Pecan Valley Plumbing
Get help with Tree Roots in Sewer Lines
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Call (512) 555-0147Tree and shrub roots growing inside a sewer line, cleared out and addressed at the gap that let them in.
01Roots in the line
Each points to roots somewhere along the line, at a different stage of the same problem.
Cutting roots out clears what's growing inside right now, but the gap they came through doesn't close on its own, so regrowth over time is normal until that gap itself is addressed.
Roots travel a long way toward moisture and nutrients, and an aging line with joints or small cracks along that path is exactly what they're drawn to.
Once roots are confirmed growing inside a run, the choice is between removing what is there now and dealing with the opening that let them in.
02Removing them for good
Each does something different to the roots and to the opening they came through.
A mechanical cutter clears what's growing inside the pipe right now and restores flow immediately. It doesn't change the gap the roots came through, so on its own it's usually a repeat visit rather than a lasting fix.
A liner installed inside the existing pipe seals over the joints and small cracks roots have been using to get in, closing the opening without digging it up. It addresses the cause, not just what's currently growing inside.
Where a section has taken enough damage that lining it isn't practical, digging it out and replacing it removes every opening roots were using along that stretch at once.
Tree Roots in Sewer Lines
Serving Round Rock, TX.
03How it happens
A sewer line carries a steady supply of moisture and nutrients, which is exactly what a root is searching for as it spreads through the soil. Where it meets a joint, a hairline crack or a connection that was never fully sealed, it follows the moisture in through the smallest possible opening, then keeps growing once it's inside. That growth is what turns a gap too small to notice into one wide enough to catch debris and restrict flow.
04How soon they return
Cutting roots out is rarely the last time it comes up. These are what change how long it takes.
A hairline crack lets far less back in than a joint that has separated or a section with several small openings, so the extent of the original damage has a lot to do with how quickly it's worth revisiting.
A root system a few feet from the line reaches an opening again much faster than one much farther away, and fast-growing species tend to find their way back sooner than slower ones.
Cutting the roots out leaves the same opening available the next time roots reach it. Sealing that section during a lining or a replacement is what actually removes the opening rather than just clearing what grew through it.
05Questions
They don't force their way through solid pipe. A root follows moisture escaping through a small gap at a joint, a crack or a poorly sealed connection, and once inside it keeps growing, widening the opening it came through over time.
Cutting removes what's growing inside the pipe right now and restores flow, but leaves the opening the roots used still there. Lining that section seals the gap from the inside without digging, and replacing it removes the damaged length entirely. Which applies depends on how much of the pipe is affected.
It varies with the size of the opening, how close the nearest tree is, and the season, but regrowth into an untreated gap is common within a year or two. A section that's been lined or replaced removes the opening they were using, which is what stops the cycle.
Water that cannot be stopped, sewage coming up, no water at all, or a smell of gas: urgent. A drip, a slow drain or a running toilet: worth fixing soon, but not tonight. When in doubt, shut off the water to the fixture and ask.
Pecan Valley Plumbing
Call Pecan Valley Plumbing, have us call you, or describe the issue.
Prefer to talk?
Call (512) 555-0147