PROJECT CASE STUDY · KERNERSVILLE, NC
A failed cast iron sewer line ran beneath a finished basement. The Pipe Boss restored the line from inside the existing pipe, avoiding excavation through the home.
Cast iron line rehabilitated
Inspection to completed repair
Excavation estimate avoided
Installation warranty
The Kernersville homeowner had been dealing with recurring sewer backups and had already received two estimates exceeding $15,000. Both proposed reaching the damaged sewer line by cutting through the finished basement floor.
Before committing to that level of demolition, the homeowner called The Pipe Boss for another opinion.
Pipe Boss crew preparing the existing cast iron sewer line for trenchless rehabilitation in Kernersville.
Feeding the cured-in-place liner through the sewer access point.
Operating the trenchless sewer lining equipment at the Kernersville property.
The homeowners were dealing with frequent sewer backups from a roughly 30-foot cast iron sewer line running beneath their finished basement slab. Decades of corrosion and scale buildup had narrowed the inside of the pipe, causing recurring clogs and drainage problems.
Before calling The Pipe Boss, they received estimates from two plumbing companies. Both recommended jackhammering through the finished basement to remove the cast iron line and replace it with PVC. Each estimate exceeded $15,000 and did not include the cost of replacing the concrete or restoring the finished living space afterward. Neither contractor offered a warranty on the sewer replacement.
The Pipe Boss began with a sewer camera inspection to determine the actual condition of the line before recommending a repair.
The inspection showed that the cast iron pipe was heavily scaled and restricted but remained structurally suitable for trenchless rehabilitation. Corrosion had reduced the usable inside diameter of the pipe, but the line had not collapsed or broken.
Why this mattered
A structurally sound pipe with severe corrosion can be a strong candidate for cured-in-place pipe lining. That made it possible to rehabilitate this sewer line from inside the existing pipe instead of removing it from beneath the finished basement.
The crew used specialized descaling equipment to remove decades of corrosion and buildup from the inside of the cast iron pipe. This restored the line to nearly its original inside diameter and prepared the surface for lining.
Once the pipe was properly prepared, The Pipe Boss installed a UV-cured cured-in-place pipe liner. After curing, the liner formed a seamless new pipe inside the existing cast iron sewer line. Learn more about sewer pipe lining and how cured-in-place pipe creates a new pipe inside the existing line.
After the liner cured, the required branch line connections were reopened with robotic cutting equipment so the home’s sinks, showers, and toilets could drain normally through the rehabilitated sewer line.
10-year warranty on the completed installation
The Pipe Boss rehabilitated the existing cast iron line without jackhammering the finished basement slab or removing the sewer pipe from beneath the home.
The homeowners avoided interior concrete replacement and finished-space restoration. The trenchless sewer repair approach also saved them thousands of dollars compared with the traditional replacement methods they had been quoted.
For other damaged, restricted, or failing sewer lines, review The Pipe Boss’s sewer line repair options.
The Pipe Boss starts by inspecting the sewer line and identifying the actual cause of the problem. You receive a clear explanation of the pipe’s condition and the repair options that fit it.
The Pipe Boss serves Winston-Salem, Kernersville, and communities throughout the Triad.
Many cast iron sewer lines can be rehabilitated without full removal when the existing pipe remains structurally suitable. A sewer camera inspection helps determine whether descaling and cured-in-place pipe lining are appropriate.
Cured-in-place pipe lining can repair qualifying sewer lines from inside the existing pipe. In this Kernersville project, The Pipe Boss rehabilitated the line without jackhammering the finished basement slab.
Timing depends on the pipe condition, access, length, and required preparation. The on-site repair shown in this case study was completed in one day.
Cured-in-place pipe lining creates a new seamless pipe inside an existing sewer line. The liner is installed through an access point and cured in place after the original pipe has been cleaned and prepared.
The Pipe Boss starts by inspecting the sewer line and identifying the actual cause of the problem. You receive a clear explanation of the pipe’s condition and the repair options that fit it.
The Pipe Boss serves Winston-Salem, Kernersville, and communities throughout the Triad.
