How Trees Can Destroy Your Home’s Sewer Line

You try to be careful and ensure you don’t put anything down the drain that would clog your pipes. You don’t place anything in the toilet except toilet paper; you don’t put pasta, stringy vegetables, or fats down the sink in the kitchen; 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? 

Go outside because you may be overlooking the most detrimental problem of all: tree roots. 

Trees crave nutrients and their roots are how they get it, so the tip of the tree root is continuously “searching for” and “reaching toward” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are drawn to a leaking sewer line in need of repair

Most of time, tree roots will leave strong, unbroken sewer lines alone. They usually only occupy leaking, split, or damaged lines buried within the top two feet of the soil. When this takes place the first damage not only becomes worse, the tree roots can seriously clog the sewer pipes and lower the water flow, causing overflows and possibly flooding your home or building. 

But what should you do? Call a sewer line repair expert in Columbus. 

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

Sewer line repair technicians at Stevenson Service Experts will use a sewer inspection camera to decide whether or not the pipe has a tree root issue. Once the issue has been confirmed, our sewer line repair expert will review all of your options with you and help you determine the best way to move forward, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just removing the tree roots. 

Keep in mind, faster growing trees, such as ash, oak, or tuliptree, may cause more issues because they grow more quickly. Slower growing trees are a better alternative, but they still need to be swapped out every seven to ten years to avoid their roots from damaging the sewer lines. Also, always plant trees away from your sewer lines, that way you can help stop damage and prevent those pesky (and sometimes costly) sewer line repairs. If you’re not confident where your sewer lines are, ask Stevenson Service Experts to flag the path of the sewer pipes. 

So if you think your tree roots have come in contact with your sewer line or you have any plumbing needs at all, call Stevenson Service Experts in Columbus and we are happy to come out and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a total plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are good to go. 

  • Tips to Fix a Clogged Toilet that Won’t Flush

    We’ve all been there—you flush the toilet, and instead of everything going down the drain as it should, the water level starts rising ominously. A clogged toilet can be a real problem, especially if you don’t know how to tackle it. Thankfully, unclogging a toilet is a skill everyone can... Continue reading

  • Steps to Re-Light a Water Heater Pilot Light

    When you step into the shower, you count on the water to get nice and hot very quickly. If an ice-cold blast greets you instead, you know something’s wrong. The typical culprit behind this nasty, chilly surprise is a water heater pilot light that’s gone out. Don’t worry—relighting your... Continue reading

  • Tips to Help Test Your Home’s Water Pressure

    Going through water pressure issues can be a real pain in the neck. Whether your shower has become a mere drizzle or your garden hose lacks its usual power, understanding and managing your home’s water pressure is necessary for getting things flowing again. The good thing is, checking your water... Continue reading