Pipe coating — also called pipe lining or cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) — can be applied to many common residential pipe materials, but not all. The method works well in most clay, cast iron, ABS, PVC, and some copper drain and sewer lines. It’s not appropriate for every pipe condition or diameter, and an accurate camera inspection is essential before any lining project to confirm the pipe is a good candidate. Done’s drain and sewer team performs the camera inspection, evaluates the pipe, and recommends the right repair approach — which may be lining, partial replacement, or full excavation depending on what we find.

What Pipe Coating and Lining Actually Does

Cured-in-place pipe lining involves inserting a flexible, resin-saturated felt liner into the damaged pipe, inflating it against the pipe walls, and curing it with heat or UV light until the resin hardens into a smooth, rigid tube within the original pipe. The result is essentially a new pipe inside the old one — typically with a slightly reduced interior diameter, but with a smooth epoxy surface that flows better than a corroded or root-roughened original pipe.

The process is trenchless: access is through existing cleanouts or by excavating a small access point, rather than digging a trench the full length of the pipe. For homeowners in Denver with mature landscaping, finished basements, driveways, or concrete flatwork over buried sewer lines, the trenchless advantage is significant — full excavation can mean removing a driveway, killing trees, or opening up a finished basement floor.

Pipe Types Where Lining Works Well

Lining is a well-established solution for several pipe materials common in Front Range homes:

  • Clay tile sewer pipe: Extremely common in Denver homes built before the 1970s; clay is brittle, prone to root intrusion at joints, and often offset by decades of soil movement from Colorado’s expansive clay soils — an ideal candidate for lining when the pipe body is still mostly intact
  • Cast iron drain lines: Interior corrosion and scale buildup reduce flow; lining seals the corroded surface and restores smooth flow without removal
  • ABS and PVC sewer lines: Less commonly lined since they’re relatively modern and durable, but lining is possible for isolated cracks or joint separations
  • Concrete sewer lines: Large-diameter lines (more often in commercial settings) can be lined, though residential concrete sewer pipes are less common

When Lining Is Not Appropriate

Pipe lining has clear limitations. It cannot be used when:

The pipe has collapsed sections — lining requires a pipe that retains enough structural shape to hold the liner during inflation and curing. A fully collapsed pipe segment needs excavation and section replacement before lining can address the rest of the run. Heavy root intrusion that has deformed the pipe walls, rather than just growing through joints, presents the same problem.

In Colorado, expansive clay soils are a consistent culprit in sewer line damage. The soil swells with moisture in spring and shrinks in dry months, and the repeated movement can offset pipe joints significantly over decades. A pipe with severe joint offset may not be a lining candidate — the liner can’t navigate a sharp misalignment without risk of failure.

Lining is also not a substitute for a pipe that needs full replacement due to end-of-life deterioration across its entire length. The camera inspection distinguishes localized damage (a good lining candidate) from widespread deterioration (a replacement candidate), and Done will show you the camera footage and give you an honest read on which situation you’re dealing with.

Longevity and Warranty

Quality CIPP liners, when properly installed, are rated for 50 years of service life by most manufacturers. The epoxy resin is highly resistant to root re-intrusion, because unlike clay pipe joints, there are no gaps for roots to exploit. The smooth interior also resists grease and debris accumulation better than corroded or roughened original pipe surfaces.

Colorado’s soil chemistry — high clay content, mineral-heavy groundwater — doesn’t adversely affect the cured resin liner, which is one reason lining has become a popular option on the Front Range for homeowners with aging clay or cast iron sewer laterals.

Getting a Camera Inspection First

No honest contractor should quote pipe lining without a camera inspection first. The inspection determines whether lining is appropriate, identifies the access points needed, and gives you footage showing exactly what’s happening inside the pipe. Done’s sewer team performs camera inspections as the starting point for all sewer line evaluations. Visit our pipe lining page for more on the trenchless process, or explore our full sewer services including camera inspection, hydrojetting, and traditional repair options. Financing is available for larger sewer line projects.