If you have trees in your back garden, they will constantly search for moisture. In fact, the bigger the tree, the more extensive the search and the high likelihood that they will come across your underground sewer pipe. When this happens, and the trees sense that there is moisture inside, they will naturally seek a way in and often penetrate through a connection or the smallest crack. As they continue to grow, so does your problem, and you will need to take action at some stage. But what can you do about this invasion?

Problem to Avoid

Every home needs a pipe that carries waste products from the property to the municipal line. If it becomes blocked, it can create a nasty and smelly problem indoors and if you've noticed that it takes some time to completely flush the toilet recently, penetrating roots may be the answer.

Continuing Problem

Once the roots find a way of getting into the pipe, they certainly won't stop but will reinforce their presence if they suspect that this will be a constant supply. In addition, foraging roots from other nearby trees will join in, and, eventually, the entire pipe will become blocked.

The Answer

Still, technology can come to your rescue, and you may not need to commission extensive repair work. You will need to call in an experienced and capable plumber, however, so they can bring the right equipment to your place.

Rotating Saw

In this situation, the plumber will send a "rooting" machine into the system from a sewer inspection portal. This is essentially a circulating saw attached to a cable that will travel along the pipe until it encounters the obstruction. They are often linked to a video camera, which is in turn attached to a fibre-optic cable, so the operator can see exactly what's going on. When the plumber activates the saw, it will rotate at high speed and slowly but surely clear away all the roots. The plumber will also be able to inspect the area to see if any repairs need to be made to the pipe to try and avoid this situation from reappearing.

Minimal Excavation

In many cases, you'll be able to achieve your goal without excavation, but if the plumber does have to dig down to affect some external repairs to the pipe, they will know precisely where to do so to cause minimum inconvenience.

Taking Action

So, it's time to fight back against those tree roots by getting in touch with a plumber today.