An underground 100mm clay drainage pipe undergoes a DIY repair by a homeowner in the United Kingdom after ground movement during building work caused two cracks to appear, one of which was severe enough to almost split the pipe into two separate parts.

Case Study Overview

Site Domestic property
Location United Kingdom
Pipe Type 100mm clay drainage pipe
Repair Type Leak repair
Products Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

Clay was a popular material for drainage pipes in the United Kingdom from the early 20th century until the 1970s, when plastic started being more widely used as it became easier and cheaper to fabricate and install.

High resistance to corrosion and chemical degradation gives clay extreme durability and longevity, with an estimated lifespan of 60 and 100 years. Many UK homes built before the 1970s are therefore still serviced by working clay pipes.

One weakness of clay pipes is they are susceptible to damage from ground movement. Leaks only become noticed when a patch of ground becomes waterlogged.

A homeowner was carrying out building work when an area of their garden began suffering from this problem. After digging down, they discovered a dislodged 100mm clay drainage pipe with two areas of significant damage.

One crack was next to a junction and had almost split the pipe into two separate parts. The junction and uneven surface meant it would not be possible to repair the pipe using a clamp.

The other damage area was a hairline split along the top of the pipe. The homeowner wanted to seal both leaks and reassemble the pipe to avoid the cost and disruption which would come with replacement.

SylWrap Solution

A SYL-412-NP SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit was used to seal the leaks and attach the pipe back together. Before the repair, enough room was dug out underneath the pipe to allow clearance for wrapping.

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty was used to fill both cracks. For the hairline crack, the putty was mixed and pushed firmly down across the top of the pipe. It cured within five minute to cover the leak with a super-strong, steel-like material.

More putty was mixed and forced into the larger gap where the pipe had nearly separated, bridging the crack with a watertight material bonded to both pieces.

The pipe was then overwrapped with SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap created a rock hard outer sleeve encompassing the entire length of exposed pipe, both reinforcing the repair and helping hold the two broken pieces of clay drainage pipe back together.

Outcome

Completing the repair took under 30 minutes and cost less than £50 – a huge saving compared with removing the pipe and installing a replacement.

The homeowner contacts Sylmasta afterwards to say that the repair had worked perfectly and the products were great and easy to use.

Follow Up

With many clay drainage pipes installed to service UK homes before the 1970s now beginning to reach the end of their natural lifespan, Sylmasta expect repairs like this to be more common over the coming years.

Products Used

Superfast Steel
Fast working epoxy putty sets rock hard inside cracks and holes in clay drainage pipes

SylWrap HD Bandage
Water-activated wrap reinforced the repair and helped hold the pipe back together

Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Steel and SylWrap HD are supplied together in a Standard Pipe Repair Kit

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