Pitch fibre pipes can be found in many properties across the UK, they were installed throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s. At the time they were approved by British Standards, but this was withdrawn in the late 80s. Pitch fibre was used for pipes because they were cheap, easy to install and their light weight made them easy to transport.

It became obvious that these pipes were not as long lasting as the clay pipes they replaced. They were susceptible to the inner surface delaminating (the layers of material the pipes were made from coming apart). This led to the pitch fibre pipes collapsing and leaking. It also became apparent that they were could collapse under the weight of the soil they were buried in, far more so than more traditional pipe materials.

Research into the feasibility of pitch fibre for pipes, did suggest that, under optimum conditions, they can be expected to last for forty years. This means that many of even the best made and laid pipes are now past their life expectancy and become more and more likely to fail. Of course, any that have been poorly installed will fail earlier.

According to DEFRA, as many as 50,000 properties, both domestic and commercial, now suffer from problems caused by pitch fibre pipes each year. Presently, any problems that arise with pitch fibre pipes are usually only repaired when problems arise.

Our pitch-fibre pipe repairs do not require us to dig up the pipe, we can repair collapses within the pipe, cut out blockages caused by intruding roots and ensure that your pipes will last for years to come.