What do think about epoxy lining for repair of leaking galvanized pipe? Assuming you think it is a viable option, who do you recommend to do that kind of work?
Gerald
Tom: Oh yeah, it’s a great option today, that wasn’t available to homeowners what maybe 15 years ago or so. Ace Duraflo, that’s the name of the system, we have a sponsor Texas Drain Technology. I think they were the first ones here in town to do it. As far as that goes, it started in the military, it spread through commercial and industrial work. Now it’s available to homeowners and basically it’s sandblasting the inside of the pipes. Lining it with a very thin layer of epoxy so the water never touches the pipe again and it cures pipe problems.
Charlie: One of the misconceptions about it though is that they’ll compare this to re-piping and the re-piping estimate seldom includes the repairs.
Tom: Yeah, re-piping and repair, sheet rock repair. Some of the guys will trick you in their ads, I hear it all the time. They’ll say, “We’ll patch the holes.” First off how many holes do you have and secondly patching a hole is only step one. It has to be patched really well of course, but it also has to be painted to match. That’s the part they don’t guarantee because you eventually have to repaint the whole ceiling or the whole room. That can be quite pricey when you have 20 or 30 holes in your sheet rock throughout the house.
Charlie: With the lining system you don’t get that.
Tom: You get nothing, no damage at all. In and out in a couple days.
Charlie: There are fewer access points anyways.
Tom: The access mainly underneath the sinks, behind the toilets.
Charlie: Okay.
Tom: At the water heater. Even at the shower, they hook up to the fixtures in most cases unless you have a pipe that’s so bad they have to replace a small section.
Charlie: There’s a video on the website if you just put in there pipe lining as a search, the video will pop up for you at Homeshowradio.com.
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