When you own a house, there is an understanding that the structure you have made your home is going to need repairs every once and a while. A broken window, a clogged drain, or a leaky roof are minor disasters that will happen at some point. But sewer line replacement is a home repair project that should be addressed, as the nature of the job can cause quite a bit more upheaval than a simple broken window. The repair team will need to do a some work just to gain access to the pipes. Wondering what you should know about the whole pipe repair process? Read below.

So, how old is your home?

Now, if your home is fairly new, it is unlikely there is any need for a sewer line replacement, unless you have a tree close to the house with particularly strong roots. But a house that has pipes that are more than 40 years old should certainly have a sewer line inspection. These may cost between $250 to $350, but where weakened pipes are concerned, forewarned is forearmed. Very old homes (built before 1970) used what was known as “Orangeburg” pipes, which are made with compressed wood fibre held together with a water-resistant adhesive and treated with tar. Surprisingly, it is not conducive to long-term wear and tear.

But I don’t want to destroy my yard!

No one wants to tear up the landscaping they have put hours of work and money into, and thankfully there may be another option. Sewer line replacement has come a long way in the past 15 years, and it can save some trouble to do more research about the project before committing to anything. The traditional method of digging up ground to access the pipes is destructive, and can be costly to fix.

Trench-less sewer repair. What is it?

Trench-less sewer repair allows for a weakened pipe to be repaired by installing an adhesive sleeve inside, instead of a complete sewer line replacement. The process does work better as a long-term patch job, but if there is no need to actually replace the entire pipe it can be a time- and money saver.

A repair job that takes less time than other options is a no-brainer; it allows you to get back to enjoying your home. Because sewer line replacement is a home repair project you may not have much experience with, it is important to research your options. You may be pleased with what you find.