Having lush, hearty trees can increase the curbside appeal and value of your Garland, TX home. Trees offer summertime shade, erosion prevention, and enhanced privacy. Some trees even block out excess noise pollution. Unfortunately, for all the benefits they provide, trees can also wreak havoc on your plumbing system. If invasive tree roots enter your sewer line, they’ll block the flow of wastewater and cause backup. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to protect your sewer line from tree root encroachment.
Install Root Barriers
Simple yet effective, root barriers are installed just when new trees are planted. Whether made from metal, plastic, or stone, these barriers are positioned between flatwork, foundations, or underground utilities and adjacent trees. They prevent tree roots from absorbing nutrients and moisture from the soil that surrounds protected structures.
Trim Your Tree Roots
If you have mature trees on your property that are already at risk of encroaching upon your sewer line, you can have an arborist trim their roots. Strategic root trimming from licensed tree care professionals can protect underground utilities without impacting the health of the affected trees. It’s generally safe to trim tree roots that have grown a distance of five times the diameter of trees. For instance, if you have a tree with a two-foot diameter, your arborist can safely trim back roots that are 10 feet away from its base.
Prevent Whole-House Backups With Sewer Service
Sewer line encroachment isn’t something that most homeowners think about until they’re already dealing with wastewater problems. If all of the drains in your home are blocked, moving slowly, or emitting foul, sewer-gas odors, you likely have a sewer line blockage. If left unchecked, this blockage could send solid waste and wastewater rushing back into your drains and plumbing-connected appliances. The good news is that you still have time to prevent a whole-house backup. Timely interventions can also preserve the integrity of your sewer pipe and diminish the cost and magnitude of all related repairs.
Hydro-Jetting
Hydro-jetting is a popular drain and sewer-line treatment that uses hot, high-pressure water to break down sewer line obstructions and flush them toward the sewer main. During hydro-jetting, plumbers insert slim hoses into plumbing cleanouts or other major access points. These hoses emit water jets with pressure levels as high as 3,500 pounds per square inch (psi). This is forceful enough to power through invasive tree roots while scouring pipe walls clean.
When encroaching sewer lines, trees can send out tiny lateral roots that enter pipes through cracks that are only millimeters wide. By scheduling sewer jetting at the first signs of trouble, you can prevent small lateral roots from expanding and creating larger openings.
Rooter Service
Rooter service provides similar results to hydro-jetting but uses a mechanized rooter machine. Rooters are long, flexible augers or snakes that plumbers insert into plumbing cleanouts. Rooters have sharp tips that drill through tree roots and other obstructions to break them apart. Low-pressure water is used to flush the resulting debris toward the municipal sewer main.
Both hydro-jet and rooter machines are affixed with exploratory cameras. These sewer line cameras give plumbers a clear view of pipe interiors. By scheduling these services, you can find out how badly your pipes have been damaged by tree roots and whether tree roots are the cause of your sewer line problems.
Repair or Replace Your Damaged Sewer Line
Breaking up and flushing out invasive tree roots won’t put a permanent end to your problem. The roots of some trees can grow back within just one to 12 months of sewer line cleaning. Although you can always have rooter service or hydro-jetting performed again, these treatments take a toll on sewer lines and can cause problems of their own if used too frequently. It’s important to repair or replace damaged sewer lines to ensure that there are no access points for tree roots.
Protect and Maintain Your Sewer Pipe
Keeping your sewer pipe in good condition is the best way to avoid encroachment. Depending upon their materials, these pipes can last anywhere from 25 to 100 years. With regular inspections, you can track the remaining lifespan of your sewer line and have it repaired or replaced as needed.
Schedule Regular Sewer Line and Drain Cleaning
Regular drain and sewer line cleaning will remove heavy buildups of hard water minerals, silt, sand, and general waste. These treatments prevent accelerated corrosion and cracking. They may also offset sewer pipe sections. You should have your drains professionally cleaned every one to two years. Most plumbers recommend scheduling sewer line cleaning every 18 to 24 months.
Avoid Soil Compaction and Offset Sewer Pipes
Never place heavy machinery or other weighty items directly on top of your sewer line. In regions with exceedingly cold winters, these pipes are often buried five feet deep. However, in most areas, sewer lines are covered by just 18 to 36 inches of soil. Placing a stump grinding machine or shed directly over your sewer line will cause soil compaction and could offset your sewer pipes.
Don’t Flush “Flushable” Wipes or Other Slow-Degrading Items
You should never flush slow-degrading items like “flushable” wipes or feminine hygiene products. These things can remain intact in sewer lines for weeks or months. They can also get snagged on rough pipe interiors, built-up sediment, or other slow-moving waste. The resulting blockages will place unnecessary pressure on pipe walls and could lead to sewer line leaks. When sewer lines leach their contents into the surrounding soils, they attract tree roots and weeds. The only things that you should flush down your toilets are toilet paper and human waste.
Take Care of Hard Water Issues
Extend the lifespan of your wastewater pipes, sewer line, and water lines by taking care of hard water issues. Installing a whole-house water softener will prevent heavy sediment buildups, leaks, clogs, and corrosion.
Use Responsible Planting and Landscape Management Strategies
Always plant new trees at least 10 feet away from your sewer line and a suitable distance away from the underground utilities on neighboring properties. It’s also important to target tree species with root systems that are easy to manage.
Weed roots can be just as detrimental to sewer lines as tree roots. Their lateral roots can take advantage of ultra-tiny entry points. As such, it’s also important to have a weed control plan that keeps these invasive growths away from your sewer pipe.
Replace Old Terracotta and Orangeburg Sewer Pipes
Many older homes have terracotta or Orangeburg sewer pipes. Both pipe types become increasingly brittle as they age and often develop tiny cracks. This makes them more susceptible to tree root encroachment than other pipe materials. If you have an Orangeburg or terracotta sewer pipe, consider having it preemptively replaced.
We’ve been proudly serving Garland and the surrounding communities for more than 65 years. We offer expert heating, cooling, plumbing, and indoor air quality services. We also provide sump pumps and HVAC air duct cleaning. If you need help maintaining your sewer line, contact On Time Experts today!
