Mature trees add so much beauty to a neighborhood, especially in the springtime when they are in bloom. The natural shade is lovely. But did you know tree roots can be a terrible adversary for your sewer pipes? Everyone loves trees, right? But sewer pipes are important too, for obvious reasons. There must be a mutually beneficial answer. Here are some some important things to know about how roots can wreck your pipes and what to do if you have a problem.
5 Ways to Prevent Tree Roots in Sewer Pipes
1. There’s no denying the natural attraction – The water and nutrients flowing through your pipes are the things tree roots crave. Even a tiny crack or a loose joint can release vapors that attract roots like an aphrodisiac. Roots can work their way in to these openings and continue to grow until eventually they form a root mass that could totally block the pipe, causing the content to back up into your house. Tree roots are the number one cause of underground pipe damage.
2. The telltale gurgle: catch the problem early – Just like many household problems, it is best to catch the problem early. The longer you wait, the more expensive and extensive the repair solution might be. When your sewer pipes first start to clog, you may notice a gurgling sound in the toilet. You may have slow drains you clear out again and again, but the clog keeps coming back. You may notice that the toilet gurgle and slow drains occur in conjunction with water backing up in the bathtub or around your washing machine. These are all warning signs that there could be a “root meets pipe” conflict going on underground.
3. Uh-oh, the roots are winning. Now what? – In most communities, homeowners are responsible for the underground pipes that lead from their home out to the municipal pipes that are often underneath the street. The pipes under your property are called the lateral pipes. To prevent problems from happening in the first place, you can have a sewer line specialist route out your drain regularly at a relatively minimal charge. Or, you can attempt to block the direction of the tree root growth. If you have a minor problem, there is a potential DIY solution you can try. A half-cup of copper sulfate, which is available at most home improvement stores, can be flushed down the toilet. This is toxic to tree roots, but in small amounts will only travel so far up the root system, usually not causing damage to the tree. But because it is really hard to know exactly where the problem is and how extensive it is, it is almost always a good idea to call a professional to diagnose the problem and recommend a course of action.
