Spray-applied manhole rehabilitation
Seamless ArmorThane polyurea liners stop corrosion and infiltration — and put manholes back in service the same day.
ArmorThane polyurea liners
One continuous membrane from bench to frame — no joints, no seams, no weak point for hydrogen sulfide or groundwater to find.
Start your own business
Launch a manhole rehab company on ArmorThane’s tried-and-true system — training, spray rig, materials and support included.
Every manhole is a choke point. Corrosion eats the concrete, groundwater pours through the cracks, and replacement means digging up the street. A spray-applied ArmorThane polyurea liner seals it all — in a single visit.
Typical liner build on manhole walls
To gel — hard to the touch in minutes
Return to service, with no excavation
ArmorThane polyurea expertise behind every rig
Applications
Hydrogen sulfide turns into sulfuric acid and eats unprotected concrete. A polyurea barrier stops the attack and seals out groundwater.
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Catch basins, inlets and junction structures take abrasion, freeze-thaw and road salt. Seal them before the next storm season.
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Turbulence releases more H2S here than anywhere else in the system. Give the wet well a liner built for it.
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Valve, meter and utility vaults stay dry and serviceable with a seamless membrane over walls, floor and lid frame.
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Grease interceptors and process sumps see fats, oils and aggressive chemistry. Polyurea shrugs it off.
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Most inflow sneaks in at the chimney and frame. Coat them continuously with the barrel for a true top-to-bottom seal.
Learn moreHow it works
Every job starts with a condition assessment — often MACP-style — to document defects, active leaks and corrosion depth, and to choose the right build.
Debris, sediment and loose concrete come out with high-pressure water and/or abrasive blasting. Leaks are stopped and voids rebuilt so the liner bonds to sound substrate.
A primer goes down, then technicians spray ArmorThane polyurea from the bench up to the chimney, building a uniform membrane — typically 100–250 mils.
The liner gels in seconds and is hard to the touch within minutes. Thickness and holiday checks confirm coverage, and the structure goes back in service the same day.
Compare methods
A quick, honest look at the most common ways to deal with a deteriorated manhole.
| Feature | Our pick Spray polyurea ArmorThane system | Cementitious liner Spray or troweled mortar | Epoxy coating Spray or roll applied | Full replacement Excavate and reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seamless, jointless barrier | Yes — monolithic membrane | Can crack over time | Yes, when fully cured | Joints between sections |
| Return to service | Same day | Typically after cure time | Hours to overnight | Days to weeks |
| Flexibility / crack bridging | High elongation | Rigid | Rigid to semi-rigid | New concrete, rigid |
| H2S / acid resistance | Excellent | Varies by mix | Good to excellent | Bare concrete is vulnerable |
| Excavation required | No | No | No | Yes |
| Street & traffic disruption | Minimal | Moderate | Moderate | Significant |
General comparison for typical concrete manholes. Actual performance depends on product selection, surface preparation, application and site conditions — always follow the project specification.
Start your own business
ArmorThane has spent more than three decades refining polyurea, the equipment that sprays it and the training that makes crews productive. You bring the drive and the territory.
Applicator certification covering prep, spraying, QC and safety.
A mobile coating unit built and configured for manhole work.
Polyurea, primers and a tech team that answers when you’re on site.
Who it’s for
Add a high-margin, fast-turn service your municipal customers already need.
Bring rehab in-house, cut contractor markups and respond to failures faster.
Put your spray experience to work on infrastructure — a new, recurring revenue stream.
Start a focused, equipment-based business with training and a proven playbook.
The Journal
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Heidi Lee · Sep 21, 2026
Every municipality with an aging sewer system eventually faces the same question about a failing manhole: fix it, or dig…
Heidi Lee · Aug 19, 2026
Last Tuesday’s webinar on MACP scoring drew 312 registered attendees and generated one of the most engaged Q&A sessions we’ve…
Heidi Lee · Jun 15, 2026
Manhole Recovery monitors the water/wastewater industry for developments that affect manhole rehabilitation professionals. Here’s what’s new in June 2026. NASSCO…
Heidi Lee · Jun 15, 2026
FAQ
It restores an existing manhole from the inside instead of replacing it. After cleaning and repairing the walls, a crew sprays a fast-curing polyurea liner that forms a continuous, seamless membrane — stopping corrosion and infiltration without excavation.
Most standard manholes are prepped and sprayed in a single visit. ArmorThane polyurea gels within seconds and is hard to the touch in minutes, so structures typically return to service the same day.
Builds typically range from about 100 to 250 mils on manhole walls, depending on structure condition, exposure and the engineer’s specification.
Yes. Polyurea is highly resistant to the sulfuric acid produced by H2S in sewers, which is why it is widely used in sanitary manholes, wet wells and lift stations.
Yes. ArmorThane provides applicator training, turnkey spray rigs, materials and ongoing technical support. Start on our Start Your Business page or use the form to talk with us.
Start your own business
Get the ArmorThane training, spray rig and materials behind thousands of restored structures — and a team that picks up the phone.
