In a house, the sewer runs from one stack out to the street. In a commercial building it collects from many places at once: restrooms on two floors, a kitchen, floor drains, a mop sink. All of those branches tie into one main, and that main usually runs under a concrete slab.
That is what makes the traditional fix so expensive. Reaching the pipe means cutting the floor, which means closing the part of the building above it.
Lining avoids the floor entirely. The catch is the branches: when a liner cures, it seals the main into one continuous pipe and closes every connection feeding into it. Those openings have to be cut back out from the inside, one at a time. That step is called reinstatement, and it is the reason most contractors will not line a commercial main.
How we do itAfter the liner cures, a robotic cutter is sent down the main. It carries its own camera, and the operator drives it to each branch, finds the dimple where the connection sits behind the new liner, and mills the opening back open. Every branch is restored before we leave.
Where a branch line is also failing, we line that too, then cut it back into the main the same way.
Lining works when the pipe still holds its shape and the camera can travel the full run. Cracks, separated joints, root intrusion and corroded cast iron are all good candidates.
It does not work on a collapsed section, a line the camera cannot pass, or a main with a severe belly holding standing water. We will tell you that from the inspection rather than after the invoice.
Driveways and sidewalks stay completely untouched.
Turf, gardens, irrigation, and trees left intact.
Most trenchless repairs are wrapped in a single day.
Usually yes. The liner is installed through existing access points and cured in place, so the slab stays intact. The connections that feed into the main are then cut back open from inside the pipe with a robotic cutter.
When a liner cures inside a main, it seals over every branch connection feeding into it. Reinstatement is the step where each of those openings is milled back open from inside the pipe, so the branches drain again. It is the part of commercial lining that most contractors are not equipped for.
Most of the building stays open. The affected line is out of service while the liner cures, so we plan the work around your hours and around which fixtures tie into that run. Tell us what cannot go down and we will build the sequence around it.
It depends on the length of the main and how many branch connections have to be reinstated. Many jobs are done in a day or two. We give you a schedule after the camera inspection, not before.
If a section has collapsed, if the camera cannot travel the full run, or if the main has a severe belly holding standing water, lining will not solve it. In those cases we quote excavation or pipe bursting and say so up front.
Yes. We work commercial properties throughout Duluth, Superior, Hermantown, Proctor, Cloquet, Two Harbors and the surrounding Twin Ports area from our shop on Rice Lake Road in Duluth.
The thing people say most: they couldn't tell we were ever there.
Based in Duluth at 4958 Rice Lake Rd. We service homes and businesses across Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Enter your address to see how quickly we can be there.
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Travel times are typical and vary with traffic and weather. For service outside this list, please call.
A camera inspection takes 30 minutes and tells you exactly what's wrong and what every option costs. Most people are relieved by that conversation.
No commitment · Same-week availability · Serving Duluth and the surrounding region
