Aging Sewer Infrastructure Affects Homeowners, Not Just Municipalities

CINCINNATI, Ohio, August 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Do you know what condition your sewer pipe is in? Put this question to most residents and business owners in the Cincinnati Tri-State area and the answer will be no. And most will show no interest in pursuing the question further.

The fact is, we all take our sewer pipes for granted - until they don't function as they should, and we are confronted with the olfactory or physical presence of sewage in our homes or businesses.

Can you imagine coming home to find your beautiful finished basement covered in sewage? That is exactly what happened to the couple who bought a beautiful new home in Blue Ash, OH. Three months after moving in, their sewer backed up destroying their gorgeous finished basement. Unfortunately for the new home buyers, this is actually a common scenario.

What if you found out that repairing your sewer pipe involved digging up your neighbor's property? This happened to a customer whose sewer pipe ran underneath the neighbor's garage. Digging to repair the sewer pipe would have meant destroying the neighbor's garage floor, which our customer would have had to pay to restore to its original state or better! Thankfully, digging was not required.

There is no cause for panic, but there are 2 key things private individuals should know when it comes to their sewers: firstly, how old is my sewer pipe and secondly, how much of it am I responsible for as the property-owner?

We should also all be aware of the signs of a failing sewer pipe:

    --  Visible water damage to the walls or ceiling
    --  Frequent, unexplained toilet backups
    --  Slow-draining water in the sinks and tubs
    --  Cracking of your driveway or porch
    --  A new dip in your yard

If your neighbors are having sewer issues, then odds are you soon will too.

What to do if you are buying or selling a home or suspect sewer pipe damage:
If you are planning on selling your home, you should have your sewer checked before putting your home on the market, to avoid unpleasant surprises that could slow or halt the sale of your home.

If you are a home buyer and the sellers do not provide a sewer inspection report, you should certainly have it checked before making your offer. Find a company that will camera the pipe and provide a video recording of it. The company should then be able to tell you what to expect in terms of reliability of the pipe down the road.

If you suspect your sewer pipe may be clogging up (refer the "signs of a failing sewer pipe" above), then contact a sewer-repair specialist and have them camera the pipe to determine the best repair options for you. Sewer repairs should only be undertaken by sewer professionals who are trained to work with the health and safety hazards involved.

What does a Sewer Pipe Repair look like?
You know those yards you see with a mound of dirt going from the house to the sidewalk? That is what traditional sewer pipe repair looks like. Traditional sewer pipe repair involves digging up and replacing the entire pipe (or, if you are comfortable with a temporary fix, any broken sections of the pipe). So whether the sewer pipe runs under a tree, a porch or a driveway, whatever is above it will have to be removed in order to access and replace the pipe.

What if the excavation and destruction of your property wasn't necessary? Most sewers can be restored virtually permanently by lining them instead of digging them up.

Sewer lining is faster, cleaner and vastly less destructive than having to dig things up, not to mention the fact that sewer lining provides you with a complete and brand-new sewer pipe that will last at the very least 50 years. It's not a temporary fix.

The best advice is to be prepared: if you smell sewage in your home or business or are concerned that your water isn't draining as it should, consider having your sewer pipe checked; understand how much of your sewer pipe you are actually responsible for; and if you need sewer repair services contact a company that will show you what you are dealing with and offers pipe lining as an option.

CME Pipe Lining in Cincinnati has over 20-years' experience in sewer repair. Contact CME at http://www.cmepipelining.com or 513-672-8302

SOURCE CME Sewer Repair