Vertical Stack Pipe Rejuvenation

The Problem?

For many decades, Canada has been considered a younger country. The boom of high rise buildings began in the 70’s and 80’ and has not really seen any slow down since.

These buildings are approaching their lifespan when it comes to their cast iron drain stacks that services their sanitary systems.

Unlike water lines, drain stacks are larger in size and the cast iron material used for these types of pipes are not flexible whatsoever. This means that removing and replacing these types of pipes pose major inconveniences.

Many of these stacks are found behind kitchen backsplashes, tiled walls, cupboards and embedded in concrete. Removing these larger cast iron pipes would mean having to remove counter tops and creating large enough holes to safely remove and install new vertical stack systems, and this would need to be done in every living unit!

The cost to go through this process is sometimes unbearable to the average building, and the heavy duty construction work can be daunting and pose major inconvenience for people living within the building. Not to mention the surprises and extra work that sometimes arises when opening up walls to this extent.

The following are some major pain points of old cast iron piping systems:

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Cracking and breaking

Over the years the grease and sanitary build up will eat away at the pipe walls, thus causing integrity issues in some areas. Sometimes it can be minor and sometimes it can be major like a hairline crack traveling through multiple floors.

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Heavy Corrosion

The wear and tear of cast iron pipes will cause major corrosion on the interior pipe walls thus causing build up, flow issues and potential drain blockages which mostly results in floods.

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Very Costly & Intrusive

Most vertical stack systems are between 3” and 4” in diameter, resulting in major construction work to replace these types of pipes. Trying to repair cast iron pipe in smaller sections can result in cracking in other sections, thus going from a minor repair to a major repair.

The Solution!

Aquazen Services possess the technology and training to completely rehabilitate the vertical and horizontal stack systems within any type of building design. Using a specialty engineered polyurea coating, Aquazen can evenly and efficiently rehabilitate the piping system to a better than new product. Keep in mind that this can all be done as a non invasive process, meaning that the walls, countertops, backsplashes and surrounding areas can stay in tact, as we work on our process through the pipe’s cleanouts.

Some of the major advantages found in non invasive pipe renewal are as follows:

  • Non Invasive – Pipes can be accessed through cleanouts through the pipe. The renewal process can be successfully done without any major construction costs or inconveniences to residents.

  • Better Than New Interior – When dealing with vertical drain stack systems in high rise buildings, they are usually found in a wall cavity, which means the exterior of the pipe are not subject to the same elements as underground piping ie: Soil, Ground Water, Tree Roots, Bacteria, etc… For this reason, the outside integrity of the pipe is usually in good condition. By rejuvenating the pipe interior we create a structurally sound, better than new finish, where grease is less likely to build up.

  • Cost Effective – When you add up the heavy duty construction costs, most customers can see cost savings between 30% – 60% all while getting a better than new product.

Polyurea VS Epoxy

Polyurea and epoxy each have their own strengths and weaknesses, so determining which is “better” depends on the specific requirements of the application. However, there are several scenarios where polyurea may be preferred over epoxy:

Rapid Cure Time

Polyurea coatings typically cure much faster than epoxy. Some polyurea formulations can cure within seconds to minutes, allowing for rapid installation and quicker return to service. This is particularly advantageous in situations where downtime needs to be minimized, such as returning plumbing systems back to service at a reasonable time.

Flexibility and Elongation

Polyurea coatings are highly flexible and have significant elongation properties, meaning they can stretch and accommodate substrate movement without cracking or delamination. This flexibility makes polyurea particularly suitable for applications where temperature fluctuations or substrate movement are expected, such as flowing sanitary systems.

Chemical Resistance

While both polyurea and epoxy offer good chemical resistance, polyurea may outperform epoxy in certain chemical environments, particularly in harsh or aggressive conditions such as sanitary systems. Polyurea coatings are often used in chemical containment and secondary containment applications where resistance to a wide range of chemicals is critical.

Seamless and Waterproof

Polyurea forms a seamless, monolithic membrane when applied, providing excellent waterproofing properties. Its fast cure time allows for quick installation of continuous, impermeable barriers, making it ideal for waterproofing roofs, decks, and especially internal piping systems.

Durability and Toughness

Polyurea coatings are known for their exceptional durability and toughness. They exhibit high tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and impact resistance, making them suitable for demanding environments such as the inner works of sanitary and kitchen drain stack systems.

Hot Water Stability

Some polyurea formulations offer better hot water stability than epoxy, resisting chalking, or degradation when exposed to hot water over time. This makes polyurea coatings a much more suitable choice for pipe renewal applications where hot water will be used.

Overall, polyurea’s rapid cure time, flexibility, chemical resistance, seamless application, durability, and UV stability make it a preferred choice in various applications where these properties are essential.

Features Projects!

Take a look at some feature projects that have used our polyurea pipe renewal systems to rehabilitate their piping systems without the need for costly and invasive construction methods.

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BanQ (Montreal National Library)

Problem: Water infiltration due to an old cast iron cracked pipe
Solution: Used polyurea coating to renew all infiltrated cast iron drain pipes without the need to excavation.

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Commercial Center Alexis-Nihon

Problem: Water infiltration and cracking cast iron horizontal drains.
Solution: Descaled and rejuvenated pipe interior to eliminate all scaling, cracking and improve flow.

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Loto-Quebec

Problem: Water leaking due to old cast iron pipes.
Solution: Descaled and rejuvenated pipe interior to eliminate all scaling, cracking and improve flow through the vertical stacks of this high rise building.

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Bank of New York

Problem: Water infiltration causing leaking and flooding in multiple floors.
Solution: Isolated piping system and rejuvenated the interior of the vertical stack systems to a better than new finish. All done with a non-invasive process!

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Southgate Condos

Problem: Water infiltration due to old aluminum and cast-iron vertical drain stacks.
Solution: Isolated drain stack systems from top to bottom and provided a non-invasive pipe rejuvenation process to completely rehabilitate the stack system while providing peace of mind for the residence and board members.

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Multifamily Low Rise Building

Problem: Horizontal Stacks infiltrated and causing major leaking through the building.
Solution: Isolated drainage system while managing the residence water usage and providing a non-invasive cleaning and rejuvenation process for these horizonal drain stacks.