"The Experts In Tunneling"

We do NOT destroy your floors! Here at Cast Iron Specialists we access your underground cast iron pipes from outside of your house, condo, commercial or government building. You can live, work and even use the plumbing during the tunneling process. We dig a small entry hole in order to begin the hydro-excavation process. What is hydro-excavation you ask? Hydro-excavation consists of blasting the dirt with high pressure water turning the dirt into a sort of sludge. The sludge is then sucked up into one of our state of the art vacuum machines.

"The Piping Process"

Once we are finished tunneling, our next step is the piping process. During this process we will need access inside briefly to pull the toilets and replace the old cast iron flange with a new PVC flange. Once that step is complete we are back in the tunnel and out of the way. During this piping process we would need 6 to 8 hours a day of no running water to ensure all the new PVC connections dry properly. YOU WILL BE LEFT WITH A WORKING BATHROOM AT THE END OF EACH DAY. Your new PVC shall be hung from the slab with stainless steel hangers every 4 feet to avoid any future rusting and/or failures. When the underground cast iron is fully replaced we then call for plumbing rough inspection. The inspector then comes out to make sure the piping is to code and gives us clearance to start the backfilling process.

"Backfill"

Now that the inspector has approved the plumbing rough inspection, it's time to backfill. Our backfill consists of a three part system that involves #67 rock and highly compressed air. The rock is sucked up and then shot underneath the building to ensure that the compaction rate is 100%. Our engineer then comes out to test the compaction rate to make sure everything is structurally sound and backfilled safely. The engineer will write up an approval letter signed and sealed to provide for final inspection.

We Do NOT Line Pipes! Here's Why:

It's Not a Permanent Solution

When a client calls and asks if we do lining, I usually give them a long list of why they should not do it. Here's a prime example. You're putting liner into a rusting and deteriorating pipe. The pipe is still going to rust away leaving the liner to support the hundreds of pounds of dirt above it.

Known For Failing

You may get a few years out of it, but eventually it will wither away. This client relined the entire house and still gets back ups every other week due to the failure. As of 2024 there has been so many failed liner cases that the plumbing code had to change to combat it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Liner vs PVC?

PVC is stronger and lasts a lifetime. Liner can not fix any back pitched pipes or any areas where the pipe is holding water.

Which is better Hydro-excavation or Hand digging/dry digging tunnels?

Hand digging/dry digging still leaves the ground soft. Meaning the tunnel floor is not 100% compacted and is vulnerable to settling. With the hydro-excavation process the water we use initially to dig the tunnel compacts the dirt 100% at the bottom of the tunnel leaving no room for potential settling.

Which method is the safest for the foundation of my house? Cutting through the floors or Tunneling under the house?

When hydro-excavated and backfilled properly, tunneling is the safest route. Cutting through the floors disrupts your rebar structure in your concrete slab. The rebar is tied together through out your concrete slab to support your structure. Cutting it leaves the structure vulnerable. When shopping around for quotes it's imperative that you find a company that's not only licensed and insured but knows exactly what they are doing when it comes to tunnels. Here at Cast Iron Specialists we only do tunneling. We do not do any service calls or above ground plumbing. We are masters at our craft.