Why Older Des Moines Homes Have Sewer Problems

The Heritage Charm vs. Plumbing Reality in Des Moines

Des Moines is celebrated for its historic neighborhoods—from Beaverdale brick cottages and South of Grand estates to craftsman bungalows in the East Village. However, beneath the manicured lawns and historic brick streets lies an aging sewer infrastructure that is rapidly reaching its structural expiration date.

If your home was built before 1975, you are likely living with sewer materials that were never engineered to last a century.

Original cast iron develops tuberculation and rust scale that snags solids

The 3 Major Historical Sewer Materials

1. Vitrified Clay Tile: Popular until the late 1960s, clay pipe was installed in short 2-foot to 3-foot sections. Every section has a joint sealed with mortar or tar. Over decades, shifting clay soil cracks these joints, allowing tree roots to penetrate and create chronic clogs.

2. Cast Iron Drainage Stacks: Durable and quiet, cast iron lasts 50 to 80 years. Eventually, sewer gases cause internal scaling and channel rust along the bottom of horizontal pipes, causing leaks and snagging waste.

3. Orangeburg (Bituminous Fiber): Used during post-war material shortages, Orangeburg pipe is essentially tar-soaked cardboard. Today, virtually all remaining Orangeburg lines in Central Iowa are blistered, flattened, or collapsed.

Short vitrified clay segments shift over time, creating offset joints and root entry

Modern Trenchless Rehabilitation for Historic Properties

Replacing a sewer line traditionally meant digging a massive trench across mature trees, stone retaining walls, and custom paver walkways. Plumbing Ankeny specializes in non-invasive trenchless CIPP epoxy lining.

We insert a resin-saturated liner through an existing cleanout, curing a seamless structural pipe that stops root intrusion permanently while preserving your historic landscaping. Call (831) 290-4327 to schedule a camera inspection.

Mid-century coal-tar Orangeburg pipe delaminates and collapses under soil weight

Historical Sewer Materials in Des Moines: Clay, Orangeburg, and Unlined Cast Iron

The Engineering Reality of Pre-1970 Underground Infrastructure

Older neighborhoods across the Des Moines metro—such as Beaverdale, Sherman Hill, Waterbury, and historic Uptown Ankeny—boast timeless architectural character. However, their underground sanitary sewer infrastructure is reaching the end of its engineered design life.

Homes constructed between 1900 and 1950 predominantly utilized Vitrified Clay Pipe (VCP) joined with mortar that has long since deteriorated, allowing rampant tree root intrusion. Post-war mid-century subdivisions frequently utilized bituminous pitch-impregnated wood fiber pipe, commonly known as 'Orangeburg.' After 50 years underground, Orangeburg absorbs moisture, delaminates, and completely pancakes under soil compaction.

Engineered shielded couplings bridge historic piping to modern smooth-wall PVC

Trenchless Pipe Bursting vs. Slip-Lining for Historic Properties

Replacing Collapsed Laterals While Preserving Brick Walks and Mature Trees

For historic Des Moines homes featuring vintage brick driveways, century-old oak trees, and custom masonry porches, traditional trenching is destructive and heartbreaking. Our trenchless pipe bursting technology provides a seamless alternative.

A heavy pneumatic cutting head is pulled through the deteriorated old clay or Orangeburg pipe, breaking the old host line apart and expanding it into the surrounding soil. Simultaneously, it pulls a brand-new, continuous seamless High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe directly behind it. The result is a 100-year sewer lateral installed with minimal excavation pits.