news for a homeowner.

Sometimes it is caused by trees and other growth on the homeowner’s property. In that case, the plumber will need to perform root removing and cleaning first and then repair the lateral line. Because of the newer trenchless sewer pipe replacement process contractors are using, there is no longer a need to dig up the yard, sidewalk or streets. This method is non-destructive and less expensive.