Getting blocked drains and broken pipes repaired can be a complex process even when it’s at a house where there is easy access to drains and pipes. But when it comes to strata plumbing issues at apartments blocks, you’re facing even more complexities. Not only are there multiple plumbing stacks to contend with, but you also have to factor in and coordinate a large number of different tenants to get the repairs done.
That’s why Nuflow Fremantle’s pipe relining plumbing service piqued the interest of the strata management team of a local multi-storey apartment block. They first reached out to us at the Strata Community Convention in 2019 with a problem they weren’t sure how to fix. Their building had ongoing issues with water ingress leaking through from the floors above via the dry floor wastes that were embedded in the concrete floor slabs. This not only resulted in many insurance claims for water damage, but the owners of the building had been told that unless they had their dry floor wastes repaired, they would be unable to have their building insurance renewed.
The strata management team approached a number of plumbers who quoted for pipe repairs that involved cutting out the floor wastes from the concrete slabs. This solution involved major repairs, which would have required engineering sign-off to ensure the structural integrity of the building. It also would have required residents to move out for the period of the repairs.
An alternative pipe repair solution
We were able to offer an alternative solution through our pipe relining service. Through this innovative solution, old pipes remain in place while a new pipe is simply formed inside using tough, durable composite resin materials. This means pipes can be repaired from the inside without the need to cause further property damage.
In the case of this multi-storey apartment block, using pipe relining meant that no cutting into the structural floor slabs was required. Instead, we were able to clean out and reline the pipes, stopping any further water ingress into the units below.
Breaking down the project
The apartment building had a total of five plumbing stacks, with two units on each floor entering the stacks with the dry floor waste. During repairs, we were able to re-line two to three units per day, and also prepare for a further two to three units. Led by operations manager Steve Tonge, we broke the project up into multiple periods, completing stack 1 and 2 in January 2019, stack 3 and 4 in July 2020, and finally stack 5 in January 2021.
Since we completed the pipe relining, the building no longer has issues with water ingress into units below, and the building was successfully able to be insured again.
Taking care of everything to get the job done
Major plumbing services and repairs at an apartment building require a high level of coordination to ensure access to multiple apartments at the same time. In the case of this building, all of the apartments are privately owned, which added to the complexity.
Nuflow Fremantle took on the task of coordinating access with tenants ourselves. For each stack, we had to arrange access with 14 tenants over each week period, and we needed two days of access to do the works. The strata management team were extremely happy that we not only solved the plumbing problems, but also took on full management of the project, and carried out all of the coordination with tenants ourselves.
Nuflow’s innovative approach means simple solutions for complex apartment building plumbing issues.
Looking for a cost-effective plumbing solution with minimal hassle? Nuflow Fremantle can help. Talk to our friendly team to get your blocked pipes sorted today.
