How Tree Roots Can Affect Your Drains and What You Can Do About It

tree roots inside a pipe

Tree roots are a common cause of significant drain system issues, especially for homes with mature trees near plumbing lines. Seeking water and nutrients, roots can extend far from their original source, penetrating even the smallest cracks or joints in pipes.

The Threat Of Tree Root Intrusion

Once inside pipes, tree roots expand rapidly to accommodate more water. This soon causes blockages, leaks, and even pipe ruptures. Timely professional repairs can address these problems and save homeowners from more major issues.

As roots grow inside pipes, they form dense tangles that restrict water flow, causing slow drains, backups, and unpleasant odors in the home. This leads to complete blockages, making it nearly impossible for wastewater to exit your home.

You will experience sewer backups and wastewater damage from major blockages. They are health hazards and harmful to the home. Roots also exert enough pressure to crack or collapse pipes, resulting in leaks and soil saturation around the foundation.

Proper Treatment Of Tree Roots

To address these issues, the first step is professional inspection. Pipe camera technology helps plumbing experts locate and assess the extent of root infiltration without digging up your yard. Once identified, they can use different root removal methods.

The use of drain snaking involves a rotating blade that cuts through roots inside the pipe and clears the blockage. For more comprehensive and long-term solutions, hydro jetting cleans out roots and flushes them away down the sewer.

Trenchless pipe lining finishes the process by repairing the location attacked by roots. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to blast away roots, debris, and mineral buildup in the pipe, restoring full flow.

Trenchless pipe lining reinforces the pipe interior with a durable epoxy coating. This prevents root intrusion and extends the pipe’s lifespan without excavation.

Preventative measures such as root barriers can help protect pipes from nearby trees. If possible, some relocation or change of placement can help avoid tree roots and pipes coming together.

There are professional ways to handle tree roots and pipe issues. Call the top local pipe and sewer specialist, E R Plumbing Services today to address the root cause.

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