How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

You try to be wary and ensure you avoid putting anything down the drain that would jam your pipes. You don’t put anything down the toilet but toilet paper; you don’t put pasta, bones, or oils down the garbage disposal; and you make sure to have screens on all your drains. But have you thought of everything in order to avoid an expensive sewer line repair?

Look outside because you may be missing the most destructive problem of all: tree roots.

Trees crave nutrients and their roots are how they get it, so the end of the tree root is constantly “looking for” and “reaching for” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are drawn to a leaking sewer line that needs repair.

Typically, tree roots will leave fine, undamaged sewer lines alone. They usually only invade leaking, split, or damaged lines buried within the top 24 inches of the soil. When this occurs the first damage does not only get worse, the tree roots can totally clog the sewer lines and decrease the water flow, leaving you with overflows and even flooding your home or building.

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

A sewer line repair will usually be easier (and cost less) than a ruptured pipe, so if you think there is trouble with your sewer line, especially if you feel that tree roots are growing into the pipe, call Norrell Service Experts right away.

Sewer line repair professionals at Norrell 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 professional will discuss all of your options with you and help you decide the best way to move forward, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just cutting out the tree roots.

Remember, faster growing trees, such as cottonwood, sweetgum, or willow, may cause more problems because they grow faster. Slower growing trees are a better choice, but they still need to be swapped out 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 prevent damage and stop those pesky (and often costly) sewer line repairs. If you’re not sure where your sewer lines are, ask Norrell to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have entered your sewer line or you have any plumbing needs at all, call Norrell Service Experts in Birmingham and we are happy to come to your home and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a full plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are in working order.