How a no-dig repair works
The pipe is cleaned first, usually with high pressure water jetting, so the liner can bond to sound pipe wall. A resin-soaked patch or sleeve is then positioned at the defect using the camera and pressed against the pipe while the resin cures. Once hard, it forms a new, jointless section inside the old pipe.
Everything happens through existing chambers or access points. Driveways, paving, lawns and walls above the pipe are left alone, which is why lining is usually the first option we look at on residential and commercial sites.
When no-dig is the right choice
- Cracks, fractures or small holes in an otherwise round pipe.
- Displaced or leaking joints that let roots or water in.
- Root intrusion that has been cut back and needs sealing off.
- Defects under driveways, extensions or other surfaces you do not want lifted.
- Pipes where the damage is local rather than along the whole run.
When excavation is unavoidable
A liner needs a pipe to hold its shape around. If a section has collapsed, the camera cannot pass or the pipe has deformed severely, the only reliable fix is to expose it and replace that length. The same applies where a pipe has sunk and holds standing water; lining it would reproduce the dip and the blockages that come with it.
Excavation is also used when a connection needs rerouting, a new chamber is required or the original pipe was laid at the wrong fall. It is more disruptive, but it lets the engineer rebuild the drain properly rather than line a problem that will come back.
How the two compare in practice
- Disruption: lining works from inside the pipe; excavation lifts the surface above it.
- Reinstatement: lining leaves surfaces untouched; excavation needs backfilling and making good.
- Scope: lining suits local defects in round pipes; excavation handles collapse and poor fall.
- Evidence: both should be based on CCTV footage showing exactly where the defect is.
- Checking: both should be followed by a camera run to confirm the repair.
Patch or longer liner?
Within no-dig repair there is a further choice. A patch liner covers a short, specific defect, such as a single cracked joint. Where damage appears at several points along a run, a longer liner can be more sensible than a string of patches. Our guide to patch lining versus full relining goes into that choice in more detail.
Getting the right repair
Curran Drainage carries out no-dig patch lining and excavated drain repairs across West Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife and Lanarkshire. We survey first, explain what the footage shows and recommend the method that suits the pipe, then check the finished repair on camera. There is no call-out charge.
If you already have a survey report from another company, send it over with your enquiry. Call 07427 195142 to talk it through.
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Questions we get asked
Is no-dig repair as good as replacing the pipe?
For suitable defects, a cured liner forms a sound new section inside the pipe. It is not suitable for collapsed or badly deformed pipes, which need replacing.
Can you line a pipe under my driveway?
Usually, yes. That is one of the main reasons to choose lining, because the work is done from the chambers and the driveway stays in place.
How do I know which method I need?
A CCTV survey of the damaged section shows the type and position of the defect, which decides whether lining will work.
Does root damage always mean digging?
No. Roots are usually cut back first and the entry point sealed with a liner, provided the pipe still holds its shape.