How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

June 08, 2016

You try to be careful and assure you keep from putting anything down the drain that would plug your pipes. You don’t place anything in the toilet except toilet paper; you don’t put pasta, bones, or grease down the garbage disposal; and you make sure to have strainers on all your drains. But have you done absolutely everything in order to avoid an expensive sewer line repair?

Look outside because you may be forgetting the most damaging problem of all: tree roots.

Trees crave nutrients and their roots are how they get it, so the point of the tree root is always “seeking” and “reaching for” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are very attracted to a leaking sewer line in need of repair.

Most of time, tree roots will leave healthy, intact sewer lines alone. They normally only occupy leaking, split, or damaged lines buried within the top 24 inches of the ground. When this takes place the original damage not only becomes worse, the tree roots can actually clog the sewer pipes and lower the water flow, leaving you with overflows and possibly flooding your home or building.

So what do you do? Call a sewer line repair expert in Kansas City.

A sewer line repair will usually be easier (and cheaper) than a burst pipe, so if you suspect trouble with your sewer line, especially if you feel that tree roots are making their way into the pipe, call Neal Harris Service Experts immediately.

Sewer line repair professionals at Neal Harris will use a sewer inspection camera to decide whether or not the sewer line has a tree root issue. Once the issue has been confirmed, our sewer line repair technician will discuss all of your options with you and help you decide the best way to proceed, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just getting rid of the tree roots.

Note, faster growing trees, such as ash, sweetgum, or sycamore, may cause more trouble because they grow more quickly. Slower growing trees are a better alternative, but they still need to be replaced every eight to ten years to avoid their roots from becoming an issue. Also, make sure you plant trees far from your sewer lines, that way you can help avoid damage and prevent those pesky (and often expensive) sewer line repairs. If you’re not sure where your sewer lines are, ask Neal Harris to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have invaded your sewer line or you have any plumbing problems at all, call Neal Harris Service Experts in Kansas City and we are happy to come out and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a full plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are in working order.

chat now widget box